Vale JACQUELINE MILDRED (Jackie) BYRNES OAM (5 January 1944 – 16 May 2024)

Jacqueline (Jackie) Byrnes provided a special and most significant contribution to Australian athletics from her own time as a national level athlete in the 1960s to her “retirement” from high level coaching after the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and then as an advisor, educator and mentor well beyond that time.

In the intervening period Jackie trail blazed in numerous areas – becoming one of the first development officers for Little Athletics, Coaching Director for Athletics New South Wales and a highly successful personal coach.

As an athlete, under the mentorship of June Ferguson, Jackie was placed five times in Australian Championships – beginning in 1965 with a bronze over 880 yards in 2.12.8. She took a step up the dais the following year taking silver in the last Nationals to be conducted over imperial distances. In the first metric Nationals – in 1967, Jackie took bronze medals over both 400 and 800 metres on the uniquely configured North Hobart grass track where the circular events finished on the curve – to meet international rise and fall requirements for records. There was another silver over 800 metres in 1968.

Sadly, there were few opportunities for national representation in Jackie’s era at the top. There were only a small number of teams and such was the strength of women’s athletics in Australia at the times, the competition for available spots intense. But her time would come – in a different role.

June’s great knowledge and fervour for coaching clearly rubbed off on Jackie.

But Jackie had her own trademark. Her extraordinary skill for talent identification is perhaps what Jackie’s service to athletics will most be remembered. Her tireless commitment to her employment with both NSW Little Athletics and Athletics NSW went above and beyond the call of duty as she travelled throughout the state seven days a week, searching for the next crop of young stars to represent the state whilst at the same time being equally enthusiastic in developing skills amongst the not-so-talented.

Her arrival in the easily spotted Streets Ice Cream-sponsored station wagon was eagerly awaited all over New South Wales.

Jackie led the team that revitalised youth and junior athletics in New South Wales and her great passion for the New South Wales and Australian All Schools Championships as pathway events, saw both events expand considerably during her tenure, as youngsters from NSW began to really dominate at national level, and overtake the previously dominant Victorians. It established a rivalry that soon engaged Queensland in a battle for youth supremacy. It was an important element in Australia’s success at youth and junior levels internationally soon after.

Relays were always of interest to Jackie and when the Waratah women had for a brief period lost their dominance in the early 1980s, Jackie worked with eventual fellow Athletics Australia Life Member, Mike Hurst, to develop the StarTrackers women’s relay program to focus the State’s new group of senior female sprinters on national success once again. It worked.

During that period, Jackie began to seriously develop her skills as a personal coach to Australia’s emerging elite, which blossomed through her highly successful coaching relationships with Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (for more than 20 years), Jana Pittman and Alison Quinn, which delivered a world indoor, a paralympic, two world junior and a world youth golds, world junior and paralympic records and countless national titles.

Jackie developed her own talent as a manager and coach of state teams and was subsequently recognised through appointment to the national team management group for a range of teams during the 1990s, culminating in her service as the relays coach for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, 1999 World Championships through to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Although she considered her time at the highest level was complete, Jackie was far from done – returning to grassroots and school coaching whilst always being available to mentor other coaches. Eventually her special skills were too much to be left in abeyance and Jackie was asked to return to national roles within the Under 20 program including as a national team coach to the 2014 World Juniors in Eugene.

Jackie was bestowed with life membership of Athletics Australia in 2010. Her service to sport, athletics in particular, was recognised nationally with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2002. She appreciated both recognitions immensely.

Jackie Byrnes was the most engaging of personalities – and giving to others was a fundamental part of her nature. The impact she had on so many lives – young ones in particular – should not be underestimated. Perhaps from her time in the defence forces, she could also be strict and made no apologies for demanding something extra if she believed – always sincerely – that it would make a difference to an athlete’s or coach’s progress or to improve any program of which she was a part.

All of this was clear when Athletics Australia posted news of her passing on 16 May. The reflections were diverse and, to so many individuals, unique to their relationship with Jackie. 

The Australian Athletics Family extends its condolences and appreciation for a lifetime of service to the sport to Maureen, to Mel and Jackie’s extended family – and to every athlete and coach whose careers she touched so poignantly.
Jackies’s extraordinary life which extended well beyond her love and commitment to athletics will be celebrated on Friday, 21 June at The Dee Why RSL Club, 932 Pittwater Road, Dee Why from 11am to 1pm – not so far from her beloved coaching home at Narrabeen.

By Brian Roe, Athletics Australia
Posted: 20/06/2024