Commonwealth Games FLASHBACK P
REVIOUSLY the Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930–1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954–1966, and British Commonwealth Games from 1970–1974.
Canadian Melville Marks (Bobby) Robinson is acknowledged as the driving force behind the creation of the Games. AUSTRALIA WAS REPRESENTED BY A HANDFUL OF ATHLETES AT THE 1930 BRITISH EMPIRE GAMES IN HAMILTON. SWIMMER NOEL RYAN WON TWO GOLD AND ROWING CHAMPION BOBBY PEARCE WON ANOTHER. Robinson, a sports reporter for the Hamilton Spectator, was also a sports manager whose dream was to create an event that would bring together athletes from all countries of the British Empire. His attendance at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam was instrumental in the development of a successful proposal to hold the first British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada.
Robinson finally got his wish in 1930 when 400 athletes from 11 countries gathered to take part in the first British Empire Games. Canadian triple jumper Gordon Smallacombe won the first ever gold medal in the history of the Games. Australia won eight medals, three gold at the inaugural Games.
Only six countries have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Sydney hosted the third British Empire Games in 1938. The event was timed to coincide with the city’s sesquicentenary (150 years since the foundation of British settlement in Australia). More than 40,000 spectators attended the opening ceremony at the Sydney Cricket Grounds. Competitors from 15 Empire countries participated in the seven sports (athletics, boxing, cycling, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming and wrestling) that made up the Games. Australia finished as the most successful of the competing nations. The outstanding competitor of the Games was Australian sprinter Decima Norman who won five gold medals. Other gold medallists included Bob Porter and Edgar “Dunc”Gray (track), Ron Masters, Irene Donett and Lurline Hook (diving). Interestingly, Margaret Dovey, later wife of Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam represented Australia in breaststroke at the 1938 British Empire Games.
OPENING CEREMONY, SYDNEY CRICKET GROUNDS 1930 1934 1938
1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 Hamilton, Canada London, England Sydney, Australia
Montreal, Canada, Cardiff, Wales: both cancelled because of WWII
Auckland, New Zealand Vancouver, Canada Cardiff, Wales Perth, Australia Kingston, Jamaica Edinburgh, Scotland 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Christchurch, NZ Edmonton, Canada Brisbane, Australia Edinburgh, Scotland Auckland, New Zealand Victoria, Canada Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Manchester, England Melbourne, Australia Delhi, India Glasgow, Scotland Gold Coast, Australia Birmingham, England