New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games

New Zealand  at the Commonwealth Games
Flag of New Zealand CGF code  NZL CGA New Zealand Olympic Committee Website www.olympic.org.nz
At the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand
Competitors	175
Officials	24
Flag bearer	Opening: Closing:
Medals Rank: 3rd	Gold 10	Silver 22	Bronze 22	Total 54
Commonwealth Games history (summary)
British Empire Games
1930 1934 1938 1950
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1954 1958 1962 1966
British Commonwealth Games
1970 1974
Commonwealth Games
1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014

New Zealand (abbreviated NZL) had a team of 175 competitors and 24 officials at the 1950 British Empire Games, which were held at Auckland, New Zealand. The flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Harold Nelson.

New Zealand has competed in every games, starting with the first British Empire Games in 1930 at Hamilton, Ontario. Selection is the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Games Venue

4th British Empire Games

Host city	Auckland, New Zealand
Nations participating	12 Nations of the Empire
Athletes participating	590
Opening ceremony	4 February
Closing ceremony	11 February
Main venue	Eden Park

The main stadium was at Eden Park. Other venues were the Auckland Town Hall (Boxing & Wrestling), the Drill Hall (Fencing), Western Springs (Cycling, and Closing) Lake Karapiro (Rowing), and the Newmarket Olympic Pool (Swimming). Accommodation was at the Ardmore Teachers' Training College, 23 miles (37 kilometres) away at South Auckland. Total attendance was 246,694; higher than 1954 (159,636), 1958 (178,621) and 1962 (224,987).

Medals

	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
New Zealand	10	22	22	54

New Zealand was third in the medal table in 1950.

Gold

Athletics:

Harold Nelson — Men's 6 Miles

Yvette Williams — Women's Long Jump

Boxing:

Frank Creagh — Men's Heavyweight 81–91 kg

Lawn Bowls:

Phil Exelby and Robert Henry — Men's Pairs

James Pirrett — Men's Singles

Rowing:

Bill Carroll, Bill James, Ted Johnson, Colin Johnstone and John O'Brien — Men's Coxed Four

Swimming:

Michael Amos, Lyall Barry, Colin Chambers and Buddy Lucas — Men's 880 yards Freestyle Relay

Weightlifting:

Harold Cleghorn — Men's 110 kg

Wrestling:

John Armitt — Men's 62 kg

Doug Mudgway — Men's 57 kg

Silver

Athletics:

Shirley Hardman, Dorothea Parker and Lesley Rowe — Women's 440 yards Relay

John Holland — Men's 440 yards Hurdles

Bevin Hough — Men's Long Jump

Harold Nelson — Men's 3 Miles

June Schoch — Women's 80 m Hurdles

Yvette Williams — Women's Javelin Throw

Boxing:

James Beal — Men's Middleweight 71–75 kg

Christopher Rollinson — Men's Light Heavyweight 75–81 kg

Fencing:

Charles Dearing, Austin Gittos, Murray Gittos and Nathaniel Millar — Men's Foil Team

Patricia Woodroffe — Women's Individual Foil

Cycling:

Nick Carter — Men's Road Race

Les Lock — Men's 10 Mile Scratch Race

Rowing:

Donald Adam, Kerry Ashby, Murray Ashby, Bruce Culpan, Thomas Engel, Graham Jarratt, Don Rowlands, Edwin Smith and Bill Tinnock — Men's Eight

David Gould and Humphrey Gould — Men's Coxless Pair

Joseph Schneider and Desmond Simonson — Men's Double Sculls

Swimming:

Norma Bridson, Winifred Griffin, Joan Hastings and Kristin Jacobi — Women's 440 yards Freestyle Relay

Jean Stewart — Women's 110 yards Backstroke

Weightlifting:

Bruce George — Men's −75 kg

Wrestling:

Eric Matthews — Men's 52 kg

Pat O'Connor — Men's 100 kg

Arthur Sneddon — Men's 90 kg

Waterpolo:

Charles Brown, Jim Cameron, Terry Harris, Bob Hatchwell, Barrie Hutchinson, Tom Logan, Edward Raven, Jim Walsh, Neil Williams and Wally Williams — Men's Waterpolo

Bronze

Athletics:

Dave Batten, John Holland, Derek Steward and Jack Sutherland — Men's 4 x 440 yards Relay

Dave Batten — Men's 440 yards

John Clarke — Men's Marathon

Dave Dephoff — Men's Long Jump

Ruth Dowman — Women's Long Jump

Keith Beardsley, Arthur Eustace, Peter Henderson and Clem Parker — Men's 4 x 110 yards Relay

Don Jowett — Men's 220 yards

Maurice Marshall — Men's Mile

Cleone Rivett-Carnac — Women's Javelin Throw

Janet Shackleton — Women's 80 m Hurdles

Noeline Swinton — Women's High Jump

Noel Taylor — Men's 6 Miles

Boxing:

J Barnden — Men's Lightweight 57–60 kg

James McIvor — Men's Welterweight 64–69 kg

Cycling:

Graham Avery — Men's Sprint

Les Lock — Men's Individual Pursuit (4000 m)

Diving:

Jack Stewart — Men's 1 m Springboard

Bowls:

John Englebretson, Noel Jolly, Fred Russell and Pete Skoglund — Men's Fours

Swimming:

Lyall Barry, Peter Mathieson and John Shanahan — Men's 330 yards Medley Relay

Buddy Lucas — Men's 440 yards Freestyle

Buddy Lucas — Men's 1650 yards Freestyle

Wrestling:

George Hobson — Men's Lightweight

New Zealand Team

Athletics

See also Athletics at the 1950 British Empire Games

Men

• 100 yards

Peter Henderson – 5th place (9.9s)

Clem Parker – 6th place (10.0s)

Keith Beardsley – 6th place, semifinal 1 (10.2s)

Arthur Eustace – 6th place, semifinal 2 (10.1s)

• 220 yards

Donald Jowett – Bronze medal (21.8s)

Clem Parker – 6th place – (22.2s)

Dave Batten – 4th in semifinal (22.2s) – eliminated

• 440 yards

Dave Batten – Bronze medal (48.8s)

Jack Sutherland – 6th place

John Myles – 5th, semifinal 1

Doug Harris – did not start.

• 880 yards

Clifford Simpson – 6th place. (1m 56.0s)

Neil Wilson – 8th place. (1m 53.2s in heat 1)

Barry Steel – 6th, heat 2 – eliminated

Doug Harris – did not finish, heat 1.

• 1-mile

Maurice Marshall – Bronze Medal (4m 13.2s)

Jack Sinclair – 6th place (4m 20s)

Neil Bates- 6th, heat 1 (4m 25.8s) – eliminated

Clifford Simpson – 6th, heat 2 (4m 26.6s)- eliminated

• 3 miles

Harold Nelson – Silver medal (14m 27.8s)

Colin Lousich – 6th place (14m 41s)

George Hoskins – 12th

Noel Taylor – 11th place

• 6 miles

Harold Nelson – Gold medal (30m 29.6s)

Noel Taylor – Bronze medal (30m 31.9s)

Colin Lousich – did not finish.

George Hoskins – Did not start.

• Marathon

John Clarke – Bronze medal (2h 37m 26.4s)

Gordon Bromley – 7th place (2h 46m 51s)

Arthur Lydiard – 12th place (2h 54m 51.6s)

Lionel Foe – 13th place (2h 57m 47.2s)

• 120 yards hurdles

John Holland – 5th place (15.1s)

Lionel Smith – 6th place. (14.8s in heat 2)

Allen Hill – 4th, heat 1 (eliminated)

• 440 yards hurdles

John Holland – Silver medal (52.7s)

Derek Steward – 4th, semifinal – eliminated (54.4s in heat 3)

Allen Hill – 4th, heat 1 (eliminated)

• 4 x 110 yards relay – Bronze medal (42.6s)

Keith Beardsley, Arthur Eustace, Peter Henderson, Clem Parker

• 4 x 440 yards relay – Bronze medal (3m 20.0s)

Dave Batten, John Holland, Derek Steward, Jack Sutherland

• Long jump

Bevin Hough – Silver medal ()

Dave Dephoff – Bronze medal (23 ft 3 in (7.09 m))

Keith Forsythe – 4th place (23 ft 3 in (7.09 m))

• Triple jump

Roy Johnson – 4th place (47 ft 7.5 in (14.516 m))

Keith Forsythe – 5th place (46 ft 7.75 in (14.2177 m))

Graham Jeffries: – 6th place (46 ft 2.75 in (14.0907 m))

Colin Kay – 9th place (45 ft 7.75 in (13.9129 m))

• High jump

Johnny Borland – 4th place (6 ft 5 in (1.96 m))

Raymond McKenzie – 11th place (6 ft 0 in (1.83 m))

Eric Rhodes – 14th place (5 ft 9 in (1.75 m))

Roy Woolley – 14th place (5 ft 9 in (1.75 m))

• Pole vault

Wallace Heron – 4th place (12 ft 9 in (3.89 m))

George Martin – 6th place (12 ft 3 in (3.73 m))

Merv Richards – 8th place (12 ft 3 in (3.73 m))

• Discus throw

Gus Redmond – 5th place (132 ft 8.75 in (40.4559 m))

Max Carr – 8th place (126 ft 8.75 in (38.6271 m))

• Hammer throw

Arthur Fuller – 5th place (143 ft 2.5 in (43.650 m))

Max Carr – 6th place (140 ft 6.75 in (42.8435 m))

James Leckie – 7th place (136 ft 6 in (41.61 m))

Johnny Brown – 9th place (135 ft 3.5 in (41.237 m))

• Javelin throw

Claude Clegg – 5th place (175 ft 11 in (53.62 m))

Stan Lay – 6th place (175 ft 4 in (53.44 m))

• Shot put

Doug Herman – 4th place (44 ft 0 in (13.41 m))

Keith Morgan – 5th place (43 ft 10 in (13.36 m))

Clyde Main – 6th place (41 ft 4 in (12.60 m))

Women

• 100 yards

Dorothea Parker – 4th place (11.2s)

Shirley Hardman – 5th place (11.3s)

Ruth Dickey – 4th in semifinal (11.3s) – eliminated

Colleen Malone – 5th, semifinal 1 (11.6s) – eliminated

• 220 yards

Dorothea Parker – 4th place (24.8s)

Joan Hart – 5th, semifinal 1 (25.9s in heat)

Lesley Rowe – 6th in semifinal (25.8s) – eliminated

• 80 metres hurdles

June Schoch – Silver medal (11.6s)

Janet Shackleton – Bronze medal (11.7s)

Noeline Gourley – 4th place, final (11.9s)

Pixie Fletcher – 6th place, heat 2 (11.9s)

• 440 yards relay – Silver medal (48.7s)

Shirley Hardman, Dorothea Parker, Lesley Rowe

• 660 yards relay – finished 4th but disqualified (1m 16.8s)

Ruth Dickey, Dorothea Parker, Lesley Rowe, Shirley Hardman

• Long jump

Yvette Williams – Gold medal ()

Ruth Dickey – Bronze medal (18 ft 10 in (5.74 m))

June Schoch – 11th place (15 ft 3.75 in (4.6673 m))

• High jump

Noeline Swinton – Bronze medal (5 ft 1 in (1.55 m))

Bev Brewis – 5th place (4 ft 10 in (1.47 m))

• Javelin throw

Yvette Williams – Silver medal (124 ft 6.75 in (37.9667 m))

Cleone Rivett-Carnac – Bronze medal (112 ft 11.75 in (34.4361 m))

Boxing

• 48 – 51 kg (flyweight) : Robert Maddern – eliminated
• 51 – 54 kg (bantamweight): Robert Broadhurst – eliminated
• 54 – 57 kg (featherweight): William Patterson – eliminated
• 57 – 60 kg (lightweight): James E Barnden – eliminated
• 64 – 69 kg (welterweight): James McIvor – eliminated
• 71 – 75 kg (middleweight): James Beal – Silver medal
• 75 – 81 kg (light-heavyweight): Christopher Rollinson – Silver medal
• 81 – 91 kg (heavyweight): Frank Creagh – Gold medal

Cycling

Road

• Road race – Men

Nick Carter – Silver medal (3h 13m 6.5s)

Malcolm Simpson – 6th in 1 Km Time trial

Edward Lambert – did not finish.

Track

• Sprint – Men: Graham Avery – Bronze medal
• 10 Mile – Men: Alan Dean – did not finish (fell 50 yds from finish)

Officials

• Chef de Mission: Bill Holley
• Athletics: Frank Sharpley (coach), James Barnes, J Meek, W N Connell (massage), Pearl Ellis (Chaperone)
• Boxing: K A Neale (manager), Richard Dunn (trainer), A G Bates (massage)

See also

• New Zealand Olympic Committee
• New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games
• New Zealand at the 1948 Summer Olympics
• New Zealand at the 1952 Summer Olympics

References

• The Story of the British Empire Games, Auckland, New Zealand, 1950 (1950, official history by the Organising Committee)
• The Commonwealth Games: The First 60 Years 1930–1990 by Cleve Dheensaw (1994, Hodder & Stoughton, Canada/New Zealand) ISBN 0-340-60002-0

External links

• NZOC website on the 1950 games
• Commonwealth Games Federation website
• Athletes in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand has a paragraph on these Games