Category: History
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Sport Policy Plays Catch-up: The Australian Sports Council
History of Australian Sport Series: Part 6 By Greg Hartung AO In the early years of the 1970s, there was a rush to get things done: sport policy had languished as a policy afterthought but now there was the political energy, and will, to make a difference. In 1973, Australia’s first Sport Minister, Frank Stewart…
australiansportreflections
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2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games Power Brokers: Why to Expect Many Changes in 2032 Brisbane’s Journey
By Greg Blood It is just over ten years until the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South East Queensland. If the 2000 Sydney Games are any guide, there will be significant turnover of political and administrative power brokers over this period. Documented are the power broker changes during the lead up – 1993…
australiansportreflections
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The ‘nitty gritty’ years from Kevin Newman to Bob Ellicott: Australia Sport Policy 1975-1980
History of Australian Sport Policy: Part Five By Greg Hartung AO The harbinger of the eventual demise of the Whitlam Labor government was the Tasmanian BAS by-election in June 1975. The seat was won with a spectacular swing of 17 percent to Kevin Newman for the Liberal Party. Though by elections rarely favor the incumbent…
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Swings and Roundabouts: Different Political Philosophies
History of Australian Sport Policy Series: Part 4 By Greg Hartung AO The 1970s was a decade of change and policy experimentation for Australian sport and recreation. It was a decade in which the fundamental political ‘arm wrestle’ – ie whether the Commonwealth Government had any significant and integral role to play in leading policy…
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Sport Policy Takes Shape: Malcolm Fraser’s Impact
History of Australian Sport Policy Series: Part 3 By Greg Hartung AO Flip the coin…sport goes forwards then backwards Sports organisations had become accustomed to positive support from the Federal Government – but this was about to change with the election in December 1975 of a new federal government and the demise of the former…
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The Golden Oldies: Champions of Emerging Sports Policy
History of Australian Sport Policy Series: Part 2 By Greg Hartung AO Preamble Many people – many of them barely remembered — have had a profound influence on the evolution of Australian sports policy. It is important that we are reminded not only of who these people are, but also of the debates and arguments they…
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Up For The Fight: Commonwealth Government’s First Tentative Steps Toward the Development of a National, Co-ordinated Approach to Fitness, Recreation and Community Sport
History of Australian Sport Policy Series: Part 1 By Greg Hartung AO It was the threat of World War II which provided the stimulus for the Australian Government to take the first tentative steps toward the development of a national, co-ordinated approach to fitness, recreation and community sport. The Second World War — and Australia’s perceived…
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History of National Sports Facilities in Canberra
By Greg Blood An abridged version was published in the Canberra Times, 24 July 2021. The current stalemate between the Commonwealth Government and the ACT Government regarding the future of Canberra Stadium and the AIS Arena reinforces the historical influence of the Commonwealth Government on the development of major sports facilities in Canberra. The development…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Government’s Contribution to Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams at Tokyo 2021 through the AIS
By Greg Blood With the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, it is worthwhile examining the contribution of the Australian Government through the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to Australian Olympic and Paralympic team preparation from 2016 to 2021. These teams have also been supported by Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, state institute/academies of sport, national…
australiansportreflections
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Power of understanding political processes and lobbying in Australian sport – insights from Greg Hartung’s career in sport administration
By Greg Blood Greg Hartung’s career in journalism and then in sport administration highlights the need for senior Australian sport leaders to understand political processes to obtain the desired outcomes for their organisation and sport. This is important for both big and small national sports organisations (NSO) as they rely heavily on Australian Government funding…
australiansportreflections