BLACKTOWN CITY HISTORY
Blacktown and the Olympic Games
by John Horne
Many Australians watched the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris between 26 July and 11 August . This was the thirtythird Olympic Games of the modern era . Ten thousand athletes from over two hundred countries competed in thirty-two sports . Two were from Blacktown City ; Kyle Bruce ( Bruce Almighty ), a weightlifter from Marayong was at his first Olympics and Melissa Wu , a legend in Australian diving circles , competed in her fifth Olympic Games .
Local Paralympians at the Paris Paralympics between 28 August and 8 September , were two swimmers from Blacktown . Chloe Osborne was at her first Paralympics and Timothy Hodge who competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games , won two silvers and one bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics . Melissa Payne from Blacktown coached the Dolphins Swimming Team at this year ’ s Paralympics .
The earliest connection anyone from Blacktown had with the Olympic Games , was in 1912 when Samuel Stuart Bissett Amess was one of two reserves for the Men ’ s Eights in the Australian Rowing Team . Sent to the Stockholm Olympic Games by ship , he wasn ’ t chosen for any of the races but much later he became a poultry farmer in Quakers Hill .
Clyde Lisbon “ George ” Elias , who was serving in the New South Wales Police Force , was a rower in the Men ’ s Eights at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games . They finished fourth in their heat behind Hungary , Italy and Canada and did not qualify in the repechage for the final . George died in Blacktown in his old age on 9 July 2002 .
The first Olympic gold medal winner from Blacktown City was Seven Hills girl , Maureen Caird . She made history as the youngest Olympic track and field gold
Maureen Caird and Sandra Brown .
medallist for her victory in the finals of the women ’ s 80 metres hurdles at the Mexico City Games in 1968 . Maureen won gold by a tenth of a second from her team-mate Pam Kilborn .
When Maureen was born in September 1951 , her family lived in Fourth Avenue , Seven Hills . At school she was an all-round sporting champion . While she was at The Meadows Public School , she represented New South Wales in the softball and basketball teams .
During her years at Pendle Hill High , she was the state high jump , long jump 100 metres and 80 metres hurdles champion . She smashed the Australian junior record for the 80 metres hurdles with a time of 11 seconds during those years . Apart from sports , Maureen ’ s favourite activity was riding on her pony , Bubbles , around Seven Hills .
The Australian Women ’ s Athletics Team for the Mexico Olympics only had eight members and were from Blacktown Shire . Maureen Caird , aged 16 , and Sandra Brown , aged 22 , from Quakers Hill . Both had been trained by June Ferguson who had already trained the famous Australian gold medallist , the sprinter Betty Cuthbert . Maureen competed in the 80 metre hurdles and Sandra in the 400 metres race . Sandra held the 1968 Australian 400 metres and 800 metres championships .
Maureen had recently won six medals in Adelaide at the Australian Athletics Championships . Before they left for Mexico , the Mayor of Blacktown , Alfred Ashley-Brown presented the girls with travelling bags at the July Blacktown Mayoral Ball .
After the Mexico Olympics on 9 November 1968 , Saturday morning shopping crowds gave Blacktown ’ s gold medal winner , Maureen Caird , and Australian 400 and 800 metres champion , Sandra Brown , a warm welcome home
Maureen Caird has a Seven Hills park named after her .
when the Blacktown Council float and the Blacktown District Brass Band led a procession from Seven Hills to Blacktown ’ s Main Street . After the parade there was a Civic Reception in the Bowman Hall where Maureen Caird was handed the symbolic key to the city .
In 1972 , Maureen attempted to defend her Olympic title at Munich but did not get past the heats . She retired from athletics after the Munich Games , because of constant stomach pains that began to trouble her in 1969 . Later she underwent six operations for cancer and took three years to recover .
Having married New Zealand triathlete Ross Jones three weeks before the 1972 Olympics , Caird eventually settled in New Zealand and later , back in Australia . She was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1986 .
Other Olympic medallists from Blacktown City
Stuart Mackenzie , an ex-pupil from The Meadows Public School in Seven Hills , was a rower who won a silver medal in the Single Sculls at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games .
Andrew Murtha learned to speed skate at the Blacktown Ice Rink that once stood near Blacktown Station . Andrew was in the relay team that won Australia ’ s first ever medal at a Winter Olympics , a bronze , in 1994 at Lillehammer , Norway . He was the relay team manager at the Winter Olympics at Nagano , Japan in 1998 .
Bradley McGee , Olympic Racing Cyclist legend was born in Blacktown . He won two bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and one at the 2000
Sydney Olympics . He won gold and silver in 2004 in Athens .
Alicia Aberley was a Paralympian swimmer from Riverstone who won two silver and two bronze medals at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney .
Sandy Allen-Lewis , an Olympic softball player , was born in Blacktown and competed in three Olympic Games : 2000 Sydney ( bronze ), 2004 Athens ( silver ) and 2008 Beijing ( bronze ).
Fiona Crawford ( nee Hanes ) from Quakers Hill , an Olympic softball player , competed in two Olympic Games : 2000 Sydney ( bronze ) and 2004 Athens ( silver ).
Natalie Titcume , an Olympic softball player , was born in Blacktown and competed in three Olympic Games : 2000 Sydney ( bronze ), 2004 Athens ( silver ) and 2008 Beijing ( bronze ).
Melissa Wu completed her Primary School Education at the Coverdale Christian College in Riverstone . She is one of the most successful Australian divers in international competitions . She competed in five Olympic Games : 2008 Beijing ( silver ), 2012 London , 2016 Rio de Janeiro , 2020 Tokyo ( bronze ) and 2024 Paris . In Beijing at the age of sixteen she was the youngest ever Australian diver to win a medal .
Peter Leek who was born in Blacktown , won eight medals in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games , three gold , four silver and one bronze .
Jayme Richardson ( nee Paris ) was a Paralympic cyclist who grew up in Doonside . She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and again at the 2012 London Paralympics .
Blacktown
and District Historical Society Incorporated
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Founded in 1976 to ensure that the history of the Blacktown area would be collected and conserved for all time by tapping into documents and people ’ s memories .
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10 ISSUE 42 // SEPTEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT