Stawell Gift
Encyclopedia
The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short distance running race. It is run over every Easter
weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell
in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria.
The race is run on grass over 120 metres up a slight gradient. Competitors are handicapped
according to their form, with each competitor 'marked' by between 0 m and 10 m to theoretically reach the finish line at the same time. This process is administered by the Victorian Athletic League (VAL)
. Due to the relatively short handicap limit, the class of runners that can potentially win the event is limited compared to other Gifts in Australia.
The winner is, hypothetically, the runner who can best 'rise to the occasion' and perform better than their previous form, although the key can often be to perform slightly below their best in lead-up events and thus receive a favourable handicap.
. It has been raced every year since, except for four years during the Second World War. Originally it was the townspeople putting together an entertainment package to happen over Easter, complete with 'special trains' to the event. Today it is the most prestigious footrace in Australia
, with a $40,000AUD first prize. The event is sponsored by Australia Post
and the finals are televised live around Australia.
The event was historically run over 130 yards (118.9 m). In 1973 the race converted to the metric system
, and the distance was altered to 120 metres (131.2 yd), essentially an identical distance. Electronic timing
was introduced in 1982 thus allowing higher precision in race results.
The Gift is run on a 120m grass track in front of the 100 year-old Stawell Grandstand, and the athletes run in lanes that are separated by lane ropes rather than painted lines.
The idea of the handicap
system is that all runners would theoretically cross the line at the same time. The handicapper works out what mark or handicap the runner will have according to their previous performances in sprint events. Currently the most a runner may be handicapped is 10 metres, although this is occasionally increased to 11. Each metre in handicap denotes approximately a tenth of a second in time. Race winners are often those that are able to 'beat the handicapper', in that they need to perform well enough to qualify for the event and the finals, but below what they are truly capable of, so that they receive a handicap that gives them the best chance of a victory. The handicapping system often ends up pitting local runners against international professionals.
Gambling
is allowed in the venue, and there is an extensive Bookmaker
's compound.
While the Stawell Gift is the feature race, the meeting also includes many other races, with more than sixty events taking place over the three-day meeting. The Women's Gift has run since 1989.
Notes:
# Converted to metric
distances in 1973.
* Commenced electronic timing
in 1982.
from Condah, Victoria
, who reputedly trained by chasing kangaroo
s. His great-grandson, Daniel Millard, won the Stawell Gift in 1997.
have won the Stawell Gift:
football:
On 14 February 2001, after much discussion about moving the event to Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Premier Steve Bracks
announced on ABC Local Radio that the Gift would be staying in Stawell and the State Government's $40,000 contribution would continue.
On 14 July 2009, it was announced that Ballarat had offered the Stawell Athletic Club more than $1 million in cash and incentives, including a $20,000 grant to the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame, to relocate the Gift from Central Park in Stawell to Ballarat City Oval for five years. The Club released a statement through Secretary Ian Lawrie stating they were considering the offer but the "decision is, without question, the most difficult ever undertaken by the Committee of the Stawell Athletic Club". He said the Club would investigate and exhaust all other options to ensure the survival of Australia’s most famous footrace.
On 16 September 2009 Victorian Premier John Brumby
announced more than $300,000 State Government funding to keep the Stawell Gift in Stawell.
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell
Stawell, Victoria
Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035....
in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria.
The race is run on grass over 120 metres up a slight gradient. Competitors are handicapped
Handicapping
Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
according to their form, with each competitor 'marked' by between 0 m and 10 m to theoretically reach the finish line at the same time. This process is administered by the Victorian Athletic League (VAL)
Victorian Athletic League
The Victorian Athletic League organises professional footrunning events ranging from 70 to 3200 metres. The most famous of these events is the Stawell Gift which has been run since 1878 and hosts the richest footrace in Australia...
. Due to the relatively short handicap limit, the class of runners that can potentially win the event is limited compared to other Gifts in Australia.
The winner is, hypothetically, the runner who can best 'rise to the occasion' and perform better than their previous form, although the key can often be to perform slightly below their best in lead-up events and thus receive a favourable handicap.
History
The first Stawell Gift was in 1878, as a fun race between miners at the end of the gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. It has been raced every year since, except for four years during the Second World War. Originally it was the townspeople putting together an entertainment package to happen over Easter, complete with 'special trains' to the event. Today it is the most prestigious footrace in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with a $40,000AUD first prize. The event is sponsored by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
and the finals are televised live around Australia.
The event was historically run over 130 yards (118.9 m). In 1973 the race converted to the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
, and the distance was altered to 120 metres (131.2 yd), essentially an identical distance. Electronic timing
Fully Automatic Time
Fully automatic time is a form of race timing in which the clock is automatically activated by the starting device, and the finish time is either automatically recorded, or timed by analysis of a photo finish. The system is commonly used in track and field as well as horse racing, dog racing,...
was introduced in 1982 thus allowing higher precision in race results.
Format
On Easter Saturday the heats are conducted, with the winner of each heat going through to the semi finals along with the next best fastest times. On Easter Monday the six semi finals are run approximately 2 hours before the final with semi final winners only advancing to the final. (Six semi finals were first run in 1988, before that there were only five semi finals.)The Gift is run on a 120m grass track in front of the 100 year-old Stawell Grandstand, and the athletes run in lanes that are separated by lane ropes rather than painted lines.
The idea of the handicap
Handicapping
Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
system is that all runners would theoretically cross the line at the same time. The handicapper works out what mark or handicap the runner will have according to their previous performances in sprint events. Currently the most a runner may be handicapped is 10 metres, although this is occasionally increased to 11. Each metre in handicap denotes approximately a tenth of a second in time. Race winners are often those that are able to 'beat the handicapper', in that they need to perform well enough to qualify for the event and the finals, but below what they are truly capable of, so that they receive a handicap that gives them the best chance of a victory. The handicapping system often ends up pitting local runners against international professionals.
Gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
is allowed in the venue, and there is an extensive Bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
's compound.
While the Stawell Gift is the feature race, the meeting also includes many other races, with more than sixty events taking place over the three-day meeting. The Women's Gift has run since 1989.
Winners
Winners of the Stawell Gift have been:| Year | Runner | From | Handicap (yd/m) | Time (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | Millard, William J. | Condah, Victoria Condah, Victoria Condah is a small town in south west Victoria, Australia and is located on the Henty Highway north of Heywood. At the 2006 census, Condah and the surrounding area had a population of 272.Condah Post Office opened on 12 May 1868 and closed in 2001... |
3 | 12.75 |
| 1879 | Grose, E.S. | Creswick, Victoria Creswick, Victoria Creswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia. It is located 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Creswick had a population of 2,485... |
6.5 | 13 |
| 1880 | Witney, C.G. | Brighton, Victoria Brighton, Victoria Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651... |
7.5 | 12.7 |
| 1881 | Rodgers, J. | Avoca, Victoria Avoca, Victoria Avoca is a town in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia, north west of Ballarat. It is one of two main towns in the Pyrenees Shire, the other being Beaufort to the south. At the 2006 census, Avoca had a population of 951.-Geography:... |
9 | 12 |
| 1882 | Parkinson, A.B. | Sale, Victoria Sale, Victoria Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon... |
11 | 12.75 |
| 1883 | Kinnear, R. | Dimboola, Victoria Dimboola, Victoria Dimboola is located in Shire of Hindmarsh in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria, Australia, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.Situated on the Wimmera River in the State of Victoria,the town of Dimboola was previously known as 'Nine Creeks'.Following a survey conducted in late 1862 by... |
14 | 12.5 |
| 1884 | Smith, W. | Melbourne, Victoria | 7.5 | 12 |
| 1885 | Mummery, W. | Bowman's Forest, Victoria | 10 | 12.25 |
| 1886 | Clarke, W.B. | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
7 | 11.75 |
| 1887 | Brown, J. | Balmoral, Victoria Balmoral, Victoria Balmoral is a township in the Shire of Southern Grampians in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Balmoral and the surrounding area had a population of 542.... |
12 | 11.75 |
| 1888 | Bingham, G. | Fitzroy, Victoria Fitzroy, Victoria Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's... |
10.5 | 11.75 |
| 1889 | Skinner, E.S. | United States of America | 9 | 12 |
| 1890 | Midson, J. | Eaglehawk, Victoria Eaglehawk, Victoria Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg... |
11 | 11.875 |
| 1891 | Martin, H. | Maryborough, Victoria Maryborough, Victoria -Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:... |
13 | 11.75 |
| 1892 | Heppner, A. | Port Melbourne, Victoria Port Melbourne, Victoria Port Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km southwest of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government areas are the cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of 13,293.... |
12 | 12 |
| 1893 | Hough, E.J. | Mudgee, New South Wales Mudgee, New South Wales Mudgee is a town in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley 261 kilometres north west of Sydney. Mudgee is the centre of the Mid-Western Regional Council Local Government Area... |
12.5 | 11.5 |
| 1894 | Breen, P.J. | Gippsland, Victoria | 11 | 11.75 |
| 1895 | Joy, W.E. | Dunolly, Victoria Dunolly, Victoria Dunolly is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Dunolly - Maryborough Road, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2006 census, Dunolly had a population of 969.... |
5 | 12.25 |
| 1896 | Nesbitt, R.G. | Adelaide, South Australia | 11.5 | 12.5 |
| 1897 | Stuckey, G. | North Melbourne, Victoria North Melbourne, Victoria North Melbourne is a large inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is bounded by the CityLink freeway to the west, Victoria Street to the south, O'Connell and Peel Streets to the east and Flemington Road to the north. Its... |
12 | 12.2 |
| 1898 | Lewis, J.S. | Euroa, Victoria Euroa, Victoria Euroa is a town in the Shire of Strathbogie in North-East Victoria, Australia.At the 2006 census, Euroa had a population of 2,776. The name Euroa comes from an Aboriginal word in the old local dialect meaning "joyful".-History:Major T.L... |
14 | 11.8 |
| 1899 | Clarke, Norman C. Norm Clark Norman "Hackenschmidt" Clark was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1905 and 1912.... |
Roseberry, South Australia | 14.5 | 11.8 |
| 1900 | Strickland, D. | Menzies, Western Australia Menzies, Western Australia Menzies is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, east-northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north-northwest of the city of Kalgoorlie... |
10 | 12 |
| 1901 | Kenny, E.T. | Woodend, Victoria Woodend, Victoria Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area. It is bypassed to the east and north by the Calder Freeway and is located about halfway between Melbourne and Bendigo... |
14 | 12 |
| 1902 | Tredennick, A.E. | Malvern, Victoria Malvern, Victoria Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:... |
11.5 | 12.2 |
| 1903 | Dew, H. | Adelaide, South Australia | 12 | 12.2 |
| 1904 | Flanagan, J.F. | East Melbourne, Victoria East Melbourne, Victoria East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330.... |
12 | 12.2 |
| 1905 | McKenzie, C.N. | Mount Gambier, South Australia Mount Gambier, South Australia Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border.... |
10.5 | 12 |
| 1906 | Thompson, E.W. | Abbotsford, Victoria Abbotsford, Victoria Abbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327.... |
10 | 12.2 |
| 1907 | Knox, C.W. | Numurkah, Victoria Numurkah, Victoria Numurkah is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Goulburn Valley Highway, north of Shepparton, in the Shire of Moira. At the 2006 census, Numurkah had a population of 4,643.- History :... |
12.5 | 12.4 |
| 1908 | King, Chris | Rutherglen, Victoria Rutherglen, Victoria Rutherglen is a small town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, near the Murray River border with New South Wales. The town was named after the Scottish town of Rutherglen which lies just outside Glasgow... |
12 | 11.8 |
| 1909 | Rigby, H. | Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart... |
11.5 | 11.8 |
| 1910 | Dancy, J. | Toowoomba, Queensland Toowoomba, Queensland Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city... |
13 | 11.6 |
| 1911 | Devine, D.H. | Stawell, Victoria Stawell, Victoria Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035.... |
13 | 11.4 |
| 1912 | Carter, E.E. | Kew, Victoria Kew, Victoria Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516.... |
11.5 | 12.2 |
| 1913 | George, E.A. | North Melbourne, Victoria North Melbourne, Victoria North Melbourne is a large inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is bounded by the CityLink freeway to the west, Victoria Street to the south, O'Connell and Peel Streets to the east and Flemington Road to the north. Its... |
12.5 | 12.2 |
| 1914 | Robinson, W. Billy Robinson (footballer) William "Billy" Robinson was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League .... |
Maldon, Victoria Maldon, Victoria Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days... |
12 | 11.8 |
| 1915 | Fleming, E. | Elphinstone, Victoria Elphinstone, Victoria Elphinstone is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town sits at the junction of the former Calder Highway and the former Pyrenees Highway between Malmsbury and Castlemaine near Taradale and Chewton... |
10 | 11.4 |
| 1916 | Cassidy, C.P. | South Melbourne, Victoria South Melbourne, Victoria South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne... |
13.25 | 12 |
| 1917 | Swindells, F.C. | Moonee Ponds, Victoria Moonee Ponds, Victoria Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse... |
11.75 | 12.2 |
| 1918 | Roach, A. | Melbourne, Victoria | 14 | 12.6 |
| 1919 | Evans, H.W. | Abbotsford, Victoria Abbotsford, Victoria Abbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327.... |
10.5 | 12.2 |
| 1920 | Cashmore, A.G. | Balliang, Victoria Balliang, Victoria Balliang is a locality in Victoria, Australia. The locality is in the south-east of the Shire of Moorabool, north of the City of Greater Geelong and from the state capital, Melbourne... |
7 | 12.4 |
| 1921 | Jennings, L.J. | Parkville, Victoria Parkville, Victoria Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980.... |
10.25 | 12.4 |
| 1922 | Till, P.L. | Cobden, Victoria Cobden, Victoria Cobden is a town located 210 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia named in honour of Richard Cobden. At the 2006 census, Cobden had a population of 1813. At the 2001 census, Cobden had a population of 1419.- History :... |
10.5 | 11.7 |
| 1923 | Curran, J.E. | Stawell, Victoria Stawell, Victoria Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035.... |
9 | 12 |
| 1924 | Twomey, Sr., William P. Bill Twomey, Sr. William 'Bill' Patrick Twomey was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League . His sons Mick, Pat and Bill all played league football with Collingwood.... |
Stawell, Victoria Stawell, Victoria Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035.... |
8.5 | 12.1 |
| 1925 | Banner, T. | Carthcart, Victoria | 5 | 12.15625 |
| 1926 | Allen, W.G. | Coburg, Victoria Coburg, Victoria Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin... |
9.5 | 12 4/16 |
| 1927 | Miles, T.J. | Bundaberg, Queensland Bundaberg, Queensland Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region... |
10 | 12.0625 |
| 1928 | Cooper, L. | Jeparit, Victoria Jeparit, Victoria Jeparit is situated on the Wimmera River in Western Victoria, Australia, 370 kilometres north west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census Jeparit had a population of 582.-History:... |
8 | 11.9375 |
| 1929 | Hearne, C.H. | Tocumwal, New South Wales Tocumwal, New South Wales Tocumwal is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area, near the Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the Murray River, north of the city of Melbourne. The Newell Highway, part of the main road route between... |
10 | 11.9375 |
| 1930 | Hodge, R.K. | Lakes Entrance, Victoria Lakes Entrance, Victoria Lakes Entrance is a tourist resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. It is situated approximately east of Melbourne, near a managed, man-made channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Lakes Entrance had a population of 4,094.The township was... |
11.75 | 11.8125 |
| 1931 | Ralph, F.J. | Richmond, South Australia Richmond, South Australia Richmond is an inner urban suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of West Torrens.-History:Settlement of the area dates from the late 1830s with land used mainly for farming. Residential and industrial growth took place from the late 19th century into the early 20th century.... |
9.5 | 11 14/16 |
| 1932 | Barker, R.L. | Essendon, Victoria Essendon, Victoria Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley... |
11.75 | 12 2/16 |
| 1933 | Heath, C.G. | Baileston East, Victoria | 11 | 11 10/16 |
| 1934 | Roberts, T.L. | Mulwala, New South Wales Mulwala, New South Wales Mulwala is a town in the Corowa Shire Local Government Area in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated on Lake Mulwala, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the Murray River. At the 2006 census, Mulwala had a population of 1,986 people... |
9.75 | 11 9/16 |
| 1935 | Bishop, M.M. | Port Pirie, South Australia Port Pirie, South Australia -Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge.... |
7.5 | 12 |
| 1936 | McCann, R.C. | Castlemaine, Victoria Castlemaine, Victoria Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The... |
6.5 | 12 4/6 |
| 1937 | Bradley, F.A. | Coolamon, New South Wales Coolamon, New South Wales Coolamon is a town in the Riverina region of south-west New South Wales, Australia. Coolamon is north-west of Wagga Wagga and south-west of Sydney via the Hume and Sturt Highways. The town is situated on the railway line between Junee and Narrandera. Coolamon had a population of 1,339 at the 2006... |
10 | 12 |
| 1938 | Grant, Jack W. Jack Grant Jack W. Grant was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Fitzroy in the VFL.Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flanks.... |
Geelong, Victoria Geelong, Victoria Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia... |
11.5 | 11 11/16 |
| 1939 | Sprague, L.W. | Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth... |
9.5 | 11 14/16 |
| 1940 | Reid, A.J. | Port Augusta, South Australia Port Augusta, South Australia -Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north... |
8.5 | 12 3/16 |
| 1941 | Hutton, W.K. | Devonport, Tasmania Devonport, Tasmania -Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League... |
7.25 | 12 6/16 |
| 1942 - 1945 | No race (WWII World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... ) |
|||
| 1946 | Deane, T.V. (Tommy) | Wahring, Victoria | 7 | 11 14/16 |
| 1947 | Martin, Arthur C | Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth... |
4.5 | 11 14/16 |
| 1948 | Brudenall, T.F. (Tom) | Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth... |
8 | 12 3/16 |
| 1949 | Cann, J.E. | Broken Hill, New South Wales Broken Hill, New South Wales -Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the... |
8.25 | 11 15/16 |
| 1950 | Trewick, W.K. (Ken) | Brisbane, Queensland | 10 | 11 15/16 |
| 1951 | Hutchinson, Gerard R. | Brighton, Victoria Brighton, Victoria Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651... |
8 | 11 13/16 |
| 1952 | Mann, Lance G. Lance Mann Lance Mann is a professional footrunner and a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .-Footballer :A talented wingman, Mann was recruited from the Albury Football Club.... |
Albury, New South Wales Albury, New South Wales Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area... |
7.25 | 11 14/16 |
| 1953 | Hart, Roy J. | Chelsea, Victoria Chelsea, Victoria Chelsea is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston. At the 2006 Census, Chelsea had a population of 6694.... |
5.75 | 12 |
| 1954 | Hayes, John K. | Rutherglen, Victoria Rutherglen, Victoria Rutherglen is a small town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, near the Murray River border with New South Wales. The town was named after the Scottish town of Rutherglen which lies just outside Glasgow... |
9 | 11 8/10 |
| 1955 | O'Donnell, John D. | Preston, Victoria Preston, Victoria Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:... |
8.75 | 12 |
| 1956 | Williams, W.R. (Bill) | Altona, Victoria Altona, Victoria Altona is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Altona had a population of 9685.... |
12 | 11 8/10 |
| 1957 | Carr, J.R. (Jack) | Bacchus Marsh, Victoria Bacchus Marsh, Victoria Bacchus Marsh is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately west of Melbourne and west of Melton. The population of the urban area is estimated at over 17,000 people, while the central locality is home to 5,566 people... |
10.5 | 11 8/10 |
| 1958 | Durant, Malcolm | Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale is a suburb 7 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Ascot Vale had a population of 12,398.... |
8.5 | 11 8/10 |
| 1959 | Treacey, George | Northcote, Victoria Northcote, Victoria Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin... |
11.25 | 11 8/10 |
| 1960 | McCann, W.J. (Bill) | Dimboola, Victoria Dimboola, Victoria Dimboola is located in Shire of Hindmarsh in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria, Australia, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.Situated on the Wimmera River in the State of Victoria,the town of Dimboola was previously known as 'Nine Creeks'.Following a survey conducted in late 1862 by... |
6.75 | 11 8/10 |
| 1961 | Savage, Colin | Nunawading, Victoria Nunawading, Victoria Nunawading is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 19 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse... |
6.25 | 12 2/10 |
| 1962 | Beachley, L.N. (Noel) | Rosanna, Victoria Rosanna, Victoria Rosanna is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule... |
8.25 | 12 1/10 |
| 1963 | Bell, A.J. (John). | Moonee Ponds, Victoria Moonee Ponds, Victoria Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse... |
12 | 12 |
| 1964 | Hussey, Noel | Echuca, Victoria Echuca, Victoria Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe... |
8.5 | 12.1 |
| 1965 | Cox, Barry | Brighton, Victoria Brighton, Victoria Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651... |
7.5 | 12 |
| 1966 | Howard, William G. | Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA... |
8.75 | 11.9 |
| 1967 | Howard, William G. | Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA... |
5.75 | 11.6 |
| 1968 | Miller, Ian | Surrey Hills, Victoria Surrey Hills, Victoria Surrey Hills is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area lies within the cities of Boroondara and Whitehorse... |
9.75 | 11.6 |
| 1969 | McLeod, Barry | Braybrook, Victoria Braybrook, Victoria Braybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Braybrook had a population of 6940.... |
7.75 | 12 |
| 1970 | Foley, Barry | Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale is a suburb 7 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Ascot Vale had a population of 12,398.... |
11 | 11.8 |
| 1971 | McGregor, Treva | Templestowe, Victoria Templestowe, Victoria "Templestowe" redirects here. For the Victorian Legislative Council Province, please see Templestowe Province.Templestowe is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham... |
7.25 | 11.7 |
| 1972 | Foley, Barry | Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale, Victoria Ascot Vale is a suburb 7 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Ascot Vale had a population of 12,398.... |
7.5 | 11.8 |
| 1973# | Moss, Bernie | Croydon, Victoria Croydon, Victoria Croydon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Croydon had a population of 22,029.-Public transport:... |
10.75 | 12.1 |
| 1974 | Durham, Peter | Ripponlea, Victoria Ripponlea, Victoria Ripponlea is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is centered on the intersection of Glen Eira Road and Hotham Street, in the municipality of City of Port Phillip. In terms of its cadastral division, Ripponlea is in the parish of Prahran within the County of Bourke. As of the 2006 Census,... |
7.25 | 12.0 |
| 1975 | Ravelomanantsoa, Jean-Louis Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa is a retired Malagasy athlete who specialized in the 100 metres.At the 1964 Summer Olympics he was knocked out in the heats in both 100 and 200 metres.... |
Madagascar Madagascar The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa... |
Scratch | 12.0 |
| 1976 | Pollock, Allan | Heidelberg, Victoria Heidelberg, Victoria Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule.... |
8.5 | 12.1 |
| 1977 | Edmonson, Warren | United States of America | 1.25 | 12.0 |
| 1978 | Proudlock, Steve | Gunnedah, New South Wales Gunnedah, New South Wales Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people .... |
8 | 11.9 |
| 1979 | McMahon, Noel | Ivanhoe, Victoria Ivanhoe, Victoria Ivanhoe is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Ivanhoe had a population of 10,600.-History:... |
8.25 | 12.0 |
| 1980 | Dinan, John | Viewbank, Victoria Viewbank, Victoria Viewbank is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Viewbank had a population of 6614.... |
5.5 | 12.3 |
| 1981 | McNeill, George | Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
4 | 11.9 |
| 1982* | Perry, Chris | Malvern, Victoria Malvern, Victoria Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:... |
7 | 12.19 |
| 1983 | O'Brien, Dallas | Bentleigh, Victoria Bentleigh, Victoria Bentleigh is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Bentleigh had a population of 14,271.-History:... |
6 | 12.22 |
| 1984 | Singleton, Paul | Jilliby, New South Wales Jilliby, New South Wales Jilliby is a large non-metropolitan suburb located in the Dooralong Valley of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area.... |
5 | 11.95 |
| 1985 | Young, Paul | Essendon, Victoria Essendon, Victoria Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley... |
10.75 | 12.07 |
| 1986 | Chapman, Glen | Albury, New South Wales Albury, New South Wales Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area... |
7 | 12.01 |
| 1987 | Elliott, Russell | Preston, Victoria Preston, Victoria Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:... |
8.25 | 12.13 |
| 1988 | Antonitch, Scott | Roselands, New South Wales Roselands, New South Wales Roselands is a suburb, in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Roselands is located 16 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the City of Canterbury.-Geography:... |
6 | 12.28 |
| 1989 | McIntyre, Simon | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales Wagga Wagga, New South Wales Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia... |
6 | 12.14 |
| 1990 | Capobianco, Dean Dean Capobianco Dean Capobianco is an Australian businessman and former athlete. As an athlete he is best known as a sprinter. He won the 1990 Stawell Gift.-Athletics:... |
Kalamunda, Western Australia Kalamunda, Western Australia -Transport:Kalamunda Road serves as a major access road for Perth Airport, and provides the foothills suburbs with access to the Perth central business district.... |
2.25 | 12.29 |
| 1991 | Brimacombe, Steve Steve Brimacombe Steve Brimacombe is an Australian athletics coach and former runner.Under the tutelage of renowned Scottish coach Jim Bradley , Brimacombe won the 1991 Stawell Gift. A fortnight after winning the Australian 200m title, Brimacombe finished 2nd in the 1994 Stawell Gift off scratch... |
Eltham, Victoria Eltham, Victoria Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581.... |
6.75 | 11.93 |
| 1992 | McManus, Andrew | Essendon, Victoria Essendon, Victoria Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley... |
7 | 12.03 |
| 1993 | Richardson, Jason A. Jason A. Richardson Jason Richardson is an Australian athlete turned radio presenter.-Athletics career:In 1993, he won the Stawell Gift off the mark of 7.5 meters... |
Caulfield South, Victoria Caulfield South, Victoria Caulfield South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Caulfield South had a population of 11,113.... |
7.5 | 11.94 |
| 1994 | Lewis, Rod | Ringwood, Victoria Ringwood, Victoria Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185.... |
7.5 | 12.05 |
| 1995 | Crawford, Glenn | Katamatite, Victoria Katamatite, Victoria Katamatite is a rural township in Victoria, Australia about 46 kilometres north east of Shepparton. At the 2006 census, Katamatite had a population of 212.... |
6.5 | 11.79 |
| 1996 | Hutton, Steve | Alberton, South Australia Alberton, South Australia Alberton is a metropolitan suburb in Adelaide, South Australia, about 20 minutes drive from the city. Part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, it is bordered by the suburbs of Rosewater, Queenstown, Cheltenham and Port Adelaide.- History :... |
6 | 12.26 |
| 1997 | Millard, Daniel | Mount Gambier, South Australia Mount Gambier, South Australia Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border.... |
10.75 | 11.98 |
| 1998 | Seers, Dale | Edithvale, Victoria Edithvale, Victoria Edithvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston. At the 2006 Census, Edithvale had a population of 4991.-Public transport:... |
7.75 | 12.04 |
| 1999 | Matthews, Rodney | Buninyong, Victoria Buninyong, Victoria Buninyong is a place in Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Midland Highway, south of Ballarat on the road to Geelong. It's known locally as the drug smuggling capital of the South West region. Local Dealers are said to import the majority of their cannabis supply from farmers in Durham Lead... |
9.5 | 11.91 |
| 2000 | Pearce, Jarram | Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga, Victoria Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA... |
8 | 12.01 |
| 2001 | Pym, Andrew | South Riverview, New South Wales Riverview, New South Wales Riverview is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Riverview is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Lane Cove... |
7.75 | 11.97 |
| 2002 | Uhlmann, Stuart | Cedar Grove, Queensland | 6.75 | 11.98 |
| 2003 | Ross, Joshua | North Lambton, New South Wales North Lambton, New South Wales North Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.North Lambton is a mostly housed area close to the Lambton City Centre.... |
7 | 11.92 |
| 2004 | Hunte, Jason | Barbados Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint... |
4.25 | 12.07 |
| 2005 | Ross, Joshua | Gillieston, New South Wales | Scratch | 12.36 |
| 2006 | Mott, Adrian | Essendon, Victoria Essendon, Victoria Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley... |
7.25 | 11.98 |
| 2007 | Allen, Nathan | Toowoomba, Queensland Toowoomba, Queensland Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city... |
5.25 | 12.35 |
| 2008 | Jamieson, Sam | Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733.... |
6.00 | 12.09 |
| 2009 | Stubbs, Aaron | Lismore, New South Wales Lismore, New South Wales Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:... |
7.25 | 11.87 |
| 2010 | Burbidge, Tom | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | 8.75 | 12.01 |
| 2011 | Williams, Mitchell | Currumbin, Queensland Currumbin, Queensland Currumbin is a suburb in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Currumbin had a population of 2,647.-History:Many of the houses at Currumbin date from the period of its earliest subdivision and the area contains a substantial grouping of fibro beach houses... |
6.50 | 12.18 |
Notes:
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
distances in 1973.
Fully Automatic Time
Fully automatic time is a form of race timing in which the clock is automatically activated by the starting device, and the finish time is either automatically recorded, or timed by analysis of a photo finish. The system is commonly used in track and field as well as horse racing, dog racing,...
in 1982.
The first winner 1878
The inaugural winner was William J. (Bill) Millard, a farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
from Condah, Victoria
Condah, Victoria
Condah is a small town in south west Victoria, Australia and is located on the Henty Highway north of Heywood. At the 2006 census, Condah and the surrounding area had a population of 272.Condah Post Office opened on 12 May 1868 and closed in 2001...
, who reputedly trained by chasing kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s. His great-grandson, Daniel Millard, won the Stawell Gift in 1997.
Winners from scratch
Only two people have ever won the race running from scratch (0 m handicap):- Multiple time MalagasyMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Jean-Louis RavelomanantsoaJean-Louis RavelomanantsoaJean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa is a retired Malagasy athlete who specialized in the 100 metres.At the 1964 Summer Olympics he was knocked out in the heats in both 100 and 200 metres....
in 1975, who also technically holds the fastest ever time of 12.0 s due to winning from scratch - Athens 2004 Olympian2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and multiple Australian 100m champion Joshua RossJoshua RossJoshua Ross is an Australian track and field sprinter. He spent his early childhood in south western Sydney and moved with his family to the Central Coast at around age seven. He went to Woy Woy Public School and Henry Kendall High School...
in 2005
Multiple winners
Three sprinters have won the race more than once:- Bill Howard (1966, 1967) (the only back-to-back winner);
- Barry Foley (1970, 1972);
- Joshua Ross (2003, 2005).
Stawell Gift Olympians
Four Australian OlympiansOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
have won the Stawell Gift:
- Dean CapobiancoDean CapobiancoDean Capobianco is an Australian businessman and former athlete. As an athlete he is best known as a sprinter. He won the 1990 Stawell Gift.-Athletics:...
(1990) – 1992 Olympics, Barcelona1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
& 1996 Olympics, Atlanta1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.... - Steve Brimacombe (1991) – 1996 Olympics, Atlanta1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
- Andrew McManus (1992) – 2004 Olympics, Athens2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
- Joshua RossJoshua RossJoshua Ross is an Australian track and field sprinter. He spent his early childhood in south western Sydney and moved with his family to the Central Coast at around age seven. He went to Woy Woy Public School and Henry Kendall High School...
(2003, 2005) – 2004 Olympics, Athens2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
VFL winners
The following Gift winners also played senior VFLAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
football:
- 1897: George StuckeyGeorge StuckeyGeorge Stuckey was an Australian rules footballer who played with and captained Essendon in the Victorian Football League ....
, EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
; won in in 12.2 seconds, running off a handicap of 12 yards. - 1899: Norman ClarkNorm ClarkNorman "Hackenschmidt" Clark was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1905 and 1912....
, CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
; won in 11.8 seconds, running off a handicap of 14 ½ yards. - 1900: Dave Strickland, St Kilda, father of Shirley StricklandShirley StricklandShirley Barbara Strickland AO, MBE , later Shirley de la Hunty, was an Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals than any other Australian in running sports.-Family:...
; won in 12 seconds, running off a handicap of 10 yards. - 1902: Alf Tredinnick, MelbourneMelbourne Football ClubThe Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
; won in 12.2 seconds, running off 11½ yards. - 1909: Harry Rigby, CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
; won in 11.8 seconds, running off 11½ yards. - 1914: Billy RobinsonBilly Robinson (footballer)William "Billy" Robinson was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League ....
, CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
; won in 11.8 seconds, running off 12 yards. - 1924: Bill Twomey, Sr.Bill Twomey, Sr.William 'Bill' Patrick Twomey was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League . His sons Mick, Pat and Bill all played league football with Collingwood....
, CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and HawthornHawthorn Football ClubThe Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
, father of Bill Twomey Jr, Pat TwomeyPat TwomeyPat Twomey was an Australian rules footballer, who played in the Victorian Football League, .Pat Twomey joined Collingwood in 1947, he had two stints with the Magpies, punctured by a spell with country club Warragul. Pat mainly played across the centreline or on a flank and started as a winger...
, and Mick TwomeyMick TwomeyMichael Twomey is a former Australian rules footballer, who played in the Victorian Football League, .At in height, Collingwood's Mick Twomey was taller than his brothers Bill and Pat, and played most of his 157 VFL games between 1951 and 1961 as a ruckman.Over the course of his 10 year career...
, and grandfather of David TwomeyDavid TwomeyDavid Twomey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League ....
; won in 12.1 seconds, running off a handicap of 8 ½ yards. - 1929: Clarrie HearnClarrie HearnClarence 'Clarrie' Hearn was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League .Hearn spent his early career as a defender, mostly at half-back...
, EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
; won in 11 and fifteen sixteenths of a second, running off a handicap of 10 yards. - 1936: Ron McCann, CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
; won in 12 and 4 sixths of a second, running off a handicap of 6½ yards. - 1938: Jack GrantJack GrantJack W. Grant was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Fitzroy in the VFL.Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flanks....
, GeelongGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
and FitzroyFitzroy Football ClubThe Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
; won in 11 and eleven-sixteenths seconds, running off a handicap of 11 ½ yards. - 1952: Lance MannLance MannLance Mann is a professional footrunner and a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .-Footballer :A talented wingman, Mann was recruited from the Albury Football Club....
, EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
; won in 11 and fourteen-sixteenths seconds, running off a handicap of 7 ¼ yards.- Team-mate Norm McDonald, Essendon, running off a handicap of 5 yards, came second.
- 1971: Trevor McGregor, FitzroyFitzroy Football ClubThe Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
; won in 11.7 seconds, running off a handicap of 7 ¼ yards.
Relocation
On a number of occasions there has been discussions about relocating the Stawell Gift for economic reasons.On 14 February 2001, after much discussion about moving the event to Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Premier Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
announced on ABC Local Radio that the Gift would be staying in Stawell and the State Government's $40,000 contribution would continue.
On 14 July 2009, it was announced that Ballarat had offered the Stawell Athletic Club more than $1 million in cash and incentives, including a $20,000 grant to the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame, to relocate the Gift from Central Park in Stawell to Ballarat City Oval for five years. The Club released a statement through Secretary Ian Lawrie stating they were considering the offer but the "decision is, without question, the most difficult ever undertaken by the Committee of the Stawell Athletic Club". He said the Club would investigate and exhaust all other options to ensure the survival of Australia’s most famous footrace.
On 16 September 2009 Victorian Premier John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
announced more than $300,000 State Government funding to keep the Stawell Gift in Stawell.
External links
- Official Website of the Stawell Gift
- Tourism Victoria Site
- Joshua Ross winning the Gift in 2005 from The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
website. - Stawell Gift