Australian

The Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH) was established in 1983 to encourage discussion on sport history in Australia through research, publishing, and events such as conferences and workshops. It holds a biennial conference and publishes a biannual peer reviewed journal, both called Sporting Traditions. In 1992, it played a major role in the publishing of the Oxford Companion to Australian Sport.

Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) is an advocate for museums and galleries; their collections; and the people who work in them. The Sports Heritage National Network was formed in 1990 and ceased in 2011. For those interested in sports heritage, AMaGA currently manages a discussion group.

The Australian Centre for Olympic Studies (ACOS) was launched in 2005, to provide a national focus for Olympic studies and continue the work of the Centre based at the University of New South Wales which closed in 2004. ACOS seeks to coordinate and publicise relevant university research, teaching, and community services. By gathering information about the organisation of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and other major international sporting events, UTS has developed a research database to assist in the organisation of future events.

International

The International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) was formed in 1991 to promote and study the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games. This is achieved primarily through research into the history of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games; through the gathering of historical and statistical data concerning the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games; through the publication of research via journals and other publications; and, through the cooperation of the membership.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Studies Centre. Their mission is to share Olympic knowledge with professionals and researchers through providing information, giving access to unique collections, enabling research, and stimulating intellectual exchange.

There are many sports museums and collections, both internationally and within Australia. Museums come in many forms – academic, corporate, community, and institutional – and they manage a range of sport memorabilia which may include: documents, photographs, clothing, equipment, trophies, collectables, and more. Activities undertaken regarding sport memorabilia encompass collection, documentation, preservation, provision of physical or online access, promotion, and interpretation of sport history.

Australia has a range of sports museums and collections. The Australian Sports Museum—originally established in 1984 as the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum—is located at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and is recognised as Australia’s premier sport museum. Other leading Australian museums that have strong sport collections include the National Museum of Australia, Powerhouse Museum, and Western Australian Museum. Other institutions including State Libraries and the Australian War Memorial organise temporary sport exhibitions. Examples of sport/institution specific museums in Australia include the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame and the Sydney Cricket Ground Museum.

In recent years, there has been a trend away from standalone sports museums in Australia. AFL World (formerly Hall of Fame and Sensation) and the Australian Racing Museum closed down their physical operations in Melbourne and moved their collections and exhibitions to the Australian Sports Museum. In 2014, Western Sports Museum moved its collection to the Western Australian Museum.

• List of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame in Australia [Wikipedia]
• International Sports Heritage Association. A non-profit membership organization established in 1971 to assist sport museums and halls of fame to develop, operate and promote their facilities.
• The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, has a permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, and a varied cultural programme throughout the year. Special programmes are created for each edition of the Games.

Sport halls of fame recognise the achievements of individuals (and sometimes teams) who have performed at a high level during their career and who have been part of significant achievements in their sport. Halls of fame tend to focus on athletes but may include administrators, coaches, officials, or sports science and medicine professionals. In Australia, most sport halls of fame do not have a physical location.

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established in 1985 and holds an annual awards night. Over 500 Australian sporting greats have been inducted so far and the National Sports Museum has a display recognising these inductees. The Australian Sports Museum also has displays for the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, the Australian Football Hall of Fame, the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame, and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Besides national sport halls of fame, many states have established their own.

• List of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame in Australia [Wikipedia]

There are currently two major annual Australian sports awards - Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards [Wikipedia] and the Australian Institute of Sport Awards [Wikipedia]. Three prominent former awards were: World Trophy for Australasia (1896-2000) [Wikipedia], ABC Sports Award of the Year (1951-1994) [Wikipedia], and Australian Sport Awards (1980-2006) [Wikipedia].

Oral histories are planned interviews with people who discuss past events from their perspective. These may include the development of organisations, controversies, events, or athlete performances. Oral histories play an important role in documenting the history of sport as information provided in them is often not available through other sources.

The National Library of Australia (NLA) Oral History Program has developed a collection of oral histories from people in Australian sport. The project seeks to identify significant people and accepts nominations for inclusion. Some recordings are available through the NLA website, or the full collection can be accessed by visiting the library in Canberra.

• The Sports Oral History Project commenced in 2007 with funding from the Australian Sports Commission and the support of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. This project interviewed over eighty prominent people in Australian sport history, including athletes, administrators, and sports science and medicine personnel.
• The Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies Oral History Project is a joint initiative Paralympics Australia and the NLA to record the oral histories of a number of the people who were responsible for the growth and success of Paralympic sport in Australia. Over 50 people have been interviewed. This is an example of a sporting organisation taking a proactive approach to their history.

Sport films and videos encompass international and Australian sporting events and documentaries about athletes and issues in sport.

• The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) collects feature films, documentaries, and television footage produced by Australians or about Australia. The sport collection includes footage from the 1896 Melbourne Cup, cricket's Bodyline Series, the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and more.
• Sport Australia (formerly the Australian Sports Commission) through the National Sport Information Centre (NSIC)/Clearinghouse for Sport also maintains a significant video collection covering important sports events and issues in sport. The Catalogue of Australian Sport Sector Library Collections provides access to search this collection, access restrictions may apply.
• Paralympic Australia's audio-visual collection includes Australian broadcast footage from Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and other elite events, interviews with athletes, and sponsor advertisements. Copies are held at the NSIC/Clearinghouse for Sport in Canberra and you can search the Catalogue of Australian Sport Sector Library collections to find what is held. Due to licensing and copyright restrictions access/use may be restricted, contact Paralympics Australia or the NSIC for more information.
• Paralympic history 1970s-80s, by Don Worley, NFSA/YouTube, (last updated 13 December 2016). Highlights from a collection of Paralympic films shot by Adelaide dentist and amateur filmmaker Don Worley. The collection includes almost 10 hours of footage which helps chronicle the development of the Australian and International Paralympic movement from a time when such material is incredibly scarce. According to Paralympics Australia, Worley’s collection is possibly the only footage in the world to survive from some of these early sporting events for people with a disability.

Sport images can be located through a range of sources including sports libraries, national and state libraries, newspapers, and commercial photographers.

• Images from the NLA, state libraries, and Paralympics Australia can now be located through Trove, a national online catalogue.
• Wikimedia Commons. As part of the Australian Paralympic History Project Paralympics Australia has collected more than 40,000 photos from 1992 to the present. As they continue to connect with earlier athletes and team staff the collection of images from 1960 to 1992 also continues to grow. Photos with no commercial value to Paralympics Australia are released for use through Wikimedia Commons. 3,114 images (accessed 2 October 2020) are available through Wikimedia Commons. Access images.
• The NSIC/Clearinghouse for Sport also has a collection of images including many relating to the history of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the athletes who attended the AIS on scholarships (1981-2014). Images can currently only be searched at the AIS campus in Canberra. Due to licensing and copyright restrictions access/use may be restricted.

Federal and state government archives or record offices hold documents relating to the development of sport policy in Australia. The National Archives of Australia (NAA) holds policy documents relating to departments managing sport and statutory authorities such as The Australian Sports Commission. For instance, NAA holds documents relating to Australia’s policy on apartheid in sport.

The New South Wales Records Office holds documents regarding the development of sport in NSW and the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Other state government archives hold similar documents relevant to sport in their jurisdictions.

Many Australian sports organisations (national, state, clubs) commission knowledgeable individuals to research and write their histories. Increasingly these histories may be hosted online rather than published in print form. Organisations such as the Australian Society for Sports History can provide advice on the process and assist in identifying potential authors. Recent examples of sport organisational histories include:

• A centenary of rugby league 1908-2008 : the definitive story of the game in Australia, I. Heads, Pan MacMillan, (2008). Provides a brief profile on the 100 greatest players and documents in the history of rugby league in Australia by decades.
• A-league: the inside story of the tumultuous first decade, John Stensholt and Shaun Mooney, Nero, (2015). In November 2004, shopping centre billionaire Frank Lowy walked into a packed media conference and announced the creation of a new professional football league. Armed with $15 million of government funds, Lowy wanted to wake the sleeping giant of Australian sport, and the A-League kicked off in 2005.
• Athletics SA : a centennial chronicle 1905-2005, F. McEwen, (2005). Produced by SA Athletics.
• Australian Paralympic History Project has taken a broad approach that involves the collection, management, and preservation of Australia’s Paralympic movement history. It is a collaborative effort, which relies on the assistance of a range of organisations. This project was successful in securing an Australian Research Council Grant and the expected publications of the grant will include a traditional history book, an e-history, and a host of Wikipedia articles. The Project will be completed utilising Wikipedia to gather information and increase the understanding of the Paralympic movement in Australia for a wide audience. Information like this will add to already established information about Australia at the Paralympics [Wikipedia], which links to past Games and over 400 athlete profiles.
• Between the flags : one hundred summers of Australian surf lifesaving, E. Jaggard, UNSW Press, (2006). Explains how and why surf lifesaving enjoys iconic status across Australia, and remains relevant and popular today. Covers all aspects of surf lifesaving including technology, competition, membership, and the professionalism of the organisation and its volunteers.
• Blue heaven: the story of Australian surfing, M. Walding, Hardie Grant Books, (2003).
• Fields of green, lanes of gold: the story of athletics in Australia, Jenes, P., Playright Publishing, (2001). Book commissioned by Athletics Australia and written by Paul Jenes, Statistician, Athletics Australia.
• From Trauma to Rehabilitation and Elite Sport : The Foundation Years of Disability Sport in Victoria. Hess, Rob and Klugman, Matthew, Victoria University, (2014). Commissioned by Disability Sport and Recreation in Victoria to commemorate their 50th Anniversary. [Note: print copy, available from the Clearinghouse for Sport, includes additional appendix photographs]
• From Athens with pride : the official history of the Australian Olympic movement 1894-2014, Harry Gordon, University of Queensland Press, (2014). Chronicles Australia's Olympic journey, from the first Summer Games in Athens in 1896 to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi The journey was one of wins and losses, triumphs and disappointments, but the commitment of Australia's athletes shines through at all times. The book is a tribute to Australian athletes.
• Going for gold: champions of the West, Pyke, F., Western Australian Institute of Sport, (2010). Commissioned by WAIS and funded by LotteryWest, through their Community History Grant Program.
• Gold rush : a decade of success, F.S. Pyke, Victorian Institute of Sport, (2004). Chronicles the work of the Victorian Institute of Sport between 1990 and 2000.
• Hoop High: a history of Australian Olympic basketball 1956-2000, Dr. Adrian Hurley, [self published], (2015). Features detailed descriptions of the preparation, participation, games, and results by Australian Olympic basketball teams and officials from 1956 to 2000.
• Multisport dreaming: the foundations of triathlon in Australia, Jane E. Hunt, Queensland White Press, (2014). Documents the foundation years of triathlon in Australia. It charts the evolution of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), Ironman, and age group racing, and weaves together the individual stories of athletes, administrators, race directors, and magazine publishers who helped to make the sport what it is today.
• The History of Netball Australia, includes detailed biographies and information on past players, the Australian netball awards, evolution, statistics and records, and the Australian netball hall of fame.
• Official Australian Representatives, Table Tennis Australia, (accessed 2 October 2020). TTA is pleased to present the complete records for all players who have officially represented Australia at senior level in both able-bodied and para competitions. Australia first competed internationally at the 1954 World Championships in London, with the trio of Lou Laza, Geoff Jennings and Bill Hodge being the first players to don the green and gold. Since then, Australia has been a mainstay on the international scene, winning a multitude of titles and medals along the way. To date, a grand total of 75 men and 67 women have represented Australia in able-bodied competitions and 65 men and 26 women have represented Australia in para competitions, making this a prestigious and exclusive club.
• Swimming Australia: one hundred years, Phillips, M.G, UNSW Press, (2008). Book commissioned by Swimming Australia and written by Dr Murray Phillips, Sport Historian, University of Queensland.
• Water warriors: chronicle of Australian water polo, T. Rockwell, Pegasus, (2008). Includes a detailed account of the development of the game; comprehensive listings of Australian water polo results for international and national events, Australian club championships, and State premierships; as well as Australia water polo representatives.

Australian

The Catalogue of Australian Sport Sector Library Collections is a union catalogue of participating Australian sport sector organisations including Sport Australia (formerly the Australian Sports Commission), Queensland Academy of Sport, Victorian Institute of Sport, Paralympics Australia (PA), Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), Swimming Australia, and Athletics Australia.

The Australian Sport Information Network (AUSPIN) is comprised of sports information and research professionals working across the sport and active recreation sector in Australia and the region. Members of the AUSPIN network cooperate with each other by sharing expertise, their experiences and information, as well as promoting, developing, and facilitating access to a broad range of sport information and research resources. Several AUSPIN stakeholders have strong collections on Australian sport history:

• Sport Australia Clearinghouse for Sport. The collection covers the Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games from an Australian perspective, as well as major books, journals, annual reports, and videos by/about Australian national sporting organisations. It is now assisting organisations—such as PA, AOC, Swimming Australia, Athletics Australia, and Gymnastics Australia—to manage their collections, as well as providing advice about collection management to other sports organisations. In 2013 the Heritage and Culture Committee (HACC) was formed to provide guidance on the preservation of significant items of heritage or cultural value to Sport Australia/AIS.
• Paralympics Australia library collection is searchable through the Catalogue of Australian Sport Sector Library Collections and includes a unique collection of books and videos relating to Paralympic sport, particularly in Australia.
• Melbourne Cricket Club Library. Founded in 1873, has a comprehensive collection related to Australian sports and events, particularly those played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. These sports and events include: cricket, Australian football, Olympic, and Commonwealth Games. The library accepts donations and has acquired several significant collections.

Besides specific sport libraries, the national and state libraries are managing sport collections through legal deposit or the acquisition of special collections. University libraries with sport courses often maintain collections on sport history.

International

• Olympic World Library. Part of the Olympic Studies Centre, the Olympic World Library (OWL) is a library catalogue, information portal and a search engine for Olympic knowledge.
• LA84 Foundation Digital Archive includes full text: periodicals, proceedings/interviews, Olympic Games official reports since 1896, and Olympic oral histories.

Preserving Australian Sport History - a guide for sport organisations. Crook, E., (2020). This guide provides sports organisations with a starting point on identifying and managing sport heritage items. Topics covered include identification, selection, registration of items, management, preservation, records management, dispersal, disposal, and financial assistance. It also lists organisations that may provide advice in the area of preservation.

The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program managed by the National Library of Australia provides grants of up to $20,000 to community organisations to assist with the preservation of locally owned, but nationally significant collections of materials that are publicly accessible including artefacts, letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and audio visual material. Previous sporting organisation recipients have included Australian Rugby Union, National Rugby League, Tennis Australia, SA Amateur Football League, and more. See the CHG website for a full list of previous Grant Recipients. Applications are usually open from March to May each year, please check the website for more information about future opportunities.

Organisations should also consider how their websites are archived. Many organisations change or dramatically upgrade their websites every few years. Information that is considered as obsolete or old may not be included in the new website. However, this information may be useful for historical purposes. The National Library of Australia’s PANDORA Project archives online publications and websites of national significance. Over 500 Australian sports organisations and 220 sports events have had their websites archived. List of PANDORA Sport Websites.

General Australian Sport History

• Australia's sporting success: the inside story, Bloomfield, J, UNSW Press, (2003)
• More than sunshine and vegemite: success the Australian way, Ferguson, J, Halstead Press, (2006)
• One-Eyed: A View of Australian Sport. Booth, D. and Tatz. C, Allen & Unwin, (2000)
• Oxford Companion to Australian sport. Rev 2nd ed, Vamplew, W. et al, Oxford University Press, (1997)
• Paradise of sport: the rise of organised sport in Australia, Cashman, R, Oxford University Press, (1995)
• Saturday afternoon fever: sport in the Australian culture, Stoddart, B, Angus and Robertston, (1986)
• Sport, history and Australian culture: passionate pursuits, Walla Walla Press, (2011).
• Sport in Australasian Society: Past and Present, Mangan, J. A., and Nauright, J. eds, Cass, (2000)
• Sport in Australia: a social history, Vamplew, W. and Stoddart, B. eds, University of Cambridge Press, (1994)
• Sport in Australian History, Adair, D. and Vamplew, W, Oxford University Press, (1997)

• From Stoke Mandeville to Stratford: a history of the summer Paralympic games. Brittain, Ian, Champaign, Ill., Common Ground Publishing, (2012). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV722.5.P37.B74)
• Athlete first : a history of the Paralympic movement. Bailey, S., Chichester, John Wiley & Sons, (2008). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV722.5.P1.B35)
• Stoke Mandeville road to the Paralympics: fifty years of history. Scruton, J., Brill, Peterhouse, (1998). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV722.5.S37)

• Australia and the Olympic Games. Gordon, H., University of Queensland Press, (1994). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV721.5.G67; Queensland Academy of Sport, 796.480994 GOR)
• Australian women at the Olympic Games. 3rd ed, Phillips, D. H., Walla Walla Press, (2001). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV721.5.P45)
• The compendium: official Australian Olympic statistics 1896-2002. Australian Olympic Committee, University of Queensland Press, (2003). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV721.5.C67)
• From Athens with pride: the official history of the Australian Olympic movement, 1894 to 2014. Gordon, H., University of Queensland Press, (2014). (Held by the Queensland Academy of Sport, 796.48 GOR and Australian Sports Commission, GV721.4.A8 G67 2014)
• Gold!: an Olympic celebration. Gordon, H., Wilkinson Publishing, (2008). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV721.5.G67)
• Olympic gold: our greatest individual Olympians since 1896. Poke, R. and Berry, k. (eds), Murdoch Books, (2012). (Held by the Australian Sports Commission, GV721.18.P65)
• Sydney Olympic Park 2000-2010: history and legacy. Cashman, R., Walla Walla Press, (2011).

• Sporting Traditions (1984-present). Journal of the Australian Society for Sport History. Available online through the LA84 Foundation website (1984-2010).

• AIS Alumi, Australian Institute of Sport/Clearinghouse for Sport.
• The Ancient Olympics. A special exhibit of the Perseus Digital Library. Compare ancient and modern Olympic sports, tour the site of Olympia as it looks today, learn about the context of the Games and the Olympic spirit, or read about the Olympic athletes who were famous in ancient times. (Perseus database)
• Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history. It is possible to do a detailed search by 'occupation' which includes sport and recreation and some specific sports.
• Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Explore more than 310 billion web pages saved over time.
• List of Australian sports controversies [Wikipedia]
• List of Australian sports films [Wikipedia]
• List of Australian sports songs [Wikipedia]
• The Modern Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee, The Olympic Museum Educational and Cultural Services, 3rd edition, (2013).
• She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History. Database highlights the achievements of Australian women who have contributed to Australian sporting life and culture.
• Trove. The National Library of Australia’s online catalogue allows clients to search for books, journals, images, and newspaper articles on Australian sport history or the history of specific sports.