Australasia was the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the fourth appearance of Australia, which had not missed any edition of the Summer Olympic Games, and the first appearance of New Zealand. The two would compete together again as Australasia at the 1912 Summer Olympics before competing separately at every edition of the Summer Games since. In 1908 there were three New Zealanders, Harry Kerr, Henry Murray and Albert Rowland (a fourth New Zealander, hurdler Arthur Halligan, competed for Great Britain);Heidenstrom, P. (1992) Athletes of the Century. Wellington: GP Publications all other competitors were Australian. There were 30 competitors for Australasia who competed in 20 events in six sports. A further two competitors, who were to compete in tennis, did not play as their nominations failed to reach the organisers.
The team competed under the Australian Red Ensign.Ross, J., Hutchinson, G., Geddes, M. (1998). Australia's Olympic Century: All the Games in Pictures. Austria: Ironbark (Pan Macmillan).
Medallists
MedalNameSportEventDate Rugby union (AUS) Boxing Middleweight (AUS) Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle (NZL) Athletics Men's 3500 m walk (AUS) Swimming Men's 1500 m freestyle
Athletics
Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankHarvey Sutton800 m2:00.03colspan=2 did not advanceJoseph Lynch1500 mUnknown5colspan=2 did not advanceCharles Swaindid not finishcolspan=2 did not advanceGeorge Blake5 milesUnknown3colspan=2 did not advanceJoseph Lynchdid not finishcolspan=2 did not advanceHenry Murray110 m hurdles16.32did not advanceHenry Murray400 m hurdles59.82did not advanceVictor AitkenMarathoncolspan=4 did not finishGeorge Blakecolspan=4 did not finishJoseph Lynchcolspan=4 did not finishHarry Kerr3500 m walk16:02.22 Qcolspan=2 15:43.4Albert Rowland16:08.63 Qcolspan=2 16:07.05Harry Kerr10 miles walk1:18:40.23 Qcolspan=2 did not startAlbert Rowland1:21:57.65colspan=2 did not advance
Field events AthleteEventFinalDistancePositionErnest HutcheonMen's standing high jumpUnknown19-23
Boxing
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankSnowy BakerMiddleweightW WWL 1-2
Diving
AthleteEventPreliminary RoundSemifinalFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankSnowy Baker3 m springboard61.36did not advance
Rugby union
Australasia won the only rugby union match played in 1908 against Great Britain, earning the gold medal. Australasia was represented by the Australian rugby union tour team (now 'Wallabies').
Event Place Players Final Men's rugby union 1st Phil Carmichael, Charles Russell, Daniel Carroll, John Hickey, Francis Bede-Smith, Chris McKivat, Arthur McCabe, Thomas Griffen, John "Jumbo" Barnett, Patrick McCue, Sydney Middleton, Tom Richards, Malcolm McArthur, Charles McMurtrie, Bob Craig Won vs. Great Britain 32–3
Shooting
Event Place Shooter Score Men's stationary target small-bore rifle 16th William Hill 354 Men's moving target small-bore rifle — William Hill Did not finish Men's disappearing target small-bore rifle 18th William Hill 36
Swimming
Event Place Swimmer Heats Semifinals Final Men's 100 metre freestyle Semi-finalist Frank Beaurepaire 1:11.6 1st, heat 3 Unknown 4th, semifinal 1 Did not advance Heats Theo Tartakover Unknown 2nd, heat 1 Did not advance Edward Cooke Unknown 3–4, heat 6 Men's 400 metre freestyle 2nd Frank Beaurepaire 5:49.2 1st, heat 4 5:44.0 1st, semifinal 1 5:44.2 Semi-finalist Theo Tartakover 6:35.0 1st, heat 3 Did not start —, semifinal 1 Did not advance Heats Frank Springfield 5:57.4 2nd, heat 6 Did not advance Men's 1500 metre freestyle 3rd Frank Beaurepaire 23:45.8 1st, heat 2 23:25.4 2nd, semifinal 1 22:56.2 Heats Frederick Springfield 24:52.4 2nd, heat 4 Did not advance Men's 200 metre breaststroke — Edward Cooke Did not finish —, heat 5 Did not advance Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay 4th Frank Beaurepaire Frederick Springfield Snowy Baker Theo Tartakover None held 11:35.0 1st, semifinal 1 Unknown
Tennis Les Poidevin and Anthony Wilding (who were partners in the 1906 Davis Cup preliminary round at Newport) were nominated for the Australasian team by the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association, but their nominations failed to reach the organisers. So the pair watched the "small, impoverished and out of place" Australasian contingent alongside the "tailored splendour" of some European teams. Although many leading tennis players bypassed the Olympic tournament (which followed almost immediately after Wimbledon) and his goal had been Wimbledon, Wilding regretted the missed opportunity and endorsed his mother's summing up of the administrative bungling: "seems very careless of them & very annoying".
References
External links Cover of 1908 programme
Sources