Aquatics at the 1950 British Empire Games
| Aquatics at the 1950 British Empire Games | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Newmarket Olympic Pool |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Dates | 4 – 11 February 1950 |
Aquatics at the 1950 British Empire Games made its fourth appearance at the Commonwealth Games with both Swimming at the Commonwealth Games and Diving at the Commonwealth Games being included again. Water Polo at the Commonwealth Games made its debut but only featured two nations.
There were four diving events and 13 swimming events contested.[1][2] The events were held at the Newmarket Olympic Pool, which had been built in 1939. The water polo venue was originally advertised as being held at the Shelly Beach Baths but it is unclear as to whether this venue was used.
Australia topped the medal table with seven gold medals.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Medal table
* Host nation (New Zealand)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia (AUS) | 7 | 5 | 4 | 16 |
| 2 | England (ENG) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | South Africa (SAF) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Canada (CAN) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Scotland (SCO) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | New Zealand (NZL)* | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 7 | Wales (WAL) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (7 entries) | 18 | 18 | 17 | 53 | |
Medal summary
Diving
Men's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 m springboard | George Athans (CAN) | Peter Heatly (SCO) | Jack Stewart (NZL) |
| 10 m platform | Peter Heatly (SCO) | George Athans (CAN) | Frank Murphy (AUS) |
Women's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 m springboard | Edna Child (ENG) | Noeline MacLean (AUS) | Lynda Hunt (CAN) |
| 10 m platform | Edna Child (ENG) | Gwen Fawcett (AUS) | Noeline MacLean (AUS) |
Swimming
Men's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 yd freestyle | Peter Salmon (CAN) | Frank O'Neill (AUS) | Pat Kendall (ENG) |
| 440 yd freestyle | Garrick Agnew (AUS) | Graham Johnston (SAF) | Buddy Lucas (NZL) |
| 1650 yd freestyle | Graham Johnston (SAF) | Jim Portelance (CAN) | Buddy Lucas (NZL) |
| 110 yd backstroke | Jackie Wiid (SAF) | John Brockway (WAL) | Bert Kinnear (SCO) |
| 220 yd breaststroke | David Hawkins (AUS) | Roy Romain (ENG) | Ronald Russell Sharpe (AUS) |
| 4×220 yd freestyle relay | New Zealand Buddy Lucas Lyall Barry Michael Amos Noel Chambers |
Australia Barrie Kellaway Garrick Agnew Frank O'Neill James Beard |
England Donald Bland Jack Hale Pat Kendall Ray Legg |
| 3×110 yd medley relay | England Jack Hale Pat Kendall Roy Romain |
Canada Allen Gilchrist Lucien Beaumont Peter Salmon |
New Zealand John Shanahan Lyall Barry Peter Mathieson |
Women's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 yd freestyle | Marjorie McQuade (AUS) | Margaret Wellington (ENG) | Joan Harrison (SAF) |
| 440 yd freestyle | Joan Harrison (SAF) | Margaret Wellington (ENG) | Denise Norton (AUS) |
| 110 yd backstroke | Judy-Joy Davies (AUS) | Jean Stewart (NZL) | Helen Yate (ENG) |
| 220 yd breaststroke | Elenor Gordon (SCO) | Nancy Lyons (AUS) | Elizabeth Church (ENG) |
| 4×110 yd freestyle relay | Australia Denise Spencer Denise Norton Judy-Joy Davies Marjorie McQuade |
New Zealand Joan Hastings Kristin Jacobi Norma Bridson Winifred Griffin |
England Grace Wood Helen Yate Lillian Preece Margaret Wellington |
| 3×110 yd medley relay | Australia Judy-Joy Davies Marjorie McQuade Nancy Lyons |
England Elizabeth Church Helen Yate Margaret Wellington |
Scotland Betty Turner Elenor Gordon Margaret Girvan |
Water polo
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament | Australia John Amadee Peter Bennett Bruce Bourke John Bourke Herman Doerner Owen Doerner Ronald Faulds Colin French Kevin Hallett Malcolm Hastie Percy Johnston James McKay Francis Murphy Frank O'Neill |
New Zealand Charles Brown Jim Cameron Terry Harris Bob Hatchwell Barrie Hutchinson Tom Logan Edward Raven Jim Walsh Neil Williams Wally Williams |
none awarded | |
Finals (men)
3 m springboard
| Pos | Athlete | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Athans | 169.21 |
| 2 | Peter Heatly | 168.80 |
| 3 | Jack Stewart | 168.17 |
| 4 | Joseph McCann | 159.76 |
| 5 | Ron Faulds | 148.86 |
| 6 | I. Grace | 148.57 |
| 7 | David Norris | 140.20 |
| 8 | A. Smith | 135.36 |
10 m platform
| Pos | Athlete | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Heatly | 156.07 |
| 2 | George Athans | 145.36 |
| 3 | Frank Murphy | 129.40 |
| 4 | Joseph McCann | 128.72 |
| 5 | John Kevin Bourke | 124.14 |
| 6 | W. Owen Jaine | 115.28 |
110 yd freestyle
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Salmon | 1:00.4 |
| 2 | Frank O'Neill | 1:00.6 |
| 3 | Pat Kendall | 1:01.8 |
| 4 | Lucien Beaumont | 1:02.1 |
| 5 | Jackie Wiid | 1:02.3 |
| 6 | Michael Amos | 1:02.5 |
440 yd freestyle
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garrick Agnew | 4:49.4 |
| 2 | Graham Johnston | 4:51.3 |
| 3 | Buddy Lucas | 5:02.5 |
| 4 | Barrie Edwin Kellaway | 5:03.5 |
| 5 | Michael Amos | 5:08.1 |
| 6 | Donald Bland | 5:10.5 |
1650 yd freestyle
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Johnston | 19:55.7 |
| 2 | Jim Portelance | 20:08.3 |
| 3 | Buddy Lucas | 20:10.1 |
| 4 | Donald Bland | 20:18.5 |
| 5 | Barrie Edwin Kellaway | 20:35.2 |
| 6 | Noel Chambers or Colin Chambers | 21:45.3 |
110 yd backstroke
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackie Wiid | 1:07.7 |
| 2 | John Brockway | 1:08.0 |
| 3 | Bert Kinnear | 1:10.8 |
| 4 | Peter Mathieson | 1:13.5 |
| 5 | Frank Stevens | 1:13.6 |
| 6 | Peter Salmon | dnf |
220 yd breaststroke
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Hawkins | 2:54.1 |
| 2 | Roy Romain | 2:54.2 |
| 3 | Ronald Russell Sharpe | 2:56.0 |
| 4 | John Shanahan | 2:59.8 |
| 5 | Trevor Eagle | 3:02.9 |
| 6 | Colin Callan | 3:09.8 |
4×220 yd freestyle relay
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buddy Lucas, Lyall Barry, Michael Amos, Noel Chambers | 9:27.7 |
| 2 | Barrie Kellaway, Garrick Agnew, Frank O'Neill, James Beard | 9:34.5 |
| 3 | Donald Bland, Jack Hale, Pat Kendall, Ray Legg | 9:36.8 |
| 3 | Allen Gilchrist, Jim Portelance, George Portelance, Peter Salmon | 9:44.4 |
3×110 yd medley relay
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Hale, Pat Kendall, Roy Romain | 3:26.6 |
| 2 | Allen Gilchrist, Lucien Beaumont, Peter Salmon | 3:29.4 |
| 3 | John Shanahan, Lyall Barry, Peter Mathieson | 3:30.1 |
| 4 | Frank O'Neill (swimmer), Ronald Russell Sharpe, Frank Stevens | 3:32.4 |
Water polo
- Game 1
| 4 February 1950 | New Zealand | 4–11 | Australia | Newmarket Olympic Pool |
| Hatchwell 2, Logan, W. Williams | Goals | Amadee 4, Johnston 2, French, Bennett, Doerner, Hastie, own goal | ||
- Game 2
| 6 February 1950 | New Zealand | 2–13 | Australia | Newmarket Olympic Pool |
| Goals | Amadee 4, Bennett 5, Johnston 2, Hastie 2 | |||
- Game 3
| 10 February 1950 | New Zealand | 2–5 | Australia | Newmarket Olympic Pool |
| Goals | ||||
Finals (women)
3 m springboard
| Pos | Athlete | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edna Child | 126.58 |
| 2 | Noeline MacLean | 124.59 |
| 3 | Lynda Hunt | 115.38 |
| 4 | E. Buchanan | 106.15 |
| 5 | Patricia May Barnett | 104.55 |
| 6 | Mayzod Reid | 104.29 |
| 7 | Joyce Carpenter | 95.88 |
| 8 | Betty Moore | 93.30 |
10 m platform
| Pos | Athlete | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edna Child | 70.89 |
| 2 | Gwen Fawcett | 65.64 |
| 3 | Noeline MacLean | 59.93 |
| 4 | E. Buchanan | 54.98 |
| 5 | Lynda Hunt | 46.21 |
110 yd freestyle
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marjorie McQuade | 1:09.0 |
| 2 | Margaret Wellington | 1:09.6 |
| 3 | Joan Harrison | 1:10.7 |
| 4 | Denise Spencer | 1:10.7 |
| 5 | Norma Bridson | 1:11.2 |
| 6 | Winifred Griffin | 1:11.9 |
440 yd freestyle
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joan Harrison | 5:26.4 |
| 2 | Margaret Wellington | 5:33.7 |
| 3 | Denise Norton | 5:33.8 |
| 4 | Winifred Griffin | 5:39.4 |
| 5 | Judy-Joy Davies | 5:39.4 |
| 6 | Lillian Preece | 5:46.0 |
110 yd backstroke
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judy-Joy Davies | 1:18.6 |
| 2 | Jean Stewart | 1:19.1 |
| 3 | Helen Yate | 1:20.5 |
| 4 | Jeanette Catherine Holle | 1:22.0 |
| 5 | Margaret Girvan | 1:23.2 |
| 6 | Patricia Isabelle Seymour | 1:23.5 |
220 yd breaststroke
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elenor Gordon | 3:01.7 |
| 2 | Nancy Lyons | 3:03.6 |
| 3 | Elizabeth Church | 3:10.3 |
| 4 | Irene Strong | 3:17.0 |
| 5 | Beryl Joan Hosking | 3:21.9 |
| 6 | Margaret Sweeney | 3:28.0 |
4×110 yd freestyle relay
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denise Spencer, Denise Norton, Judy-Joy Davies, Marjorie McQuade | 4:44.9 |
| 2 | Joan Hastings, Kristin Jacobi, Norma Bridson, Winifred Griffin | 4:48.7 |
| 3 | Grace Wood, Helen Yate, Lillian Preece, Margaret Wellington | 4:56.0 |
| 4 | Catherine Miles, Irene Strong, Joan Morgan, Kay McNamee | 5:02.4 |
3×110 yd medley relay
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judy-Joy Davies, Marjorie McQuade, Nancy Lyons | 3:53.8 |
| 2 | Elizabeth Church, Helen Yate, Margaret Wellington | 3:56.6 |
| 3 | Betty Turner, Elenor Gordon, Margaret Girvan | 3:58.9 |
| 4 | Catherine Miles, Irene Strong, Joan Morgan | 4:05.5 |
| 5 | Jean Stewart, Margaret Sweeney, Winifred Griffin | disq |
References
- ^ "Commonwealth Games Medallists - Swimming and Diving (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games Medallists - Swimming and Diving (women)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Medal Standings 1950". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Swimming". The Scotsman. 6 February 1950. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Results". Hull Daily Mail. 7 February 1950. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Divers win gold medals". Derby Daily Telegraph. 8 February 1950. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Empire Games Results". Daily Mirror. 9 February 1950. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Swimming and Diving". Derby Daily Telegraph. 10 February 1950. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.