1938 British Empire Games
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Host city | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||
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Nations participating | 15 | ||
Athletes participating | 464 | ||
Events | 71 | ||
Opening ceremony | 5 February | ||
Closing ceremony | 12 February | ||
Main venue | Sydney Cricket Ground | ||
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The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 years since the foundation of British settlement in Australia). Venues included the Sydney Cricket Ground (the main stadium), the Sydney Sports Ground, North Sydney Olympic Pool and Henson Park. An estimated 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony. A competitors' residential village was established within the grounds of the Sydney Showground.
The star of the games was the Australian athlete Decima Norman, who won five gold medals in track and field. Margaret Dovey, the future wife of Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam, finished sixth in the 220 yards breaststroke.
Due to the onset of World War II, the games were not held again until 1950.
Participating teams
Medals by country
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 25 | 19 | 22 | 66 |
2 | ![]() | 15 | 15 | 10 | 40 |
3 | ![]() | 13 | 16 | 15 | 44 |
4 | ![]() | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
5 | ![]() | 5 | 7 | 13 | 25 |
6 | ![]() | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
7 | ![]() | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
8 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
9 | ![]() | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
10 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Total | 71 | 71 | 71 | 213 |
Medals by event
Athletics
Boxing
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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Flyweight | ![]() |
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Bantamweight | ![]() |
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Featherweight | ![]() |
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Lightweight | ![]() |
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Welterweight | ![]() |
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Middleweight | ![]() |
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Light heavyweight | ![]() |
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Heavyweight | ![]() |
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Cycling
Track
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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Time Trial | ![]() | 1:15.2 | ![]() | 1:15.7 | ![]() | 1:15.9 |
Sprint 1000 yd | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
10-mile Scratch | ![]() | 24:44.0 | ![]() | ![]() |
Road
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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Road Race | ![]() | 2'53:29.6 | ![]() | s.t. | ![]() | s.t. |
Diving
Men's events
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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3 m springboard | ![]() | 126.36 | ![]() | 124.78 | ![]() | 117.90 |
10 m platform | ![]() | 108.74 | ![]() | 102.87 | ![]() | 98.93 |
Women's events
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 m springboard | ![]() | 91.18 | ![]() | 88.27 | ![]() | 81.66 |
10 m platform | ![]() | 36.47 | ![]() | 36.39 | ![]() | 34.57 |
Lawn Bowls
All events were for men only.
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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Singles (details) | ![]() |
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Pairs (details) | ![]() and Lance Macey (NZL) |
![]() and Howard Mildren (AUS) |
![]() and J.R. Appleford (SAF) |
Rinks (details) | ![]() Alec Robertson Ernie Jury Bill Bremner Bill Whittaker |
![]() F. Stevenson J. G. Donaldson Norman Walker T. H. Samson |
![]() Aub Murray Charlie H. McNeill Frank Murray Tom Kinder |
Rowing
All events were for men only. The double sculls competition was an invitation event and originally no medals were awarded nevertheless these medals were counted nowadays. The bronze medal is listed as won by New Zealand.
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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Single sculls | ![]() | 8:24 | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Double sculls | ![]() and William Bradley (AUS) | 7:29.4 | ![]() and Dick Offer (ENG) | ![]() and Robert Smith (NZL) | ||
Coxed fours | ![]() Don Fraser Gordon Freeth Harry Kerr Jack Fisher Stewart Elder | 7:16.8 | ![]() Albert Hope George Burns John Rigby Kenneth Boswell Jim Clayton | +1.25 lgths | ![]() Donald Davis James Temple James MacDonald Kenneth Jaggard Max Winkler | +0.75 lgths |
Eights | ![]() Basil Beazley Desmond Kingsford John Sturrock John Burrough John Turnbull Peter Jackson Rhodes Hambridge J. T. Turner Thomas Reeve | 6:29 | ![]() Joe Gould Alfred Gregory Edward Bromley Frank le Souef Gordon Yewers Richard Paramor William Thomas Bill Dixon Doug Bowden | +0.75 lgths | ![]() Gus Jackson Cyril Stiles Fred Thompson Howard Benge John Charters Leslie Pithie Oswald Denison James Gould William Stodart | +2 lgths |
Swimming
Men's events
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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110 yd freestyle | ![]() | 59.6 | ![]() | 60.8 | ![]() | 61.0 |
440 yd freestyle | ![]() | 4:54.6 | ![]() | 4:55.4 | ![]() | 4:55.5 |
1650 yd freestyle | ![]() | 19:46.4 | ![]() | 19:59.2 | ![]() | 20:17.4 |
110 yd backstroke | ![]() | 01:07.9 | ![]() | 1:09.0 | ![]() | 1:09.3 |
220 yd breaststroke | ![]() | 2:51.9 | ![]() | 3:00.5 | ![]() | 3:00.8 |
4×220 yd freestyle relay | ![]() Frederick Dove Mostyn Ffrench-Williams Norman Wainwright Bob Leivers | 9:19.0 | ![]() George Burleigh Gordon Devlin Robert Hooper Bob Pirie | 9:20.2 | ![]() Robert Wilshire Noel Ryan Robin Biddulph William Fleming | 9:32.9 |
3×110 yd medley relay | ![]() Frederick Dove John Davies Micky Taylor | 3:28.2 | ![]() Gordon Kerr Jimmy Prentice Bob Pirie | 3:30.5 | ![]() Ernest Hobbs Percy Oliver William Fleming | 3:31.8 |
Women's events
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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110 yd freestyle | ![]() | 1:10.1 | ![]() | 1:11.1 | ![]() | 1:12.1 |
440 yd freestyle | ![]() | 5:39.7 | ![]() | 5:40.2 | ![]() | 5:42.0 |
110 yd backstroke | ![]() | 1:19.5 | ![]() | 1:22.5 | ![]() | 1:23.2 |
220 yd breaststroke | ![]() | 3:06.3 | ![]() | 3:12.1 | ![]() | 3:22.2 |
4×110 yd freestyle relay | ![]() Noel Oxenbury Dorothy Lyon Mary Baggaley Phyllis Dewar | 4:48.3 | ![]() Dorothy Green Evelyn de Lacy Margaret Rawson Pat Norton | 4:49.0 | ![]() Edna Hughes Joyce Harrowby Margery Hinton Zilpha Grant | 4:50.1 |
3×110 yd medley relay | ![]() Doris Storey Lorna Frampton Margery Hinton | 3:57.7 | ![]() Carla Gerke Hazel Holmes Molly Ryde | 4:07.5 | ![]() Evelyn de Lacy Pat Norton Valerie George | 4:10.0 |
Wrestling
All events were for men only.
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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Bantamweight | ![]() |
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Featherweight | ![]() |
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Lightweight | ![]() |
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Welterweight | ![]() |
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Middleweight | ![]() |
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Light heavyweight | ![]() |
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Heavyweight | ![]() |
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External links
- Commonwealth Games Official Site
- 1938 British Empire Games at the official Guernsey site
- 1938 British Empire Games – Australian Commonwealth Games official website
Preceded by London |
British Empire Games Sydney III British Empire Games |
Succeeded by Auckland |