Dawn Fraser
Encyclopedia
Dawn Fraser AO
, MBE
(born 4 September 1937) is an Australian champion swimmer. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.
Within Australia, she is known for her controversial behaviour and larrikin
character as much as for her athletic ability.
in 1937 into a working-class family. She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local sea baths.
gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100 meters freestyle record was hers for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.
She is the first of only two swimmers in Olympic history (Krisztina Egerszegi
of Hungary
being the other) to win individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics (100 meters freestyle – 1956, 1960, 1964).
In October 1962, she became the first woman to swim 100 metres freestyle in less than one minute. It was not until 1973, eight years after Fraser retired, that her 100m record of 58.9 secs was broken.
During the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo, Fraser angered swimming team sponsors and the Australian Swimming Union (ASU) by marching in the opening ceremony against their wishes, wearing an older swimming costume because it was more comfortable than the one supplied by the sponsors. She also stole an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito
's palace.
She was arrested but released without charge. In the end she was given the flag as a souvenir. However, the Australian Swimming Union suspended her for 10 years. They repented a few months before the 1968 Games but by then it was too late for Fraser, at 31, to prepare.
She would later deny swimming the moat to steal the flag, telling The Times in 1991: "There's no way I would have swum that moat. I was terrified of dirty water and that moat was filthy. There's no way I'd have dipped my toe in it."
(MLA) for the seat of Balmain
. Fraser left politics when the seat was abolished in 1991.
in 1964, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1967, and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1998. Also in 1998, she was voted Australia's greatest female athlete in history. She was named Australian Female Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australian Hall of Fame. In 1999 the International Olympic Committee
named her the World's Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion.
She was one of the bearers of the Olympic Torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney. She carried the Olympic Torch at the stadium, as one of the runners for the final segment, before the lighting of the Olympic Flame
.
The Australian Sport Awards
includes an award named in honour of and presented by Fraser. There is also a Sydney Ferries
ferry named after her, that operates on the Parramatta River
in Sydney.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 4 September 1937) is an Australian champion swimmer. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.
Within Australia, she is known for her controversial behaviour and larrikin
Larrikinism
Larrikinism is the name given to the Australian folk tradition of irreverence, mockery of authority and disregard for rigid norms of propriety. Larrikinism can also be associated with self-deprecating humour.- Etymology :...
character as much as for her athletic ability.
Early life
Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of BalmainBalmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
in 1937 into a working-class family. She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local sea baths.
Swimming career
Fraser won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100 meters freestyle record was hers for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.
She is the first of only two swimmers in Olympic history (Krisztina Egerszegi
Krisztina Egerszegi
Krisztina Egerszegi is a Hungarian former world record holding swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern era...
of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
being the other) to win individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics (100 meters freestyle – 1956, 1960, 1964).
In October 1962, she became the first woman to swim 100 metres freestyle in less than one minute. It was not until 1973, eight years after Fraser retired, that her 100m record of 58.9 secs was broken.
During the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo, Fraser angered swimming team sponsors and the Australian Swimming Union (ASU) by marching in the opening ceremony against their wishes, wearing an older swimming costume because it was more comfortable than the one supplied by the sponsors. She also stole an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
's palace.
She was arrested but released without charge. In the end she was given the flag as a souvenir. However, the Australian Swimming Union suspended her for 10 years. They repented a few months before the 1968 Games but by then it was too late for Fraser, at 31, to prepare.
She would later deny swimming the moat to steal the flag, telling The Times in 1991: "There's no way I would have swum that moat. I was terrified of dirty water and that moat was filthy. There's no way I'd have dipped my toe in it."
Post-swimming activities
Fraser became a publican at the Riverview Hotel, Balmain, and took up swim-coaching. In 1988, she was elected an independent Member of the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
(MLA) for the seat of Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
. Fraser left politics when the seat was abolished in 1991.
Honours
She was named the Australian of the YearAustralian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
in 1964, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1967, and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1998. Also in 1998, she was voted Australia's greatest female athlete in history. She was named Australian Female Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australian Hall of Fame. In 1999 the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
named her the World's Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion.
She was one of the bearers of the Olympic Torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney. She carried the Olympic Torch at the stadium, as one of the runners for the final segment, before the lighting of the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
.
The Australian Sport Awards
Australian Sport Awards
The Australian Sport Awards are the annual awards for Australian sports people administered by the Confederation of Australian Sport.The awards commenced in 1980 with the male and female athlete of the year, young male and female athlete of the year, young Australian team of the year, coach of the...
includes an award named in honour of and presented by Fraser. There is also a Sydney Ferries
Sydney Ferries
Sydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government Department of Transport, providing ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia....
ferry named after her, that operates on the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
in Sydney.
Personal life
She married Gary Ware in the 1960s, but the marriage was short-lived. They have one daughter, Dawn-Lorraine.Olympic Accomplishments
| Event | Time | Place | |
| 1956 Summer Olympics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m Freestyle | 1:02.0 | Gold | WR |
| 400m Freestyle | 5:02.5 | Silver | |
| 4x100m Freestyle Relay | 4:17.1 | Gold | WR |
| 1960 Summer Olympics | |||
| 100m Freestyle | 1:01.2 | Gold | OR |
| 400m Freestyle | 4:58.5 | 5th | |
| 4x100m Freestyle Relay | 4:11.3 | Silver | |
| 4x100m Medley Relay | 4:45.9 | Silver | |
| 1964 Summer Olympics | |||
| 100m Freestyle | 59.5 | Gold | OR |
| 400m Freestyle | 4:47.6 | 4th | |
| 4x100m Freestyle Relay | 4:06.9 | Silver | |
| 4x100m Medley Relay | 4:52.3 | 9th | |
- 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games1962 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....
- 110 yards freestyle – gold medal
- 440 yards freestyle – gold medal
- 4 x 110 yards (4 x 100.58 metres) freestyle relay – gold medal
- 4 x 110 yards (4 x 100.58 metres) medley relay – gold medal