Harold Hardwick
Encyclopedia
Harold Hampton Hardwick (14 December 1888 – 22 February 1959) was a versatile Australia
n sports star of the early 20th century - an Olympic
gold-medal swimmer, national heavyweight boxing champion and a state
representative rugby union
player. He later became a colonel
in the Australian Imperial Force
.
Hardwick won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics
and won bronze medals in the 400m and 1500m freestyle.
, Sydney
, to George Henry Hardwick and his wife Priscilla, Harold began swimming at an early age, and at 11 was winning races. At the age of 16, while attending Fort Street High School
, he became the Public Schools' swimming champion of Sydney. He played rugby in the school's first XV and captained its lifesaving team.
stroke Harwick won the New South Wales
100yd championships in 61.6s. In 1909, he came second at the Australasian Championships in the 100yd and 880yd events, behind Cecil Healy
and Frank Beaurepaire
respectively. In 1911, Hardwick won the 220yd, 440yd and 880yd freestyle at the Australasian Championships. At the 1911 Festival of Empire
Games in London, a precursor of the Commonwealth Games
to commemorate the coronation of George V
, Hardwick won both the 110yd freestyle and heavyweight boxing title. He remained in England for the English Swimming Championships, winning the 100yd, 220yd and 440yd freestyle titles. In 1912, he was selected to represent Australasia
at the 1912 Summer Olympics
(as Australia and New Zealand sent a combined team), but could not compete in boxing, as it was omitted for the only time in Olympic history.
Hardwick was eliminated in the 100m freestyle semifinals. In the 400m freestyle, he won his heat and semifinal, and held the lead in the final for a period before being defeated by Canada's George Hodgson
the United Kingdom's Jack Hatfield
, earning a bronze medal. In the 1500m, Hardwick also won his heat and semifinal, and again contested the lead in the final, before being worn down by Hodgson and Hatfield. He then combined with Healy, Leslie Boardman
and Malcolm Champion
to win the 4x200 m freestyle relay, splitting 2m 31.2s for the fastest leg of the quartet.
, in which he participated in winning State Championships.
He played first grade rugby union
for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs RUFC
, winning a premiership with the club in 1913. In 1910 he had been selected for New South Wales
to represent against a visiting American universities team.
In 1914 he won New South Wales' State amateur heavyweight boxing championship and in 1915, he turned professional in boxing signing to appear for the promoter Snowy Baker. That year he promptly claimed the national championship. In his final professional bout in 1916 he was knocked out by Les Darcy
. Earlier in that bout Hardwick broke both of Darcy's front teeth, and the hurried dental correction done after the fight (re-pinning the teeth on gold posts) ultimately resulted in complications and an infection that caused Darcy's death in 1917.
in August 1917 and served in World War I
with the No.2 Signal Squadron as a sapper in the Middle East. He was discharged in October 1918 at the war's end. He maintained a commission in the militia from 1921 and during World War II
as a temporary lieutenant-colonel he commanded the 1st Cavalry Divisional Signals from 1940 until his transfer to the Reserve of Officers in 1942, rising to the rank of colonel.
In 1920 he joined the Department of Education as supervisor of swimming and was responsible for organizing holiday swimming schools throughout the State. In 1938 he directed the schoolchildren's display at Australia's 150th Anniversary Celebrations. He retired as deputy-director of physical education in February 1953.
Survived by his wife Maud Beatrice Hopper (née Harrison) he died of a coronary occlusion on 22 February 1959 at Rushcutters Bay, and was buried with Anglican rites in an underground vault in Waverley Cemetery
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sports star of the early 20th century - an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold-medal swimmer, national heavyweight boxing champion and a state
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
representative rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He later became a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
.
Hardwick won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, nine swimming events were contested. Swimming events were held in a 100 m course built in Stockholm harbor. For the first time, women's events were part of the Olympic swimming program. The competitions were held from Saturday July 6, 1912 to Friday July 12, 1912...
and won bronze medals in the 400m and 1500m freestyle.
Early life
Born in 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....
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, to George Henry Hardwick and his wife Priscilla, Harold began swimming at an early age, and at 11 was winning races. At the age of 16, while attending Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, he became the Public Schools' swimming champion of Sydney. He played rugby in the school's first XV and captained its lifesaving team.
Swimming career
In 1907, embracing the newly popular Australian crawlFront crawl
The front crawl, forward crawl, or freestyle is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such, the front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, hence the synonymously used term "freestyle". It is one of two...
stroke Harwick won the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
100yd championships in 61.6s. In 1909, he came second at the Australasian Championships in the 100yd and 880yd events, behind Cecil Healy
Cecil Healy
Cecil Patrick Healy was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1900s and 1910s, who won silver in the 100m freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He also won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay...
and Frank Beaurepaire
Frank Beaurepaire
Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Edmund Beaurepaire was an Australian distance freestyle swimmer from the 1900s to the 1920s, who won three silver and three bronze medals, from the 1908 Summer Olympics in London to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, setting 15 world records.He was also a decorated...
respectively. In 1911, Hardwick won the 220yd, 440yd and 880yd freestyle at the Australasian Championships. At the 1911 Festival of Empire
Festival of Empire
The Festival of Empire or Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London in 1911, to celebrate the coronation of King George V...
Games in London, a precursor of the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth 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....
to commemorate the coronation of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, Hardwick won both the 110yd freestyle and heavyweight boxing title. He remained in England for the English Swimming Championships, winning the 100yd, 220yd and 440yd freestyle titles. In 1912, he was selected to represent Australasia
Australasia at the Olympics
Australasia was the name of a combined team of athletes from Australia and New Zealand that competed together at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. When the Olympic Games resumed in 1920 after World War I, the two nations sent separate teams to the Games....
at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
(as Australia and New Zealand sent a combined team), but could not compete in boxing, as it was omitted for the only time in Olympic history.
Hardwick was eliminated in the 100m freestyle semifinals. In the 400m freestyle, he won his heat and semifinal, and held the lead in the final for a period before being defeated by Canada's George Hodgson
George Hodgson
George Ritchie Hodgson was a Canadian swimmer of the early 20th century, and considered by many to be the greatest swimmer in Canadian history.He was born and died in Montreal....
the United Kingdom's Jack Hatfield
Jack Hatfield
John Gatenby "Jack" Hatfield was a competitive swimmer, who won medals for Great Britain in the early Olympic Games....
, earning a bronze medal. In the 1500m, Hardwick also won his heat and semifinal, and again contested the lead in the final, before being worn down by Hodgson and Hatfield. He then combined with Healy, Leslie Boardman
Leslie Boardman
Leslie Boardman was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1910s, who won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm....
and Malcolm Champion
Malcolm Champion
Malcolm Eadie Champion was New Zealand's first Olympic gold medallist, and the first swimmer to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games...
to win the 4x200 m freestyle relay, splitting 2m 31.2s for the fastest leg of the quartet.
Rugby & boxing
After returning to Australia, Hardwick stopped swimming at international level, and diversified his interests, joining the Manly Surf ClubManly Surf Club
The Manly Life Saving Club is one of Australia's oldest Surf Life Saving Clubs, founded in 1903.-History:The club was founded in 1903 to patrol Manly Beach after a law banning daylight swimming was overturned...
, in which he participated in winning State Championships.
He played first grade rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs RUFC
Eastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
, winning a premiership with the club in 1913. In 1910 he had been selected for New South Wales
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
to represent against a visiting American universities team.
In 1914 he won New South Wales' State amateur heavyweight boxing championship and in 1915, he turned professional in boxing signing to appear for the promoter Snowy Baker. That year he promptly claimed the national championship. In his final professional bout in 1916 he was knocked out by Les Darcy
Les Darcy
James Leslie Darcy was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time....
. Earlier in that bout Hardwick broke both of Darcy's front teeth, and the hurried dental correction done after the fight (re-pinning the teeth on gold posts) ultimately resulted in complications and an infection that caused Darcy's death in 1917.
Military service and later life
He joined the Australian Imperial ForceAustralian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
in August 1917 and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the No.2 Signal Squadron as a sapper in the Middle East. He was discharged in October 1918 at the war's end. He maintained a commission in the militia from 1921 and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a temporary lieutenant-colonel he commanded the 1st Cavalry Divisional Signals from 1940 until his transfer to the Reserve of Officers in 1942, rising to the rank of colonel.
In 1920 he joined the Department of Education as supervisor of swimming and was responsible for organizing holiday swimming schools throughout the State. In 1938 he directed the schoolchildren's display at Australia's 150th Anniversary Celebrations. He retired as deputy-director of physical education in February 1953.
Survived by his wife Maud Beatrice Hopper (née Harrison) he died of a coronary occlusion on 22 February 1959 at Rushcutters Bay, and was buried with Anglican rites in an underground vault in Waverley Cemetery
Waverley Cemetery
The Waverley Cemetery opened in 1877 and is a cemetery located on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson and...
.