1950 British Empire Games

Multi-sport event in Auckland, New Zealand

IV British Empire Games

Host city| Auckland, New Zealand
Nations| 12
Athletes| 590
Events| 87
Opening| 4 February 1950
Closing| 11 February 1950
Opened by| Bernard Freyberg
Athlete's Oath| Stan Lay
Main venue| Eden Park

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The 1950 British Empire Games were the fourth staging of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 4 and 11 February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the third edition of the games. A documentary film of the games was made by the New Zealand National Film Unit.[1] The main venue was Eden Park, although the closing ceremonies were held at Western Springs Stadium, see New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games. The fourth games were originally awarded to Montreal, Canada and were to be held in 1942 but were cancelled due to World War II.[2]

## Participating teams

[edit]

Countries that participated

* Australia
* Canada
* Ceylon
* England
* Fiji
* Malaya—first appearance
* New Zealand (host)
* Nigeria—first appearance
* Scotland
* South Africa
* Southern Rhodesia
* Wales

## Games venue

[edit]

The main stadium was at Eden Park. Other venues were the Auckland Town Hall (boxing and wrestling), the Drill Hall (fencing), Western Springs (cycling and the closing ceremony) Lake Karapiro (rowing), and the Newmarket Olympic Pool (swimming). Accommodation was at the Ardmore Teachers' Training College, 23 miles (37 kilometres) away at South Auckland. Total attendance was 246,694; higher than the following three Games, 1954 (159,636), 1958 (178,621) and 1962 (224,987).[3]

## Medals by country

[edit]

At the 1950 British Empire Games all the teams won at least one medal.

* Host nation (New Zealand)

Medals won by nation, ranked by number of golds—sortableRank| Nation| Gold| Silver| Bronze| Total

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1|  Australia (AUS)| 34| 27| 19| 80
2|  England (ENG)| 19| 16| 13| 48
3|  New Zealand (NZL)*| 10| 22| 21| 53
4|  Canada (CAN)| 8| 9| 13| 30
5|  South Africa (SAF)| 8| 4| 8| 20
6|  Scotland (SCO)| 5| 3| 2| 10
7|  Malaya (MAL)| 2| 1| 1| 4
8|  Fiji (FIJ)| 1| 2| 2| 5
9|  Ceylon (CEY)| 1| 2| 1| 4
10|  Nigeria (NGR)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Southern Rhodesia (SRH)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Wales (WAL)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Totals (12 entries)| 88| 89| 80| 257

## Medals by event

[edit]

### Athletics

[edit]

Main article: Athletics at the 1950 British Empire Games

### Boxing

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Boxing medallists by weight division  Flyweight  |  Hugh Riley (SCO) |  K. Edwin (CEY) |  Marcus Temple (SAF)
Bantamweight  |  Johnny van Rensburg (SAF) |  Albert Perera (CEY) |  Len Walters (CAN)
Featherweight  |  Henry Gilliland (SCO) |  Andy Verceuil (RHO) |  Peter Brander (ENG)
Lightweight  |  Ronny Latham (ENG) |  Billy Barber (AUS) |  Jim Barnden (NZL)
Welterweight  |  Terry Ratcliffe (ENG) |  Bill Seewitz (AUS) |  Alex Obeysekere (CEY)
Middleweight  |  Theunis van Schalkwyk (SAF) |  James Beal (NZL) |  Bill Pinkus (CAN)
Light heavyweight  |  Don Scott (ENG) |  Chris Rollinson (NZL) |  Jack Taylor (AUS)
Heavyweight  |  Frank Creagh (NZL) |  Sid Cousins (AUS) | none awarded

### Cycling

[edit]

#### Track

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Track cycling medallists by event, with times  Time Trial  |  Russell Mockridge (AUS) | 1:13.4  |  Sid Patterson (AUS) | 1:13.5  |  Tommy Godwin (ENG) | 1:13.6
Sprint 1000 m  |  Russell Mockridge (AUS) | 2–0  |  Sid Patterson (AUS) | 0–2  |  Graham Avery (NZL) | 2–1
4000 m Ind. Pursuit  |  Cyril Cartwright (ENG) | 5:16.3  |  Russell Mockridge (AUS) | 5:27.0  |  Les Lock (NZL) | 5:26.7
10-mile Scratch  |  Bill Heseltine (AUS) | 23:23.4  |  Les Lock (NZL) |  |  Ken Caves (AUS) |

#### Road

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Road race cycling medallists with times  Road race  |  Hector Sutherland (AUS) | 3'13:06.4  |  Nick Carter (NZL) | 3'13:06.5  |  Jack Fowler (AUS) | 3'13:06.6

### Diving

[edit]

#### Men's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's diving by event, with points score  3 m springboard  |  George Athans (CAN) | 169.21  |  Peter Heatly (SCO) | 168.80  |  Jack Stewart (NZL) | 168.17
10 m platform  |  Peter Heatly (SCO) | 156.07  |  George Athans (CAN) | 145.36  |  Frank Murphy (AUS) | 129.40

#### Women's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in women's diving by event, with points score  3 m springboard  |  Edna Child (ENG) | 126.58  |  Noeline MacLean (AUS) | 124.59  |  Lynda Hunt (CAN) | 115.38
10 m platform  |  Edna Child (ENG) | 70.89  |  Gwen Fawcett (AUS) | 65.64  |  Noeline MacLean (AUS) | 59.93

### Fencing

[edit]

#### Men's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's fencing by discipline, including team events  Foil  |  René Paul (ENG) | 7 wins  |  John Fethers (AUS) | 6 wins  |  Georges Pouliot (CAN) | 4 wins
Foil team  |  England
Arthur Pilbrow
Robert Anderson
René Paul | 20 wins  |  New Zealand
Austen Gittos
Gordon Dearing
Murray Gittos
Malcolm Millar | 13 wins  |  Canada
Georges Pouliot
Robert Desjarlais
Edward Brooke | 12 win
Épée  |  Charles de Beaumont (ENG) | 7 wins  |  Robert Anderson (ENG) | 6 wins  |  Ivan Lund (AUS) | 5 wins
Épée team  |  Australia
Allan Jay
Ivan Lund
Charles Stanmore | 3 wins  |  England
René Paul
Charles de Beaumont
Robert Anderson | 2 wins  |  Canada
Georges Pouliot
Robert Desjarlais
Edward Brooke | 1 win
Sabre  |  Arthur Pilbrow (ENG) |  |  Robert Anderson (ENG) |  |  Georges Pouliot (CAN) |
Sabre team  |  England
Charles de Beaumont
Arthur Pilbrow
Robert Anderson | 4 wins  |  Canada
Georges Pouliot
Robert Desjarlais
Edward Brooke | 2 wins  |  Australia
Norman Booth
Leslie Chillug
Edwin Dean
Jock Gibson | 1 win

#### Women's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medalists in women's fencing  Foil  |  Mary Glen-Haig (ENG) | 7 wins  |  Patricia Woodroffe (NZL) | 6 wins  |  Catherine Pym (AUS) | 5 wins

### Lawn bowls

[edit]

Main article: Lawn bowls at the 1950 British Empire Games

### Rowing

[edit]

All events were for men only. The events were held at Lake Karapiro, 160 kilometres (99 mi) south of Auckland. Three special trains took 1500 people to Cambridge on 7 February 1950.[4]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's rowing by event, with times  Single sculls  |  Mervyn Wood (AUS) | 7:46.8  |  Tony Rowe (ENG) | 7:54.0  |  Ian Stephen (SAF) | 8:04.0
Double sculls  |  Mervyn Wood
and Murray Riley (AUS) | 7:22  |  Joe Schneider
and Des Simonson (NZL) | 7:32  |  Ken Tinegate
and Jack Brown (ENG) | 7:39
Coxless pair  |  Wal Lambert
and Jack Webster (AUS) | 7:58  |  David Gould
and Humphrey Gould (NZL) | 8:10  | none awarded
Coxed four  |  New Zealand
Ted Johnson
John O'Brien
Bill James
Bill Carroll
Colin Johnstone | 7:17.2  |  Australia
Leslie Montgomery
Erwin Elder
Cecil Winkworth
Kenneth Gee
Kevin Fox | 7:24.0  | none awarded
Eights  |  Australia
Alan Brown
Bruce Goswell
Edward Pain
Eric Longley
James Barnes
Peter Holmes a Court
Phil Cayzer
Bob Tinning
Ross Selman | 6:27  |  New Zealand
Bruce Culpan
Donald Adam
Don Rowlands
Edwin Smith
Grahame Jarratt
Kerry Ashby
Murray Ashby
Thomas Engel
William Tinnock | 6:27.5  |  England
Tony Butcher
Hank Rushmere
Michael Lapage
Patrick Bradley
Peter de Giles
Peter Kirkpatrick
Dickie Burnell
William Windham
Jack Dearlove | 6:40

### Swimming

[edit]

#### Men's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's swimming by event, with times  110 yd freestyle  |  Peter Salmon (CAN) | 1:00.4  |  Frank O'Neill (AUS) | 1:00.6  |  Pat Kendall (ENG) | 1:01.8
440 yd freestyle  |  Garrick Agnew (AUS) | 4:49.4  |  Graham Johnston (SAF) | 4:51.3  |  Buddy Lucas (NZL) | 5:02.5
1650 yd freestyle  |  Graham Johnston (SAF) | 19:55.7  |  Jim Portelance (CAN) | 20:08.3  |  Buddy Lucas (NZL) | 20:10.1
110 yd backstroke  |  Jackie Wiid (SAF) | 1:07.7  |  John Brockway (WAL) | 1:08.0  |  Bert Kinnear (SCO) | 1:10.8
220 yd breaststroke  |  David Hawkins (AUS) | 2:54.1  |  Roy Romain (ENG) | 2:54.2  |  Ron Sharpe (AUS) | 2:56.0
4×220 yd freestyle relay  |  New Zealand
Buddy Lucas
Lyall Barry
Michael Amos
Noel Chambers | 9:27.7  |  Australia
Barrie Kellaway
Garrick Agnew
Frank O'Neill
James Beard | 9:34.5  |  England
Donald Bland
Jack Hale
Pat Kendall
Ray Legg | 9:36.8
3×110 yd medley relay  |  England
Jack Hale
Pat Kendall
Roy Romain | 3:26.6  |  Canada
Allen Gilchrist
Lucien Beaumont
Peter Salmon | 3:29.4  |  New Zealand
John Shanahan
Lyall Barry
Peter Mathieson | 3:30.1

#### Women's events

[edit]

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in women's swimming by event, with times  110 yd freestyle  |  Marjorie McQuade (AUS) | 1:09.0  |  Margaret Wellington (ENG) | 1:09.6  |  Joan Harrison (SAF) | 1:10.7
440 yd freestyle  |  Joan Harrison (SAF) | 5:26.4  |  Margaret Wellington (ENG) | 5:33.7  |  Denise Norton (AUS) | 5:33.8
110 yd backstroke  |  Judy-Joy Davies (AUS) | 1:18.6  |  Jean Stewart (NZL) | 1:19.1  |  Helen Yate (ENG) | 1:20.5
220 yd breaststroke  |  Elenor Gordon (SCO) | 3:01.7  |  Nancy Lyons (AUS) | 3:03.6  |  Elizabeth Church (ENG) | 3:10.3
4×110 yd freestyle relay  |  Australia
Denise Spencer
Denise Norton
Judy-Joy Davies
Marjorie McQuade | 4:44.9  |  New Zealand
Joan Hastings
Kristin Jacobi
Norma Bridson
Winifred Griffin | 4:48.7  |  England
Grace Wood
Helen Yate
Lillian Preece
Margaret Wellington | 4:56.0
3×110 yd medley relay  |  Australia
Judy-Joy Davies
Marjorie McQuade
Nancy Lyons | 3:53.8  |  England
Elizabeth Church
Helen Yate
Margaret Wellington | 3:56.6  |  Scotland
Elizabeth Turner
Elenor Gordon
Margaret Girvan | 3:58.9

### Water polo

[edit]

Water polo was contested by men's teams only, with New Zealand and Australia the only two teams entered. The matches were played at the Olympic Pool in Newmarket.

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's water polo  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 | 3 wins  |  New Zealand
Charles Brown
Jim Cameron
Terry Harris
Bob Hatchwell
Barrie Hutchinson
Tom Logan
Edward Raven
Jim Walsh
Neil Williams
Wally Williams

| 0 wins  | none awarded

### Weightlifting

[edit]

All events were for men only.

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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Medallists in men's weightlifting by event, with weights  Bantamweight  |  Tho Fook Hung (MAL) | 655 lb  |  Rosaire Smith (CAN) | 615 lb  |  Keith Caple (AUS) | 600 lb
Featherweight  |  Koh Eng Tong (MAL) | 685 lb  |  Julian Creus (ENG) | 670 lb  |  Barrie Engelbrecht (SAF) | 640 lb
Lightweight  |  Jim Halliday (ENG) | 760 lb  |  Thong Saw Pak (MAL) | 735 lb  |  Vern Barberis (AUS) | 730 lb
Middleweight  |  Gerry Gratton (CAN) | 795 lb  |  Tony George (NZL) | 740 lb  |  Fred Griffin (AUS) | 720 lb
Light Heavyweight  |  Jim Varaleau (CAN) | 815 lb  |  Issy Bloomberg (SAF) | 815 lb  |  Tan Kim Bee (MAL) | 765 lb
Heavyweight  |  Harold Cleghorn (NZL) | 900 lb  |  Ray Magee (AUS) | 830 lb  | none awarded

### Wrestling

[edit]

All events were for men only.

Event  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
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Medallists in men's wrestling by event, with win–loss record  Flyweight  |  Bert Harris (AUS) | 1 win  |  Eric Matthews (NZL) | 1 loss  | none awarded
Bantamweight  |  Douglas Mudgway (NZL) | 1 win  |  Jim Chapman (AUS) | 1 loss  | none awarded
Featherweight  |  John Armitt (NZL) | 3 wins  |  Roland Milord (CAN) | 2 w – 1 l  |  Arnold Parsons (ENG) | 1 w – 2 l
Lightweight  |  Dick Garrard (AUS) | 3 wins  |  Morgan Plumb (CAN) | 2 wins  |  Gordon Hobson (NZL) | 1 win
Welterweight  |  Henry Hudson (CAN) | 3 wins  |  Jack Little (AUS) | 3 w – 1 l  |  Martin Jooste (SAF) | 1 win
Middleweight  |  Maurice Vachon (CAN) | 3 wins  |  Bruce Arthur (AUS) | 3 w – 1 l  |  Callie Reitz (SAF) | 2 w – 2 l
Light heavyweight  |  Pat Morton (SAF) | 2 wins  |  Arthur Sneddon (NZL) | 1 win  |  Tom Trevaskis (AUS) |
Heavyweight  |  Jim Armstrong (AUS) | 3 wins  |  Pat O'Connor (NZL) | 2 wins  |  Kenneth Richmond (ENG) | 1 win

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Martin, Helen; Edwards, Sam (1997). "New Zealand film, 1912-1996". Trove. Auckland; Melbourne; Oxford :Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
2. ^ "Auckland 1950". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
3. ^ Dheensaw page 35-41
4. ^ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 106.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Churchman, Geoffrey B; Hurst, Tony (2001) [1990, 1991]. The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey through History (Second ed.). Transpress New Zealand. ISBN 0-908876-20-3.

## External links

[edit]

* "Auckland 1950" commonwealthsport.com. Commonwealth Sport.
* "Results and Medalists—1950 British Empire Games" Archived 3 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Thecgf.com. Commonwealth Games Federation.

Preceded by
Sydney | British Empire Games
Auckland
IV British Empire Games | Succeeded by
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Netball|

* 1998
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Rowing|

* 1930
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Shooting|

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