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Fraser, Dawn (1937-)

Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-472833

Biographies

Australian Women's Register

Swimming champion Dawn Fraser is an iconic figure in Australian sporting history. A exceptional sportswoman with a larrikin streak, over the course of her swimking career, she won eight Olympic and eight Commonwealth medals. In October 1962 Dawn Fraser became the first woman to swim the 100 metres in less than a minute. She had to wait until after her retirement to see this record broken, and even then, it took eight years. Dawn Fraser was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) on June 8, 1988. Her citation read, "For service to the community, particularly as a sports consultant and administrator, and through organisations for people with disabilities, and to the environment." Dawn Fraser also had a short political career. She was elected as an independent MLA for the seat of Balmain, New South Wales, in 1988. The seat was abolished in a redistribution prior to the next election. She ran, unsuccessfully, for the new seat of Port Jackson in 1991.

The youngest of eight children, Dawn Fraser began swimming seriously at 16 and was coached by Harry Gallagher. Aged 19, she entered the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne. She won a gold medal in the 110 yards (now 100 metres) freestyle setting a new world and Olympic Games record. Dawn Fraser won the same event at the 1960 Rome Olympics and 1964 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first swimmer to win the same event in three consecutive games.

In 1965 Fraser retired from swimming, when the Australian Swimming Union placed her under a 10 year ban. She had always had a love-hate relationship with officials during her career. Things came to a head when, at the Tokyo Games, she marched in the opening ceremony against their wishes, wore an old swimsuit (which angered sponsors) because it was more comfortable, and it was alleged she climbed a flagpole in Emperor Hirohito's palace, taking the Olympic flag (later proved false). The ban was lifted four years later.

Fraser then became a publican, swimming coach and in 1988 became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the New South Wales seat of Balmain. In 1961 Dawn Fraser received the Helms Award (later World Trophy) and was awarded the ABC Sportsman of the Year Award in 1962 and 1964.

Dawn Fraser was named Australian of the Year in 1964 and voted Australia's greatest female athlete in 1988.She was named Australian Female Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australian Hall of Fame as well as the World's Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Also she is the recipient of the Australian Sports Medal on 14 July 2000 and The Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) (MBE) on 1 January 1967 for services to sport.

Dawn Fraser was an Olympic Torchbearer for the Opening Ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. In the same year she was the recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship Medal from Rotary.

100 metres freestyle - gold medal#xA; 400 metres freestyle - silver medal#xA; 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay - gold medal

110 yards freestyle - gold medal#xA; 4 x 110 yards freestyle relay - gold medal

100 metres freestyle - gold medal

110 yards freestyle - gold medal#xA; 440 yards freestyle - gold medal#xA; 4 x 110 yards freestyle relay - gold medal#xA; 4 x 110 yards medley relay - gold medal

100 metres freestyle - gold medal

110 yards freestyle: 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964#xA; 220 yards freestyle: 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964#xA; 440 yards freestyle: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964#xA; 110 yards butterfly: 1960, 1962#xA; 220 yards medley: 1959#xA; 4 x 110 freestyle relay: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1964#xA; 4 x 110 yards medley relay: 1955, 1964

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Australian Women's Register

  • McGill, Linda (1945 - )

    Dawn Fraser and Linda McGill were two of the Olympic Athletes banned by amateur swimming authorities for alleged misbehaviour at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964.

Resources

Selected resources (8)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Outstanding Women in Australia: Women in Sport
    Rolton, Gloria
    [1997]
    Published: Macmillan Education Australia, South Melbourne (Vic.)
  2. The Champions: Australia's Sporting Greats
    Smith, Terry
    [1990]
    Published: Angus & Robertson, North Ryde (NSW)
  3. 101 Australian Sporting Heroes
    Andrews, Malcolm
    [1990]
    Published: Child & Associates, Frenchs Forest (NSW)
  4. She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2007]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
  5. Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
  6. Australia at the Olympics
    Andrews, Malcolm
    [2000]
    Published: ABC Books, Sydney
  7. Great Australian Women in Sport
    Brasch, Nicolas
    [1997]
    Published: Heinemann, Port Melbourne (Vic.)
  8. Who's who in Australia 2002
    Herd, Margaret
    [2002]
    Published: Crown Content, Melbourne

Resources About Dawn Fraser (83)

  1. Dawn one hell of a life / Dawn Fraser
    Fraser, Dawn, 1937-
    [Book, Audio book : 2001-2004]
  2. Our Dawn : a pictorial biography / [Dawn Fraser]
    Fraser, Dawn, 1937-
    [Book : 1991]
  3. Dawn Fraser : Australian swimming legend / written by Anthony Sedunary
    Sedunary, Anthony
    [Book : 1996]
  4. Gold medal girl : the confessions of an Olympic champion / by Dawn Fraser with Harry Gordon
    Fraser, Dawn, 1937-
    [Book : 1964-1965]
  5. Dawn Fraser : the kid from Balmain / Diana Chase and Valerie Krantz ; illustrated by Lorraine Hannay
    Chase, Diana
    [Book : 1991]
  6. Dawn Fraser / by Harry Gordon with Dawn Fraser
    Gordon, Harry, 1925-
    [Book : 1979]
  7. Dawn Fraser / Ian Jackson
    Jackson, Ian, 1958-
    [Book : 2000]
  8. [Biographical cuttings on Dawn Fraser, swimmer]
    [Published : 1900-1990]
  9. Memories of a fox Harry Gallagher
    Gallagher, Harry
    [Audio book, Book : 1998-2001]
  10. Dawn one hell of a life / written by Dawn Fraser ; read by Judy Dick
    [Audio book : 2002]

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  1. Website: Centenary of Federation play kit
    www.historysmiths.com.au
    Matching pages:
    • FRASER, Dawn Lorraine - 24/1/2001
    • ... FRASER, Dawn Lorraine FRASER, Dawn Lorraine 1937- swimmer born on 4 September 1937...
  2. Website: Australia : the games & the new millennium
    www.rochedalss.qld.edu.au
    Matching pages:
    • Dawn Fraser - 4/9/2000
    • ... Dawn Fraser Dawn FRASER (1937- ) Dawn Fraser is one of Australia's best known Olympians...
  3. Website: Australian Women in War
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 23 matching archived pages
  1. Dawn one hell of a life / Dawn Fraser
    Fraser, Dawn, 1937-
    [Book, Audio book : 2001-2004]
  2. Dawn! the Dawn Fraser story
    [Video : 2000]
  3. Dawn Fraser
    Gordon, Harry, 1925-
    [Sound : 1987]
  1. Macdonald, Amelia Morrison Fraser. 1865-1946
    café owner; Girl Guides? leader; social reformer; tailor/tailoress; women's activist
    ... Macdonald, Amelia Morrison Fraser. 1865-1946 ... sheets; issues of "The dawn"; stationery. The material relates mainly to women's issues, and the Women's ...
  2. McGill, Linda. 1945-
    ... Fraser, Dawn (1937 - ) ...
  3. Women's Service Guilds of Western Australia. 1909-1997
    ... sheets; issues of "The dawn"; stationery. The material relates mainly to women's issues, and the Women's ...
  1. Family Notices
    The Argus (Melbourne,..., Tuesday 16 November 1937 p 15
    ... the 15th November 1937 nt his home Gwelo 0 Mascoma street Ascotvale Frederick Charles the devoted ... (Privately Interred W11 Harristown Cemetery 15th November ) GATEVS-On the 15th November 1937 nt his ... rest (Privately interred on November 15) GROVJVDS.-On the 14th November 1937 Isuddenly) at 198 ... 3421 words
  2. Family Notices
    The Argus (Melbourne,..., Saturday 4 June 1938 p 8
    ... and Mrs Roy Fraser Glen Iris-a son (Roderick Graeme) GRAY (nee Isabel Howitt) - On the 15th May at ... who passed away June 4, 1937. -Sweetest memories (In- serted by her loving husband, Thomas Bar rengcr ... daddy of Dawn, passed ima) at Town Hall Buildings, Prahran, on the 5th June 1935 Leaves of memory como ... 4740 words
  3. Family Notices
    The Argus (Melbourne,..., Tuesday 16 January 1940 p 4
    ... (Private interment ) FRASER-On the 16th Jonuarj Alexander Fraser beloved brother of Mrs E Proctor (Albert Park) and loving uncle of Mrs Isabel Sloan and Jim Fraser of West Brunswick Mrs Batchelor (North ... Not death but the dawn of a new life (Inserted by his fond sister Clss-Mrs Allan ) FRAYNE-In loving ... 3805 words