Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this resource contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive, including the images and records of people who have passed away.
Some material in our collections contains terms that reflect author’s views, or those of the period in which the item was written or recorded but may not be considered appropriate today. These views are not necessarily the views of the National Library of Australia. While the information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided in an historical context.
Access to library materials
If you are a registered reader, You can request items to read and photocopy in the reading rooms of the National Library of Australia.
If you can't visit the Library, you can use the National Library's Copies Direct service to request copies and have them sent to you via mail or email. Please note there may be copyright restrictions when using this service.
You can also search Trove to find a library closer to you which has the item in their collection.
If there is no library near you with the item, you may be able to arrange an interlibrary loan through your local public or institutional library Please ask staff at your local library for assistance with this.
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Ovens, Serena. (1996). Portrait of Louise Sauvage, 1996 paralympian http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136368441
The sporting movement for people with disabilities began in the 1940s with the pioneering work of Dr Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England. He developed wheelchair sport as a new form of treatment for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. In 1948 the first Stoke Mandeville Games was held on the same day as the opening of the Olympic Games in London.
The success of Sir Ludwig’s treatment encouraged pioneers in Australia such as Kevin Betts OAM, and Sir George Bedbrook to introduce sport as rehabilitation in Australia. In 1960 an international wheelchair sports competition in Rome became the first Paralympic Summer Games.
You can find a range of material on disability and sport in Australia at the Library, including books, journals, newspapers, pictures, oral history interviews and online databases.
If you get too many results, use the Limit your search options (at the right of the results page) to display only the items of interest. e.g. audio (oral histories) or manuscripts
If you need to widen your search, click on subject headings in an item’s catalogue record to find other material related to that subject.
The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) established the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies in 2009 to preserve historical, sport, and business information, and to enhance its knowledge base. Additionally, it aimed to respond to requests for information about Paralympians and Paralympic sport.
In 2010, the APC partnered with the National Library of Australia to document the oral histories of individuals who contributed to the growth and success of Paralympic sport in Australia. This oral history project served as the foundation for a broader project undertaken by the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies to capture and safeguard the history of Paralympic sport.
You can find a range of information on the Paralympics Australia website. Paralympics Australia help Australians with disabilities participate in sport and compete at the Paralympic Games through partnerships with governments, business, sporting bodies and the community.
In 2010 Paralympics Australian established the Australian Paralympic History Project which aims to capture, manage and preserve the history of the Paralympic movement in Australia.
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Ovens, Serena. (1993). Portrait of Liesl Tesch, 1993 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136355270
Paralympic Games – 2000, Sydney
You can search and access a collection of archived websites relating to the Paralympic Games – 2000, Sydney on the Australian Web Archive on Trove.
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Seselja, Loui. (2000). Men's wheelchair basketball, France plays Korea, The Dome, Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, 23 October 2000 [1] http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-146778232
The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Cultural Notification
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.
