Delve into this webinar on Aussie sporting heroes and learn how you can use the Library’s eResources to discover some talking points around women in sport in Australia.
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Historically, Australian women have made their mark in the sports record books worldwide. Despite this, women’s sport has traditionally played a minor role in Australia’s national identity, coming in a distance third behind sportsmen and racehorses.
For several centuries Australian women have struggled against direct resistance to their participation in sport. But as the struggle for equality continues, undeniable achievements and unwavering determination are now gaining more recognition than even the most impressive horses.
Secondary sources on the history of women in sport are scarce. However, you can find a wide range of relevant material at the Library, including books, journals, newspapers, pictures, oral history interviews and online databases.
Using the catalogue
Quick search
Use the catalogue standard search to find titles, authors, or subjects.
- 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.
Examples of subject searches you can try include:
Sports for women – Australia – [geographical place] (e.g. New South Wales)
Sports for women – social aspects - Australia
Sex discrimination in sports - Australia
Women athletes – social aspects
Selected works
- Breaking the mould by Angela Pippos
- Half the race: a history of Australian women in sport by Marion K. Stell
- Winning Women in the Susan Mitchell Collection – collection of 13 oral history interviews with prominent Australian sportswomen. Also published into a book Winning women: challenging the Norms in Australian sport by Susan Mitchell with Ken Dyer
You can also search for women in a particular sport either by individual names or by using different sports and places e.g.
Women – [sport players] – [geographical place]
Geographical place can include both State and city/town e.g. New South Wales – Sydney.
You can also add terms such as Biography, Portraits, Photographs, Interviews.
Examples of subject searches and items in our collections for a selection of sports can be found below.
Women football players
Women football players – Australia - biography
Women football players – Australia - history
Selected works
- Roar: the stories behind AFLW – a movement bigger than sport by Samantha Lane
- Play on! : the hidden history of Women’s Australian Rules Football by Brunette Lenkic & Rob Hess
- More than a kick : footy, the photo and me by Tayla Harris
- Leesa Catto interviewed by Nikki Hennignham [sound recording]
Women swimmers
Women swimmers – Australia – Biography
Women swimmers – Australia – Interviews
Women swimmers – Australia – [Photographs] or [Portraits]
Swimmers – Australia - Portraits
Women swimmers – [geographical place e.g. New South Wales] – [geographical place e.g. Sydney] – [Photographs/Portraits]
Selected items
- Mina Wylie interviewed by Neil Bennetts [sound recording] – freely available online.
- The original million dollar mermaid : the Annette Kellerman story by Emily Gibson with Barbara Firth
- Biographical cuttings on Sarah Fanny Durack, Olympic gold medalist, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals
Women tennis players
Women tennis players – Australia - Biography
Women tennis players – Australia - Interviews
Women tennis players – Australia - Photographs or [portraits]
Tennis players – Australia – [Biography]
Selected items
- Barty : arise, Queen of Oz by Ron Reed and Chris McLeod
- Home! : the Evonne Goolagong story by Evonne Goolagong Cawley & Phil Jarratt
- Thelma Long interviewed by Rob Linn for the Sport oral history project [sound recording] – freely available online.
- Wendy Turnbull interviewed by Rob Linn for the Sport oral history project [sound recording] – freely available online.
- Evonne Cawley interviewed by Susan Mitchell for Winning women in the Susan Mitchell collection [sound recording]
- Margaret Court interviewed by Gail O'Hanlon for the Battye Library collection [sound recording]
Women field and track athletes
Women athletes – [Geographical place] – [Biography] or [Interviews] or [Photographs] or [Portraits]
Women track and field athletes – [Geographical place] – [Biography] or [Interviews] etc.
Selected items
- The golden girl by Rohan Clarke
- Decima Norman : the first golden girl / James Brear
- Raelene Boyle interviewed by Susan Mitchell for Winning women in the Susan Mitchell collection [sound recording]
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During the second half of the 20th century women won an astonishing 80 per cent of Australia’s gold medals in Olympic track and field competition. Find out more statistics from the Australian Olympic Team statistics website.
Not sure where to start?
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.
Registered readers can also search selected subscription databases via our eResources portal.
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.
