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A black and white photo of a girl leaning back to throw a javelin while yelling.
Bruce Howard, Anna Bacic, Westall High School, added fifteen feet to the javelin record at the Monash division of the metropolitan high school sports, Melbourne, Victoria, 28 September 1972, nla.obj-141724663

Supporting the local football team, going to the pool, playing tennis, golf or bowls - these are all things which Australians know well. Local teams provide entertainment for fans and help promote a sense of shared identity in towns, villages and cities.

Sports carnivals and inter-school competitions help build camaraderie among students. Whether it takes the form of a school competition, a suburban sports team or an amateur tennis competition, community sport has long been the focus of Australian sporting culture.