- Marjorie Jackson-Nelson
-
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson
AC CVO MBE33rd Governor of South Australia In office
3 November 2001 – 8 August 2007Monarch Queen Elizabeth II Premier Rob Kerin 2001–02
Mike Rann 2002–07Preceded by Sir Eric Neal Succeeded by Kevin Scarce Personal details Born 13 September 1931
Coffs Harbour, New South WalesNationality Australian Residence Marion, South Australia Medal record Women's athletics Olympic Games Gold 1952 Helsinki 100 metres Gold 1952 Helsinki 200 metres British Empire (and Commonwealth) Games Gold 1950 Auckland 100 yards Gold 1950 Auckland 220 yards Gold 1950 Auckland 3×110/220 yd Gold 1950 Auckland 4×110/220 yd Gold 1954 Vancouver 100 yards Gold 1954 Vancouver 220 yards Gold 1954 Vancouver 4×110 yards Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE (born 13 September 1931) is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete. She finished her sporting career with 2 Olympic and 7 Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, 10 world records and every Australian State and National title she contested from 1950–1954.[1]
Contents
Biography
Marjorie Jackson was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and first gained fame when she defeated reigning Olympic 100 and 200 metres champion Fanny Blankers-Koen a number of times in 1949, thus earning the nickname "the Lithgow Flash", after the New South Wales town of Lithgow where she lived and had grown up.
Having won four titles at the 1950 British Empire Games, Jackson came as a favourite to the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. She won both the 100 m, in a then-World-Record-equalling time of 11.5, and the 200 m, winning the first Olympic athletics titles for Australia since Edwin Flack in 1896. Having more strong runners in the team, the Australian 4 x 100 m relay team was also a favourite for the gold, but a faulty exchange meant Jackson's chances for third gold medal were gone. The Americans, anchored by Catherine Hardy (later Lavender), won in an upset, setting a new world record time of 45.9 seconds. Later in 1952, Jackson lowered the 100m World Record time to 11.4, running this new record in a meet at Gifu, Japan on 4 October 1952.
In 1953 Jackson married Olympic cyclist Peter Nelson. After his death from leukaemia in 1977, she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship.
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the eight flag-bearers of the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
In late 2001, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was appointed Governor of South Australia. She relinquished the office on 31 July 2007.
On 15 March 2006, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the final four runners who carried the Queen's Baton around the MCG stadium during the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Melbourne.
On 6 June 2007, it was announced that a new medical facility to be built in Adelaide will be named the "Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital". On 18 February 2009, Premier Mike Rann agreed to remove her name from the planned hospital.
She also has a road named in honour of her at Olympic Park in Sydney, beside the Sydney Superdome (now Acer Arena).
Honours
- 1953: Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Coronation Honours for her service to women's athletics.[2]
- 2001: Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) upon appointment as Governor.[3]
- 2002: Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in February 2002 during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to South Australia.[4]
- 2007: Olympic Order, the highest order bestowed by the International Olympic Committee. The citation from the IOC stated that the award was made for her "having illustrated the Olympic ideal through her actions, having achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world and having rendered outstanding service to the Olympic movement through her community work and as Governor of South Australia".[5]
She is also a Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and a Freeman of the City of London.
Notes
- ^ "Olympic Order for the Lithgow Flash" (2007)
- ^ It's an Honour – Member of the Order of the British Empire
- ^ It's an Honour – Companion of the Order of Australia
- ^ It's an Honour – Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- ^ "Olympic Order for Lithgow Flash" (2007)
References
- FitzSimons, Peter (2006). Great Australian Sports Champions. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-7322-8517-8.
External links
- Biography at the Governor of South Australia website
- Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship Fund
- sports-reference.com
Sources
- "Olympic Order for Lithgow Flash" (2007), The Canberra Times, 16 July 2007, p. 4
- Prentis, Malcolm. "Great Australian Presbyterians: The Game". Uniting Church in Australia. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061211164227/http://nsw.uca.org.au/presbyterian100/greataussies.htm. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
Government offices Preceded by
Sir Eric NealGovernor of South Australia
2001–2007Succeeded by
Kevin ScarceGovernors of South Australia Before Federation Hindmarsh · Gawler · Grey · Robe · Young · MacDonnell · Daly · Fergusson · Musgrave · Jervois · Robinson · Earl Kintore · Buxton · Lord Tennyson · Hunte
After Federation Bosanquet · Galway · Weigall · Bridges · Earl Gowrie · Lord Dugan of Victoria · Barclay-Harvey · Lord Norrie · George · Bastyan · Harrison · Oliphant · Nicholls · Seaman · Dunstan · Mitchell · Neal · Jackson · Scarce
Olympic Champions in Women's 100 m 1928: Betty Robinson (USA) • 1932: Stanisława Walasiewicz (POL) • 1936: Helen Stephens (USA) • 1948: Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED) • 1952: Marjorie Jackson (AUS) • 1956: Betty Cuthbert (AUS) • 1960: Wilma Rudolph (USA) • 1964: Wyomia Tyus (USA) • 1968: Wyomia Tyus (USA) • 1972: Renate Stecher (GDR) • 1976: Annegret Richter (FRG) • 1980: Lyudmila Kondratyeva (URS) • 1984: Evelyn Ashford (USA) • 1988: Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) • 1992: Gail Devers (USA) • 1996: Gail Devers (USA) • 2000: Vacant • 2004: Yulia Nestsiarenka (BLR) • 2008: Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM)
Olympic Champions in Women's 200 m 1948: Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED) · 1952: Marjorie Jackson (AUS) · 1956: Betty Cuthbert (AUS) · 1960: Wilma Rudolph (USA) · 1964: Edith McGuire (USA) · 1968: Irena Szewińska (POL) · 1972: Renate Stecher (GDR) · 1976: Bärbel Eckert (GDR) · 1980: Bärbel Eckert (GDR) · 1984: Valerie Brisco-Hooks (USA) · 1988: Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) · 1992 Gwen Torrence (USA) · 1996: Marie-José Pérec (FRA) · 2000: Pauline Davis-Thompson (BAH) · 2004: Veronica Campbell (JAM) · 2008: Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)
Commonwealth Champions in Women's 100 m 1934 – 1966: 100 yards • 1970 – present: 100 metres 1934: Eileen Hiscock (ENG) • 1938: Decima Norman (AUS) • 1950 – 1954: Marjorie Nelson (AUS) • 1958: Marlene Mathews-Willard (AUS) • 1962: Dorothy Hyman (ENG) • 1966: Dianne Burge (AUS) • 1970 – 1974: Raelene Boyle (AUS) • 1978: Sonia Lannaman (ENG) • 1982: Angella Issajenko (CAN) • 1986: Heather Oakes (ENG) • 1990: Merlene Ottey (JAM) • 1994: Mary Onyali (NGR) • 1998: Chandra Sturrup (BAH) • 2002: Debbie Ferguson (BAH) • 2006: Sheri-Ann Brooks (JAM) • 2010: Natasha Mayers (VIN)
1934 – 1966: 220 yards • 1970 – present: 200 metres 1934: Eileen Hiscock (ENG) • 1938: Decima Norman (AUS) • 1950 – 1954: Marjorie Nelson (AUS) • 1958: Marlene Mathews-Willard (AUS) • 1962: Dorothy Hyman (ENG) • 1966: Dianne Burge (AUS) • 1970 – 1974: Raelene Boyle (AUS) • 1978: Denise Boyd (AUS) • 1982: Merlene Ottey (JAM) • 1986: Angella Issajenko (CAN) • 1990: Merlene Ottey (JAM) • 1994: Cathy Freeman (AUS) • 1998: Nova Peris-Kneebone (AUS) • 2002: Debbie Ferguson (BAH) • 2006: Sherone Simpson (JAM) • 2010: Cydonie Mothersille (CAY)
Categories:- 1931 births
- Living people
- Australian sprinters
- Olympic athletes of Australia
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics
- Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
- Governors of South Australia
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- Companions of the Order of Australia
- People from South Australia
- Australian Presbyterians
- Olympic gold medalists for Australia
- Commonwealth Games competitors for Australia
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
- Jubilee 150 Walkway
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
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