Percy Hobson (athlete)

Percy Francis Hobson is a former Australian high jumper.

Percy Hobson
Personal information
Full namePercy Francis Hobson
NationalityAustralian
Born (1942-11-05) 5 November 1942[1]
Bourke, New South Wales, Australia
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportAthletics
Event(s)High jump

Early life

Hobson was born on 5 November 1942 in Bourke, New South Wales to Fanny Williams and Percy Hobson. Fanny was the daughter of a respected Aboriginal tracker Frank Williams. One of ten children, Hobson was named Percy after his father and Francis after his grandfather and uncle who was killed on active service in Malaya around the time of his birth. His mother Fanny was from Brewarrina.[3] During his youth Hobson trained using a makeshift high-jump.[4]

Career

In November 1961 Percy Hobson broke the NSW resident high-jump record with a leap of 6'8". In March 1962 at the Australian Athletics Championships, Hobson won the high jump event with a jump of 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), defeating Tony Sneazwell on a countback.[2] Eight months later at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Hobson, aged 20 years, won gold in the high jump clearing the bar at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m),[5] setting a new Commonwealth Games record.[6] In doing so, he became the first Indigenous Australian to win a gold medal for Australia at the Commonwealth Games. Hobson received a hero's welcome when he returned to Bourke with the local brass band played "Hail, the Conquering Hero".[2] A local park in Bourke was later renamed Percy Hobson Park in his honour.[7]

References

  1. "Profile of Percy Hobson". Australian Commonwealth Games Association. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  2. "The "Boy of the Golden West" Wins High Jump at Perth Games" (pdf). Dawn. Aboriginal Protection Board: 1. January 1963.
  3. "Heather Mieni" (pdf). Aboriginal Women’s Heritage: Bourke. Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW): 17. January 2005.
  4. Thomson, Phil (13 March 2008). "Legendary Bourke". The Land. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  5. "Results of the men's high jump at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games". CGF. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  6. Webster, Jim (25 November 1962). "Great start for Australian athletes". The Sun-Herald. John Fairfax and Sons. pp. 45, 61.
  7. "Our Heroes". Girri Girri Sports Academy. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
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