Malcolm Champion Oval

There has been many sporting events recently, from Commonwealth Games to the Tour de France and the students at our Norfolk Island Central School also competed in the annual Athletic Sports Day in July. I decided it was a great time to check out a few details of a famous Norfolk Islander named Malcolm Champion.

Many of the locals on Norfolk Island will know that the Malcolm Champion Oval is at Norfolk Island Central School, the signage can be seen on Collin Heads Road. But many will not know the story that Malcolm Champion won a Gold Medal at the 1912 Olympic Games Stockholm, in Sweden. Malcolm Champion was also the Flag Bearer for the Australasian Team.

Malcolm Eadie Champion was born on Norfolk Island on 10th November 1882, and he was the fourth of six children of Captain William Nihill Champion, a merchant seaman, and Sarah Clara, nee Quintal, who was born on Pitcairn Island on 5th November 1851, and she moved to Norfolk Island in the 1856 migration. His mother Sarah Clara Quintal was a descendant of Matthew Quintal. Malcolm’s great-grandfathers were of the Bounty Mutineers. (Quintal, Young, Adams, McCoy)

In 1912, Australia and New Zealand formed a composite team for the 4x 200-yard freestyle relay event at the Stockholm Olympics. Taking the gold, Champion, aged 29 years old, Malcolm became New Zealand’s first ever Olympic Gold Medal winner, and my birthright, Norfolk Islands only Olympic medal winner still to this day. Australia also claim Champion as one of their medal winners.

His mother Sarah died on 31 December 1894 when he was 12 years old. I read that Malcolm moved to Auckland, New Zealand with his family in 1897. He worked with his father, William Champion, in the shipping companies. His father was a sea captain who traded all around the Pacific. By the end of the 19th Century, he was living in Auckland. He married Rose Ethel, nee De Maus, in 1902. I read they had a daughter Miss Edna Champion, later Mrs. J. Brookers of Sydney. His daughter was also a New Zealand 220-yard and 440-yard champion swimmer in 1931.

Malcolm’s swimming training was at the Tepid Baths in Auckland. The Tepid Baths are historical indoor public pools in Auckland, New Zealand. Built in 1914 on the previous site of a small dry-dock. The tepid baths are saltwater pools were heated with hot water from the nearby tramways power plant. I read that, Malcolm Champion would sometimes swim across the harbour from his North Shore home for his swimming training at the Tepid Baths. Malcolm Champion coached many New Zealand and Auckland champion swimmers.

1912 Olympic Games Stockholm, Sweden

Malcolm Champion was the Flag Bearer for the Australasian Team

He competed in the 400m and 1500m freestyle events.

He finished second in his 400m heat behind Harold Hardwick and before finishing fourth in the semi-final to be eliminated. He placed 6^th of 26.

In the 1500m event, he placed second in both the heat and semi-final. He qualified for the final of the 1500 metres event but was unplaced before abandoning in the final after 600m. He was placed 5^th of 19.

Olympics 4x 200m Freestyle relay team final 15th July 1912

With three Australians, C. Healy, H. Hardwick, and L. Boardman, he as a member of the Australian and New Zealand team victorious in the 800m relay. An ear infection with Bill Longworth resulted in Champion being promoted to the 4 x 200m freestyle relay team. In the final, Champion swam the second leg and started equal with the American Swimmer after Cecil Healy’s first leg before building up a 10m lead I his leg. Les Boardman extended the lead to 15m before Harold Hardwick held off Duke Kahanamoku to claim the gold medal in the world record time of 10:11.6.

This is the only occasion on which a New Zealand swimmer has participated in an Olympic Victory

Another article I read, said that due to a lack of funding, and financial difficulties faced by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, his swimming club helped to fund-raise the money, plus organised loans to purchase the tickets for Malcolm Champion to travel to Sweden for the Stockholm Olympic Games.

Malcolm Champion was the only New Zealand holder of an Olympic Gold Medal in Swimming until 1996 when Danyon Loader won the 200m and 400m freestyle events at the Atlanta Olympics. I have also read that he was the holder of almost every swimming title during his swimming career. In 1990 Malcolm Champion was an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Sports hall of Fame. In 2005 the Gold Winning 1912 Olympic Relay Team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee.

I read that he was suspended at the end of 1902 by the National Swimming Association for failing to pay registration fees and was allowed to re-enter the sport in the Southern Summer of 1907/1908. Another article research said, Malcolm Champion had been banned for life from swimming in 1901 for a supposed breach of amateur regulations, but the ban was overturned on appeal.

I have sourced a couple if images of Malcolm on the internet, but the most important was to find that he was proudly on the Norfolk Island $3:00 Stamp issued on 15th September 2000 by the Philatelic Bureau on Norfolk Island, the stamp was named Olymphilex. The postage stamp first day cover has the incorrect date of birth and I have confirmed this DOB at the Norfolk Island Registry as 10 November 1882.

Malcolm Champion was a strong supporter of life saving and was a life member of the Royal Life Saving Society.

Details of his swimming success details I have found:

Malcolm Champion won 32 national titles between 1901 and 1914 and at one stage held every national record from 220-yards to the mile. No other New Zealander swimmer has made a claim sweep of national championships so often.

1905 He was encouraged to go to Christchurch to compete for the New Zealand Championship. On his journey to Christchurch, he was training in Wellington and caught the attention of the locals and as he had not been nominated by Auckland for the championship, The Wellington organisers immediately entered Malcolm Champion as a Wellington representative. During the championship in Christchurch, he won the free-style titles 100-yards, 220-yards, 440-yards, 880-yards and one other title. He was rewarded by being selected in the Australian and New Zealand Championship meeting, held in Melbourne, Australia.

Again, he won all titles in 1908, 1912,1913,1914

1910 he won all but the 100-yards and 880-yards titles

1911 the 100-yard race was the only event of which he was not the winner.

London Festival of Empire Games at the Crystal Palace, in 1911. He pulled out of the mile race, and he failed to win any titles. This was a forerunner to the Commonwealth Games.

During this visit he won the long-distance Championship of England

5-miles 60-yards and half -mile championship of the Thames.

Winner of the King’s Cup lifesaving contest

Malcolm was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/C/Malcolm-Champion

“One of New Zealand’s greatest swimmers, Champion was the first New Zealander to win an Olympic gold medal - though he won it in the name of Australasia, the combined team that took part in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics.”

In 2005 the winning relay team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee. The gold medal swimming team were awarded “Team Sport Australia Award”.

In 2018, with my interest in learning about Norfolk Island history, I started researching and learning about Malcolm Champion. I am sure I will continue to learn more about this interesting Olympic Gold swimming champion. I enjoy chatting with his family members, descendants of Malcolm Champion, I am sure there are many more interesting stories to read about this outstanding Norfolk Islander. I will feel proud every time I see his sign at the sports oval at Norfolk Island Central School.

Betty Matthews

August 2022