THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN AUSTRALIA - (1938 - 1982)

On 12 April 2022, the Commonwealth Games Australia and the Commonwealth Games Federation announced that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will return to Australia and will be held in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Table tennis and para-table tennis will be included as core sports.

In the 20th century, Australia staged the Commonwealth Games on three occasions: Sydney in 1938, Perth in 1962 and Brisbane in 1982.  

The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney from 5 - 12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 years since the foundation of British settlement in Australia).

Venues included the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sydney Sports Ground, North Sydney Olympic Pool and Henson Park.

The star of the games was the Australian athlete Decima Norman, who won five gold medals in track and field. Due to the onset of World War II, the games were not held again until 1950.

The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth from 22 November to 1 December 1962.

The 1962 Commonwealth Games were officially opened by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Perry Lakes Stadium, the grounds of which the WA Athletics Stadium now sits, in Floreat.

While the Paraplegic games were opened by Premier Charles Gairdner at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds, in Claremont. The Paraplegic Games were conceived by Australian doctor Sir George Montario Bedbrook OBE and were sponsored and organised by Royal Perth Hospital. Additional events exclusive to the Paraplegic games included archery, dartchery, snooker, and table tennis.

At the 1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Perth, Don Watts won a silver medal in swimming, and a silver medal in table tennis. Bruno Moretti won four gold medals in basketball, weightlifting and table tennis (two) and three bronze medals in athletics.

Bill Mather-Brown won a gold medal in lightweight, a gold medal in wheelchair basketball, a gold medal and a silver medal in table tennis, and a gold medal and a silver medal in swimming.

The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium. The games were officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh and closed by The Queen.

Australia first competed at the Commonwealth Games then-titled British Empire Games in 1930 and is one of only six countries to have sent athletes to every Commonwealth Games.

David Lee and Michael Li wish to gratefully acknowledge www.wikipedia.org/, Table Tennis New South Wales (TTNSW), Table Tennis Australia (TTA), the Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).