Athletics in Australia athletics club was formed by Mrs Drennan, herself a sprinter, in 1913, and competitions, held under the auspices of the NSW men's association were conducted over the next five years. Professional races for women were also very popular during this time. From 1928, the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia, had responsibility for track and field in Australia, including women's athletics with women's events being held, for the first time, at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The first joint National Championships were conducted in Melbourne in 1930. In 1932 an Australian Women's Amateur Athletics Union was formed which administered women's track and
Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. It was the first time the 50 kilometres race walk appeared in the men's athletics at the Games. This was only the second time women's events in athletics were included in the Olympic Games program and the first time that women competed in the javelin throw at the Olympics. There was a total of 386 participants from 34 countries competing. Paavo Nurmi from Finland was suspended one week before the Games by the IAAF