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 in Australia first Olympics, in Athens in 1896, Victorian runner, Edwin Flack won both 800 metres and 1500 metres events. The first Australian woman to win an Olympic medal was Shirley Strickland, at the 1948 London Games, with a bronze medal in the 100 metres sprint while Australia's first female gold medalist in athletics was Marjorie Jackson who won the 100 metres and 200 metres sprint races in 1952. The most bemedalled Australian athletes at the Olympic Games have been for men Stan Rowley and Jared Tallent (with three) and for women Shirley Strickland (with seven). The Commonwealth Games began as the