Tattersall’s Club, Sydney: Olympians

As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been digitising the magazines and newsletters of Tattersall’s Club, Sydney where I’ve been a member for several years now. The collection that I have access to goes back only to 1929 (when the magazines started) and is not 100% completed or comprehensive, but I’m pretty close to finishing.

Tattersall’s is a sports club and beside the swimming pool in the club’s Athletic Department there is an honour board that recognises members who have represented Australia in the Olympic sports of swimming, diving and water polo. Unfortunately there are quite a lot of names missing and currently, Olympic representatives from other sports are not recognised elsewhere in the club. I have been proposing the addition of the missing names to that honour board and some form of central recognition for all Tattersall’s Olympians.

My research to date is represented in the attached image where I have listed 24 names, when they represented and what medals they won. I think I’m pretty close to correct, but I’d love further information if anyone has any. The source for the information in the table below is https://www.olympics.com.auList of Tattersall's Olympians

3 comments

  1. Scott Abbott

    Hi Mal

    Was reading your post. My Dad Errol Abbott was a Waratah and I think member of Sydney Tattersals club. He was a champion sls rescue swimmer in the late 50s early 60s at both north Bondi and later Manly. I have vague memories of going to Tatts as a kid with him.

    Dad played rugby with John Thornett (Wallaby Captain) at North’s and knew his brothers Dick (in your Olympian list above) and Ken pretty well. I also know John’s son Toby reasonably well too.

    You’ve probably seen this but I thought interesting.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Thornett

    Couldn’t see a mention of any Olympic medals.

    All the best

    Scott Abbott

    Reply
  2. malbooth

    Thanks Scott. The Australian men have not won any medals in Water Polo so far – I think the best was 5th in 1984, but Australian women have won three including one gold in 2000. I should have put the source for the Olympic information in above. Will do so now.
    I was amazed that Dick Thornett’s name was not on the honour board in the swimming pool as he is so well known and even remembered by some older members. He gets a few mentions in the magazines over the years.

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