The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

The staff of spinal units  – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts – were responsible for the birth of sport for those with disabilities created by disease and spinal cord injuries because they consciously adopted sport to promote rehabilitation. Archery promoted upper body strength, coordination and control required for life in a chair and it was simple, cheap and could be set up on the grounds, as here at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

Date: January 1958

The Spinal Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital was the second in Sydney and gave the patients at Mt Wilga a cross-town sports rival.

Date: January 1958

Interviewer: Ian Jobling
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Interviewee: Kevin Cunningham
Recorded: 8 June 2011
Location: Lakelands, W.A.
Listen to the full interview here.

Date: November 1957

The ‘incomplete lesion’ wheelchair basketball final at the 1957 Stoke Mandeville Games was torrid and controversial. After a rough first half, the Pan Am Jets, representing the USA, led the team from the Netherlands 10-4 into an even more physical second half, when the Netherlands’ coach withdrew his team from the court in protest. After a review, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, who oversaw the Games, disqualified the American team and awarded the gold medal to the Dutch. This photo captures a moment when the passion on the court infected the spectators clustered closely around the sidelines.

Date: July 1957

Author: Photo donated from the personal collection of Bill Mather-Brown.

The champions at the first Mt Wilga Rehabilitation Centre sports day pose with their medals, including 1960 Australian Paralympians Gary Hooper (far left), Ross Sutton (second from left) and Daphne Ceeney (far right).

Date: December 1959

It is obvious that style and fashion were still very important to some of the young people undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries and other conditions at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre in the 1950s. Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia’s first female Paralympian, combines form and fashion at the first Mount Wilga sports day as she takes aim.

Date: December 1959

The graceful Mount Wilga House – the main building of the Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre – is the backdrop for the throws events at the first Mount Wilga sports day. The event was organised by the staff of Mt Wilga, led by Kevin Betts and Eileen Perrottet. Nurses, physiotherapists and remedial gymnasts conducted the events, all immaculate in their work uniforms. In this image, 1960 Paralympian Gary Hooper waits as the officials measure his shot put.

Date: December 1959

Ross Sutton, Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist, undergoes rehab at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on his second day out of bed, 13 weeks following the light plane crash that left him with paraplegia and lucky to be alive. Active, early physical rehabilitation was part of the regimen at RNSH, following the model developed by Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville.

Date: July 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.

On 20 April 1958, the Tiger Moth plane that 21 y.o. Ross Sutton was flying crashed in a paddock. It was said that Sutton was in love with a young woman in the region and decided to deliver a letter to her from the plane. After he dropped it, he realised that it was not weighted and could land anywhere, so he doubled the plane back to try to catch it, stalled and crashed. Sutton was taken to Armidale and New England Hospital with little chance of surviving. He was later flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he was treated for chest and facial injuries and a broken spine. just over two years later, in September 1960, he became Australia’s first Paralympic gold medallist at the first Paralympic Games, in Rome.

Date: April 1958

Author: Image donated to the Australian Paralympic Committee by the family of Ross Sutton.