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The foundation of the Australian Paralympic Federation

On 25 January 1990 a meeting was held to establish the Australian Paralympic Federation. Present were:

Kerry Cosgrove – Amputee Sporting Association of Australia;
Karen Denman – Cerebral Palsy Australian Sport and Recreation Federation (CP-ASRF);
Ron Finneran – Australian Disabled Skiers Federation;
Ian Fowler – Australian Blind Sports Federation;
Eric Russell – Australian Wheelchair Sports Federation; and
Adrienne Smith – Australian Confederation of Sports for the Disabled.

Observers were:

Mark Baigent – Queensland Sporting Wheelies;
Kevin Bawden – Australian Wheelchair Sports Federation;
Pat Downie – Australian Blind Sports Federation;
Margaret Gregson – NSW Sports Council; and
Jo Hogan – ACT Sport and Recreation Association for the Physically Disabled.

Adrienne Smith chaired the meeting, which voted to establish the Australian Paralympic Federation, with the five founding members being the Amputee Sporting Association of Australia, the Cerebral Palsy Australian Sport and Recreation Federation (CP-ASRF), the Australian Disabled Skiers Federation, the Australian Blind Sports Federation and the Australian Wheelchair Sports Federation.

The meeting appointed Adrienne Smith as the first National Executive Director of the APF to work three days a week until a permanent appointment was made.

At the APF’s second meeting, in March 1990, Justice Marcus Einfeld was unanimously elected President by the members and Brisbane Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson was elected Vice President.

Date: January 1990

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