1948
Our stories

The event that was the forerunner of the Paralympic Games featured sixteen archers in a single day of competition on 29 July, 1948.

1948 Stoke Mandeville Games – the start of the Paralympic movement

1948 Stoke Mandeville Games – the start of the Paralympic movement
1951
Our stories

The 1951 Stoke Mandeville Games was the first Games to include international athletes. One of them was Australian Charlene Todman.

An Australian at the 1951 Stoke Mandeville Games

An Australian at the 1951 Stoke Mandeville Games

Charlene Todman – Australia’s first Stoke Mandeville Games competitor

Charlene Todman – Australia’s first Stoke Mandeville Games competitor
1958

From the start, sport was central to rehabilitation

From the start, sport was central to rehabilitation
1959

Scoring points for fashion as well as form

Scoring points for fashion as well as form
1960
Our stories

Archery results at the summer Paralympics from 1960.

Archery at the summer Paralympics from 1960

Archery at the summer Paralympics from 1960

The first Royal North Shore Paraplegic Games

The first Royal North Shore Paraplegic Games

Archery was a premier event

Archery was a premier event
Members of the first Australian Paralympic Team, in Rome in 1960, relax at the archery venue. Seated on the far left is Daphne Ceeney (later Hilton), Australia's only female competitor in Rome and the first Australian female Paralympic gold medallist. Behind her, also looking at the camera, is Gary Hooper.

Australian Team members 1960 Rome Paralympics

Australian Team members 1960 Rome Paralympics

Australia’s first Paralympic gold medal

Australia’s first Paralympic gold medal
1962

Aiming for another medal

Aiming for another medal
1964

Daphne Ceeney archery Tokyo Paralympics

Daphne Ceeney archery Tokyo Paralympics
Australian Paralympic Team Member Roy Fowler aims at the target during an archery event at the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games, watched by Team Manager and remedial gymnast 'Johnno' Johnston (standing at far right). Fowler won a bronze medal with Lionel Cousins and John Martin in the men's St Nicholas Round team event.

Roy Fowler archery Tokyo Paralympics

Roy Fowler archery Tokyo Paralympics
1966

On the archery “field”

On the archery “field”
1968

Tony South receives his archery gold medal

Tony South receives his archery gold medal
1970

Tony South in a rare Aussie action photo from the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games

Tony South in a rare Aussie action photo from the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games

Medals in five sports and other personal Edinburgh highlights

Hear Libby Kosmala talk about her experiences at the 1970 Commonwealth Paralympic Games

Hear Libby Kosmala talk about her experiences at the 1970 Commonwealth Paralympic Games

"I got to know a lot of disabled people from around Australian very well"

Libby Kosmala discusses her successes and social life at Edinburgh 1970

Libby Kosmala discusses her successes and social life at Edinburgh 1970
1972

Carpark or archery field?

Carpark or archery field?

On target for another medal

On target for another medal

Alan Conn added to his Archery medal tally

Alan Conn added to his Archery medal tally
1974
Apart from the special events for quads, there is no class distinction in archery and it is surprisingly to find that Australia’s top archers are mostly high level injuries. John Lisle from Victoria is a class 2 competitor and completed a trio of silver medals for Australia in archery, although he had trouble shivering in the icy breezes.

John Lisle, Archery, Dunedin Commonwealth Paraplegic Games

John Lisle, Archery, Dunedin Commonwealth Paraplegic Games
1976

Even his lucky hat didn’t help Roy in ’76

Even his lucky hat didn’t help Roy in ’76

Before she was a shooting legend, Libby did other sports

Before she was a shooting legend, Libby did other sports
1980

What is it with archers and the hats they wear?

What is it with archers and the hats they wear?

“One bad arrow can mean disaster”

“One bad arrow can mean disaster”

GALLERY: Quadriplegia requires unique solutions for archer Trewhella

GALLERY: Quadriplegia requires unique solutions for archer Trewhella
1984

Susan Davies added to Australia’s medal tradition in Archery

Susan Davies added to Australia’s medal tradition in Archery

And Eric Klein continued the tradition of distinctive hats

And Eric Klein continued the tradition of distinctive hats
1988

Organisation and coordination was a strong feature of the Seoul Games

Organisation and coordination was a strong feature of the Seoul Games
2000
Natalie Cordowiner competes in Archery at the Sydney Summer Paralympics.

Natalie Cordowiner continued the tradition of archers and their hats

Natalie Cordowiner continued the tradition of archers and their hats
Arthur Fisk takes a shot during the Archery at the Sydney Summer Paralympics.

While Arthur Fisk was a large presence in the archery competition

While Arthur Fisk was a large presence in the archery competition