- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: AWE0350
Jackson-Nelson, Marjorie
- AC, CVO, MBE
- Born 13 September 1931, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Occupation Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Governor, Olympian, Track and Field Athlete
Summary
Sprinter Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was commonly known as ‘The Lithgow Flash’, after the New South Wales town in which she was brought up. Jackson-Nelson became the Governor of South Australia on 3 November 2001. She won two Olympic gold medals (Helsinki 1952) and seven Commonwealth Games gold medals for athletics. Jackson-Nelson also founded the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship, for which she has fund-raised since 1977.
Details
The daughter of William Alfred and Mary (née Robinson) Jackson, Marjorie Jackson was the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal for track and field and the first Australian (male or female) to win an Olympic gold medal on the running track since 1896. During her athletic career Jackson broke world sprint records on ten occasions. In 1953 Jackson married Peter Nelson, an Olympic cyclist. Following his death from leukaemia in 1977 she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship and has since dedicated herself to raising funds to sponsor research into fighting this disease.
In 1988, Jackson was nominated by the Governor-General and the Prime Minister as one of 20 living members of the ‘200 Great Australians’ recognised by the Australian Bi-Centenary Committee. In 2001, Jackson-Nelson was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia and, as Governor, was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the Royal Visit to Adelaide in February 2002.
Events
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1953
Appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to women’s athletics
-
2001
Appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
-
2002
Appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
-
1997
Member of the South Australian Olympic Council
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1998 - 2000
Member Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games
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1990 - 1992
Deputy Chairperson of the Adelaide’s bid to host 1998 Commonwealth Games
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1998
Athletes Liaison Officer for the Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur
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1994
General Team Manager for the Commonwealth Games Victoria (Canada)
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1986
Women’s Section Manager for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team
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1982
Women’s Section Manager for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team
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2000
Bearer of the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony Olympic Games, Sydney
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1998
Nominated by Governor-General and Prime Minister as one of the 200 Great Australians
-
1999
Voted as one of the Australians of the Century Herald Sun
-
1998
Honoured by Australia Post on a postage stamp titled ‘Olympic Legends’
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1995
Paul Harris Fellow Rotary
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1985
Admitted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame
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1952
Recipient of the Australian Sportsman of the Year
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1952
Athletics – 100m and 200m (world record)
Gold Medalist at the Helsinki Olympic Games -
1954
Gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, Vancouver
-
1950
Athletics – 100y; 220y; 440y Medley Relay; 660y Medley Relay
Gold Medalist at Auckland Empire Games -
1977
Founder of the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship
-
1995
Legend for Australian Sport
-
1986
Outstanding Athlete award from the International Amateur Athletics Association
-
1952
Outstanding Athlete award from the Helms Foundation United States of America
-
1953
Married Peter Nelson (deceased 1977)
-
2001
Governor of South Australia
-
1954
Athletics – 100y, 220y and 4 x 110y Relay
Gold Medalist at Vancouver Empire and Commonwealth Games
Published resources
- Edited Book
-
Resource Section
- Governor of South Australia, South Australian Government, http://www.governor.sa.gov.au/
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Resource
- Australia at the Games, Australian Olympic Committee, 2006, http://corporate.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=25
- Trove: Jackson, Marjorie (1931-), http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-642567
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Site Exhibition
- She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2007, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/sg/sport-home.html
- Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2003, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/honours/honours.html
- The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia, Smart, Judith and Swain, Shurlee (eds.), 2014, http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders