The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is the

National Olympic Committee A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...

responsible for developing, promoting, and protecting the Olympic Movement in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The AOC has the exclusive responsibility for the representation of Australia at the Olympic Games (Summer and Winter), the Youth Olympic Games and at Regional Games patronized by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

(IOC). All National Olympic Committees (currently 205 worldwide) are constituents of the International Olympic Committee.

History

In 1895,

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

(a team composed of Australian and New Zealander athletes) achieves recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). One year later, Australasian delegates competed at the 1896 Athens Olympics, with Australia being represented by

Edwin Flack Edwin Harold Flack (5 November 1873 – 10 January 1935) was an Australian athlete and tennis player. Also known as "Teddy", he was Australia's first Olympian, being its only representative in 1896, and the first Olympic champion in the ...

. Flack won two gold medals, becoming the first Australian Olympian and the first Australian medallist; their participation marked the beginning of Australia’s unbroken representation at the Olympic Games. In 1905,

Richard Coombes Richard Coombes (18 March 1858 – 15 April 1935) was a journalist and father of amateur athletics in Australia. Coombes was born at Hampton Court, Middlesex, England the son of Richard Coombes, hotelkeeper, and his wife Ellen, ''née'' Parsons. ...

became Australia's first

member when he replaced New Zealander

Leonard Cuff Leonard Albert Cuff (28 March 1866 – 9 October 1954) was a sportsman and sports administrator from New Zealand. Born in Christchurch, Cuff was an all-round sportsman who excelled at both athletics and cricket, his most significant sporting ass ...

who represented Australasia. In 1914, the Olympic Federation of Australia and New Zealand (OFANZ) was established. In 1920, New Zealand left the OFANZ and the Australian Olympic Council was established with

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

being its first president. In August 1923, the Australian Olympic Council changed its name to the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF) – an identity it was to hold until 1990 when it was re-named the Australian Olympic Committee. After decades of success since its creation, the outcry over Australia’s declining performances in

Montreal 1976 The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal w ...

led to the creation of the Federal Government-funded

Australian Institute of Sport The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is a high performance sports training institution in Australia. The institute's headquarters were opened in 1981 and are situated in the northern suburb of Bruce, Canberra. The AIS is a division of the ...

(AIS), a body with a close relationship with the AOC, providing essential assistance to athletes directly in their preparation for the Olympic Games. The AOC’s commitment to winter sport saw the formation of the

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) is an Olympic & federal government-funded elite sports training institution of Australia for the purpose of training athletes and coaches in sports involved in the Winter Olympics. The Australian ...

(OWIA) after Nagano 1998 to enable the development of elite performances in winter sports by Australian athletes. Australia has hosted two

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

1956 Melbourne Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the except ...

and

2000 Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

made a bid for the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

made a bid for the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

. Both failed. But, in June 2021, it was announced that Brisbane would host the

2032 Summer Olympics The 2032 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXV Olympiad and also known as Brisbane 2032 or Bris2032, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 23 July to 8 August 2032, with Brisbane, Queensland, ...

, marking Australia's third hosting of the games.

Organization

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is an independent, incorporated

not-for-profit organization A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

for the development of youth and sport in Australia. The AOC is responsible (for the

(IOC)) to develop, promote and protect the Olympic movement in Australia in accordance with the Olympic Charter, and for selecting the Team that represents Australia at the Olympic Games, after considering nominations by each National Sport Federation. The AOC also selects Teams for

Youth Olympic Games Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years old. Organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with ...

and Regional Games, such as the

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continent, continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 South Pacific Games, 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently i ...

. The AOC is composed of 44 member National Sport Federations, representing each sport on the Olympic program for the

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

and the

Olympic Winter Games The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in ...

. The AOC Executive comprises the President,

Ian Chesterman Ian Andrew Chesterman (born 17 April 1959) is an Australian sports administrator serving as the current president of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), having succeeded John Coates in 2022. Chesterman was re-elected unopposed for his secon ...

, and Vice Presidents

Evelyn Halls Evelyn Halls (born 18 August 1972) is an Australian fencer. She competed in the women's individual épée events at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and offici ...

and Matt Allen who were elected along with him in 2022. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Arbib. Patron in Chief is the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the Commonwealth of Australia,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sam Mostyn Samantha Joy Mostyn ( ; born 13 September 1965) is an Australian businesswoman and advocate, who has been serving as the 28th governor-general of Australia since 1 July 2024. Mostyn has been an advocate on climate change and gender equality ...

, and Patron is the

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

, currently The Hon

Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...

MP. The AOC has an ''Athletes' Commission'', responsible for advising the AOC Executive on all matters pertaining to the Olympic Movement from an athlete's perspective. The Chair is

Cate Campbell Cate Natalie Campbell, (born 20 May 1992) is a Malawian-born Australian former competitive swimmer. She is the current world record holder in the short course 100 m freestyle. She is also a former world record holder in the long course 1 ...

(Swimming) while the Deputy Chair is Ken Wallace (Paddle) and remaining members are

Andrew Charter Andrew Lewis Charter (born 30 March 1987) is an Australian field hockey player. He played club hockey for Central Hockey Club, winning a championship with the team in 2004 and 2008. He played for the Australian Capital Territory team in the Aust ...

(Hockey),

Taliqua Clancy Taliqua Clancy (born 25 June 1992) is an Australian volleyball and beach volleyball player who represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in beach volleyball, partnered with Louise Bawden. She is the first Indigenous Australian volleybal ...

(Beach Volleyball), Jessica Fox (Paddle),

Cameron Girdlestone Cameron Girdlestone is an Australian representative rower. He is a five-time Australian national champion, a medalist at World Championships, a dual Olympian and an Olympic silver and bronze medallist. He raced in the Australian men's quad sc ...

(Rowing), Rachael Lynch (Hockey),

Greta Small Greta Small (born 16 October 1995) is an Australian alpine ski racer. She started skiing at Mt Hotham with the Mount Hotham Racing Squad; her main training base now is in the Tyrol region in Austria where she trains with Race Centre Benni Raich ...

(Alpine Skiing),

Brodie Summers Brodie Summers (born 18 October 1993) is an Australian freestyle skier. He competed at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 2013 in Myrkdalen-Voss, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-С ...

(Freestyle Skiing - Moguls), Rowie Webster, (Water Polo) and

Alex Winwood Alex Winwood (born 25 June 1997) is an Australian professional boxer and Olympian, notable for being the first Noongar fighter to contest for a world title. He began boxing at a young age and achieved significant success in amateur competitions, ...

(Boxing).

Administration

Presidents/Chair

(1920–1944) * Sir Harold Alderson (1944–1973) * Sir Edgar Tanner (1973–1977) * Sydney Grange (1977–1985) *

Kevan Gosper Richard Kevan Gosper, AO (19 December 1933 – 19 July 2024) was an Australian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres. He was a Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, and combined chairman and CEO of Shell Australia. ...

(1985–1990) * John Coates (1990–2022) *

(2022–present)

Honorary Secretary/Secretary-General

* George Shand (acting) (1920) * Oswald G H Merrett (1921–1924) * James S W Eve (1924–1947) * Sir Edgar Tanner(1947–1973) * Julius L Patching (1973–1985) * Phillip Coles (1985–1993) *

Perry Crosswhite Perry Rothrock Crosswhite AM (born 22 September 1947) is a former Australian Olympic basketballer and leading sport administrator. Personal He was born on 22 September 1947 in Washington, D.C. He moved to Australia in 1969 to play basketball. H ...

(1993–1995) * Craig McLatchey (1995–2001) * Robert Elphinston (2001–2004) *

Craig Phillips Craig Phillips (born 16 October 1971) is an English television personality and builder. He is known for winning the first series of '' Big Brother'' in 2000. He is trained as a bricklayer, and has appeared in numerous television series related ...

(2005–2014) * Fiona de Jong (2014–2016)* * Matt Carroll AM (2017–2025) *

Mark Arbib Mark Victor Arbib (born 9 November 1971) is an Australian sports administrator and executive, a former Australian Labor Party, Labor Party politician and trade unionist. In 2015, he joined Australian Athletics, Athletics Australia where he se ...

(2025 - ) ''*As of 2015, the Secretary General position is now known as chief executive officer.''

International Olympic Committee members

Leonard A Cuff (1894–1905) (New Zealander who represented Australasia),

(1905–1932),

(1924–1944), Sir Harold Luxton (1933–1951), Hugh R Weir, (1946–1975), Lewis Luxton (1951–1974), David H Mckenzie (1974–1981),

, (1977–2013), Phillip W Coles (1982–2011), Susan O'Neill, (2000–2005), John D Coates (2001–2024), James Tomkins (2013–2021), Jessica Fox (2024- ),

(2025- )

Funding

The AOC is not government funded. The AOC sources its revenues primarily through sponsorship, licensing, fundraising activities, grants from the International Olympic Committee (known as Olympic Solidarity) and annual distributions from the Australian Olympic Foundation. The

Commonwealth Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the prime ...

, through the

Australian Sports Commission The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is the Australian Government commission responsible for supporting and investing in sport in Australia. The Commission incorporates the Australian Institute of Sport. From 2018 to 2022, it was known as S ...

and the

, is the major funding source for high performance sport in Australia. While the AOC neither seeks nor derives any funding from the Commonwealth, ASC/AIS and State Institutes and Academies of Sport provide critical assistance to the AOCs member National Sport Federations and to athletes directly for their preparation for the Olympic Games. AOC's total quadrennial funding of its programs for the period 2017–2020 was budgeted at over $43 million.

State Olympic Advisory Committees

State Olympic Advisory Committees (SOAC) is one of the state-based funds to support the Australian Olympic Team. It consist of a network of State/Territory Olympic Advisory Committees and State Olympic Councils in seven states and territories of Australia, each one representing the AOC in their respective borders. SOAC funds are raised through public events held in each State and Territory which are supported by companies and individuals.

Australian Olympians Association

The Australian Olympians Association (AOA) is another of the main funds to Australian Olympians. AOA is an association led by the AOC who provides a connection for all Olympians through functions and events and brings economic support for Olympians in need.

Media coverage

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

is the official broadcaster of the Summer and Winter Olympics since 2023 after a three-year commercial sponsorship deal with the AOC, and has the Olympic broadcast rights until 2032. Under an agreement with Nine Network,

ABC Local Radio ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites. Its programm ...

has the radio broadcast license for the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

to listeners across its regional radio network.

Community Programs

Since 2018, the AOC has expanded its outreach programs into Australian primary and secondary education with the aim of promoting high performance sport in schools. For example, "Australian Olympic Pathway Schools", one of the programs carried out, is selecting and supporting schools who have an established elite athlete development sport program. Others such as "Indigenous Basketball Australia" are providing training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholar coaches. The AOC is a signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, and has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2040 for sustainability.

References

Bibliography

* Andrews, Malcolm. Australia at the Olympics. Rev. ed. Sydney, ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2000. *Australian Olympic Committee. The compendium : official Australian Olympic statistics, 1896–2002 / compiled by the Australian Olympic Committee. St. Lucia., Qld., University of Queensland Press, c2003 * Gordon, Harry. From Athens with pride : the official history of the Australian Olympic movement, 1894 to 2014. St Lucia, Qld., University of Queensland Press, 2014. * Gordon, Harry. Gold! : an Olympic celebration. Melbourne : Wilkinson Publishing, 2008 * Poke, Robin ad Berry, Kevin (eds). Olympic gold : our greatest individual Olympians since 1896. Sydney, Murdoch Books, 2012.

External links

*
Australian Winter Olympic Institute
{{Authority control

Oly Oly or OLY may refer to: * Oly, informal name for Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous cit ...

National Olympic Committees 1914 establishments in Australia Sports organizations established in 1914 Sport in Australia