Sir Edgar Stephen Tanner,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(10 August 1904 - 21 November 1979) was an Australian sports administrator and Victorian politician. He was a former secretary-general and president of the Australian Olympic Federation and Chairman of the

Australian Commonwealth Games Association Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) is the Commonwealth Games Association for Australia, and is responsible for representing and promoting the Commonwealth Sport movement in the country, and organises the participation of Australia at the Commonw ...

Personal

Tanner was born on 10 August 1904 at

Albany, Western Australia Albany ( ; ) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a part of King G ...

. He was the eldest of four children. He attended All Saints Grammar School, St Kilda and studied commerce at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. He joined the advertising staff of the Herald and Weekly Times. On 11 June 1938, he married Edna May Ponsonby. He died on 21 November 1979 at North Caulfield and was survived by his wife Edna, daughter Anne and son Ted, a former member of the

Victorian Parliament The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly ...

and boxing administrator.

Military career

In 1929, Tanner had been commissioned in the

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

. In November 1941, Tanner was appointed temporary captain in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. He was a member of the Gull Force. In January 1942, he became prisoner of war after Gull Force was overpowered by the Japanese in Ambon. Whilst a prisoner of war at

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

, he organised sports events including a running race between Australian and Dutch prisoners.

Political career

In May 1955, Tanner representing the Liberal and Country Party, won the seat of Ripponlea in the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

. After Tanner was elected a member of parliament, the media questioned his ability to concurrently serve in important Olympic positions including secretary of the Organising Committee of the

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 ...

as well as a member of Parliament. When Ripponlea was abolished in 1967, he was elected to Caulfield which he held until in retirement in February 1976. Whilst in the parliament, he was chairman of several committees and deputy-speaker from 1970 to 1973. His son Ted was the member for Caulfield from 1979 to 1996.

Sports administration career

Boxing

Tanner won a University of Melbourne blue for boxing and fought in 150

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

bouts and lost seven. He was appointed secretary of the Victorian Amateur Boxing and Wrestling Association in the 1930s. He managed Australia's boxing and wrestling team at the 1938 Sydney British Empire Games, Sydney. In 1979, he stepped down as president of the Amateur Boxing Union of Australia, a position that he held for over 20 years.

Olympic Games

In June 1946, Tanner was elected secretary-treasurer Victorian Olympic Council (VOC) This election led to his campaign with Bill Uren, VOC Chairman, for Melbourne to host the

1956 Summer 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), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...

. Tanner and Uren gained the support of the then Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir James Connelly, and Sir Frank Beaurepaire, a former Lord Mayor. Beaurepaire's standing in the Olympic movement is stated as a major factor for the successful Melbourne Olympic bid. Tanner served as the secretary of the Organising Committee of 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. In May 1947, at the Australian Olympic Federation's first meeting since World War II, Tanner was elected secretary-general., a position that he held until 1974. He was General Manager of the Australian team at the 1948 London Olympics. He was president of the Australian Olympic Federation from 1974 to 1977. His presidency came to an end when defeated by Sydney Grange in a ballot in 1977.

Commonwealth Games

He held various positions including Chairman with the

from 1974 to 1977.

Honours

*1957 - The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) for Secretary of the Olympic Games Committee *1968 - Knight Bachelor for Secretary of the Australian Olympic Federation *Life Member

Australian Olympic Committee The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is the National Olympic Committee responsible for developing, promoting, and protecting the Olympic Movement in Australia. The AOC has the exclusive responsibility for the representation of Australia at ...

*Life Member Commonwealth Games Australia *Sir Edgar Tanner Trophy is for the best performed team at the Australian Boxing Championships

References

External links

Sir Edgar Stephen Tanner, Australian Dictionary of Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Edgar 1904 births 1979 deaths Australian Knights Bachelor Australian sports executives and administrators Australian Olympic Committee administrators Commonwealth Games Australia officials Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly World War II prisoners of war held by Japan University of Melbourne alumni People from Albany, Western Australia