View source for Shirley Strickland

{{Short description|Australian athlete}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Shirley Strickland<br><small>[[Order of Australia|AO]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>
| image = Shirley Strickland 1950.jpg
| imagesize = 
| caption = Strickland at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland
| nationality =Australian
| sport = Athletics
| event = 100–400 m, 80 m hurdles
| pb = 100 m – 11.3 (1955)<br>200 m – 24.1 (1955)<br>400 m – 56.6 (1956)<br>80 mH – 10.89 (1956)<ref name=sports-reference/><ref>[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=2648&Gender=W Shirley Strickland]. trackfield.brinkster.net</ref>
| club = University, Applecross, Melville
| alma_mater = [[University of Western Australia]]
| collegeteam =
| fullname = Shirley Barbara Strickland de la Hunty<ref name=sports-reference>{{cite web|title=Shirley Strickland de la Hunty|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/shirley-strickland-de-la-hunty-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417051829/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/shirley-strickland-de-la-hunty-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=sports-reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref>
| birth_date ={{birth date|df=yes|1925|07|18}}<ref name=britannica>{{cite web|title=Shirley Strickland de la Hunty|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Shirley-Strickland-de-la-Hunty|website=britannica.com|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref>
| birth_place =[[Guildford, Western Australia]]
| residence = 
| death_date ={{death date and age|df=yes|2004|02|11|1925|07|18}}
| death_place =[[Perth]], [[Western Australia]]<ref name=britannica/>
| height =5 ft 7+1/2 in<ref name=sports-reference/>
| weight =126 lb<ref name=sports-reference/>
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}
{{MedalOlympics}}
{{MedalGold| [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Helsinki]] | [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80-metre hurdles]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Melbourne]] | [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80-metre hurdles]]}}
{{MedalGold|1956 Melbourne | [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 London]] | [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBronze|1948 London | [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 metres]] }}
{{MedalBronze|1948 London| [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80-metre hurdles]]}}
{{MedalBronze|1952 Helsinki| [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 metres]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games|British Empire Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1950 British Empire Games|1950 Auckland]] |80-metre hurdles}}
{{MedalGold|1950 Auckland |3 × 110/220 yd}}
{{MedalGold|1950 Auckland |4 × 110/220 yd}}
{{MedalSilver|1950 Auckland |100 yards}}
{{MedalSilver|1950 Auckland |220 yards}}
}}
'''Shirley Barbara de la Hunty''' [[Order of Australia|AO]], [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (née '''Strickland'''; 18 July 1925 – 11 February 2004), known as '''Shirley Strickland''' during her early career, was an Australian athlete. She won more [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] medals than any other Australian in running sports.

==Family==
Strickland was the only daughter, the second of five children. She grew up on the family farm east of the wheatbelt town of [[Pithara, Western Australia]].

Her father, [[Dave Strickland]], while working at [[Menzies, Western Australia|Menzies]] in the goldfields of [[Western Australia]], was also an athlete.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sporting News|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146087636|access-date=17 December 2015|work=The Pilbarra Goldfield News|date=12 July 1900|location=Marble Bar, WA}}</ref><ref name="bio">{{cite web | url = https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-shirley-strickland-de-la-hunty| title = Shirley Strickland de la Hunty | access-date = 20 February 2022| work = Australian Biography | publisher = National Film and Sound Archive}}</ref> He was unable to compete in the [[1900 Summer Olympics]] because he lacked the money for a trip to Paris.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news|title=A champion of mind and body|publisher=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=21 February 2004|last=Hughes|first=Dave}}</ref> Instead, in 1900, he directed his efforts to the [[Stawell Gift]] 130-yard (120-m) foot-race, winning in 12 seconds off a handicap of 10 yards.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://stawell.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/other/stawell-gift-greatest-ever-moments-countdown/536587.aspx?storypage=0 |title=Stawell Gift greatest-ever-moments countdown |publisher=The Stawell Times-News |date=11 April 2006 |access-date=9 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721101258/http://stawell.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/other/stawell-gift-greatest-ever-moments-countdown/536587.aspx?storypage=0 |archive-date=21 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> His performance was considered to be as good as those of [[Stan Rowley]], who won the Australian amateur [[sprint (running)|sprint]] titles that season. (Rowley went on to win three [[bronze medal]]s in the [[Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics|sprints at the 1900 Paris Olympics]]). Dave Strickland subsequently went on to play one senior game of [[Australian rules football]] with Melbourne-based VFL team [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]] in 1900<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/D/Dave_Strickland.html|title=AFL Player Statistics : Dave Strickland|publisher=AFL Statistics|access-date=9 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107220236/http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/D/Dave_Strickland.html|archive-date=7 January 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and six with WAFL club West Perth spread across the 1901 and 1909 seasons.

Her mother, Violet Edith Merry, was American-born with a British mining engineer father and a Norwegian mother.<ref name="bio"/>

==Education==
Strickland's early education was by correspondence. From 1934 to 1937 she attended the newly established local East Pithara School, winning a scholarship to attend [[Northam, Western Australia|Northam]] High School,<ref>{{cite news | title = Country News – Pithara, Dec. 19. | date = 30 December 1937 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41603062 | work = The West Australian | pages = 5 | access-date = 30 August 2011}}</ref> where, in 1939, she won 47 out of 49 events as a schoolgirl athlete.<ref name="Leski">{{cite web|url=http://www.leski.com.au/catalogues/a181/text.htm|title=Shirley Strickland de la Hunty|publisher=Leski Auctions|access-date=20 February 2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904181356/http://www.leski.com.au/catalogues/a181/text.htm|archive-date=4 September 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> After high school, she entered the [[University of Western Australia]] from where in 1946 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics. In her spare time she lectured in mathematics and physics<ref name=sports-reference/> to returned servicemen at [[Old Perth Technical School|Perth Technical College]], played wing in the university hockey team and gained a reputation as an extremely gifted sprinter and hurdler.

==Athletic career==
The [[World War II|Second World War]] was disruptive to women's athletics in Australia. Some runners, including Strickland, enlisted to help the war effort.<ref name=Stell-98>{{Cite book |last1=Stell |first1=Marion K. |title=Half the Race, A history of Australian women in sport|publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=1991 |location=North Ryde, Australia |isbn=0-207-16971-3 |page=98}}
</ref>

While teaching at [[Old Perth Technical School|Perth Technical College]], she was coached by [[Austin Robertson Sr.|Austin Robertson]], a former world professional sprint champion and [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] footballer.<ref name="SMH"/> She improved her 100&nbsp;yards time from 11.8 to 11.0 flat. At the 1947 Western Australia state titles, she won the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, the 90&nbsp;m yards hurdles and the [[shot put]].

The following year, she took up running seriously, with great success. She won the national title in the 80&nbsp;m [[hurdling|hurdles]] in 1948 and was part of the Australian delegation to the [[1948 Summer Olympics]] in London. There, Strickland finished third in both the [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m]] and [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80&nbsp;m hurdles]] and won a silver medal in the [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100&nbsp;m relay]]. Despite being awarded 4th place in the [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|200&nbsp;m final]], a photo finish of the race that was not consulted at the time, when examined in 1975, showed that she had beaten American [[Audrey Patterson]] into third place, a discrepancy that has been recognised by many reputable Olympic historians.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shirley Strickland|url=http://athletics.com.au/Athletes/Hall-of-Fame/Shirley-Strickland|website=athletics.com.au|publisher=[[Athletics Australia]]|access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref>

After winning three gold medals in the [[1950 British Empire Games]], she won her first Olympic title at the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Games]] in Helsinki. She won the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80&nbsp;m hurdles]] in [[world record]] time (10.9&nbsp;s). A baton mix-up cost her a second gold medal in the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100&nbsp;m relay]]. In the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m]], she again won a bronze medal.

She set a new world record of 11.3&nbsp;s for the 100&nbsp;m in Poland in 1955. Further, in the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Olympics]], she won again in the [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|80&nbsp;m hurdles]] and with the Australian [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100&nbsp;m relay]] team.

==Post-athletics==
[[File:Shirley Strickland.jpg|thumb|Statue of Shirley Strickland outside the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]]]
De la Hunty maintained her Olympic involvement in athlete administration, with the Australian teams during the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968]] and [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Olympics]] in Mexico City and Montreal.<ref name=britannica/> She also coached sprinter [[Raelene Boyle]] for the 1976 Olympic season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1047284.htm|title=Shirley Strickland dies aged 78|last=O'Brien|first=Kerry|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]|date=17 February 2004|access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref>

Along with her husband, de la Hunty had a longstanding involvement with the [[Australian Democrats]]. She was a founding member, and later served as president of the party's branch in Western Australia.<ref name="slwa">[http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn2501_3000/mn2926.pdf SHIRLEY DE LA HUNTY, 1925‐2004] – State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 March 2015.</ref> From the early 1970s through to the mid-1990s, de la Hunty was a [[perennial candidate]] for state and federal political office, although never elected. She stood in six state elections – [[1971 Western Australian state election|in 1971]], and then in five consecutive from [[1983 Western Australian state election|1983]] to [[1996 Western Australian state election|1996]]. In 1983, [[1986 Western Australian state election|1986]], and 1996, she stood for the [[Australian Democrats]], while she stood as an [[Independent politician|independent candidate]] in the remaining years. She ran for the [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] in 1983 and [[1993 Western Australian state election|1993]] (in [[Electoral district of East Melville|East Melville]] and [[Electoral district of Melville|Melville]], respectively), and for the [[Western Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] in 1971, 1986, 1989, and 1996.<ref name=black>Black, David (1989). ''An Index to Parliamentary Candidates in Western Australian Elections, 1890–1989''. Parliament of Western Australia, Parliament House, Perth, Western Australia</ref>{{rp|76}}

At the federal level, all but one of de la Hunty's runs for office were made as a Democrats candidate. In total, she contested seven federal elections—four consecutive from [[1977 Australian federal election|1977]] to [[1984 Australian federal election|1984]], as well as the [[1981 Curtin by-election|1981 by-election]] in [[Division of Curtin|Curtin]], and then in [[1993 Australian federal election|1993]] and [[1996 Australian federal election|1996]]. She ran for the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] in 1981 (Curtin), 1984 ([[Division of Fremantle|Fremantle]]), and 1993 ([[Division of Canning|Canning]]), with the latter being her only independent candidacy at federal level. At all other elections, she contested the [[Australian Senate|Senate]], where she was generally placed second or third on the Democrats' [[group voting ticket]].<ref name=black/>{{rp|350}} Although never elected to parliament, de la Hunty served two periods as a [[City of Melville]] councillor, from 1988 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2003.<ref name="slwa"/> This political affiliation contrasted with the background of her first coach, [[Betty Judge]], who was the wife of [[Kim Beazley Sr.]] and mother of [[Kim Beazley]], both prominent [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] politicians.

De la Hunty was one of several female Australian Olympians who carried the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games.<ref name=sports-reference/> In 2001, she attracted media attention by auctioning her sporting memorabilia including her Olympic gold medals.<ref name="Leski"/> She was criticised by some for that but asserted she had a right to do so and the income generated would help pay for her grandchildren's education and allow a sizeable donation to assist in securing old-growth forests from use by developers.  Her memorabilia were eventually acquired for the [[National Sports Museum]] in Melbourne by a group of anonymous businessmen who shared her wish that the memorabilia would stay in Australia.

==Personal life==
[[File:Shirley Strickland 1948.jpg|thumb|Shirley Strickland aged 23]]
In 1950, she married geologist Lawrence Edmund de la Hunty, who had been one of her students at Perth Technical College. They had four children: Phillip (1953), Barbara (1957), Matthew (1960) and David (1963). Matthew was the lead singer in Australian rock band [[Tall Tales and True]]. Barbara graduated in Science.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Phillip's intended medical career was destroyed by heroin addiction though he later graduated with honours in Science.<ref name=smh/> David is an [[ophthalmology|ophthalmologist]] practising in [[Rockingham, Western Australia|Rockingham]].<ref>[http://www.pertheyehospital.com.au/Our-Surgeons/Surgeon-Name/David-de-la-Hunty Specialist eye surgeons] at Perth Eye Hospital, 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018</ref> Lawrence died of a heart attack in 1980, aged 56.<ref name=smh/>

De la Hunty was appointed Officer of the [[Order of Australia]] (AO) on 26 January 2001 for service to the community, particularly in the areas of conservation, the environment and local government, and to athletics as an athlete, coach and administrator. She had been appointed Member of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (Civil) (MBE) for services to athletics on 1 January 1957.

Her body was found on 16 February 2004 on her kitchen floor, but the coroner determined that she died on the evening of 11 February. There was no full autopsy and the coroner said the cause of death was "unascertainable", though not inconsistent with natural causes.<ref name="smh">{{cite news|first1=Jane|last1=Cadzow|title=Death of a golden girl|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/national/death-of-a-golden-girl/2006/01/21/1137734180679.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1|access-date=26 April 2018|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 January 2006}}</ref>

The Western Australian government honoured her with a [[state funeral]], the first ever for a private citizen.<ref name=smh/>

In 2005, some members of her family approached the coroner regarding the circumstances of her death. In 2006 an investigation was conducted by detectives from the major crime squad. In 2008 [[probate]] was granted after a dispute over her will was resolved in the state [[Supreme Court of Western Australia|Supreme Court]].

Shirley Strickland Reserve in [[Ardross, Western Australia|Ardross]], a suburb of Perth, is named in her honour.

In 2001, she was inducted onto the [[Victorian Honour Roll of Women]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= 26 May 2022|title=Shirley de la Hunty (Strickland) AO MBE |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/shirley-de-la-hunty-strickland-ao-mbe |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=State Government of Victoria |language=en-au}}</ref> In 2011, Shirley was posthumously inducted into the [http://www.wawomenshalloffame.com.au/ WA Women's Hall of Fame], and in 2014, Strickland de la Hunty was inducted into the [[International Association of Athletics Federations]]' [[IAAF Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]

==See also==
* {{portal-inline|Sport of athletics}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* National Film and Sound Archive: [https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-shirley-strickland-de-la-hunty Oral biography with video clips]
*{{Sports links}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 100 m hurdles Women}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Women}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 100m Hurdles Women}}
{{IAAF Hall of Fame}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 100 m hurdles women}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 200 m women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strickland, Shirley}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian women hurdlers]]
[[Category:Australian women sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Australian people of American descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of British descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of Norwegian descent]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Australia]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australia]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Australia]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Australia]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Northam, Western Australia]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Western Australia]]
[[Category:University of Western Australia alumni]]
[[Category:Western Australian Sports Star of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Olympic Order]]
[[Category:Australian Democrats politicians]]
[[Category:City of Melville councillors]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Women local councillors in Australia]]
[[Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Western Australia]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games]]
[[Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]