The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen.[1] The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser the first female inductee. [1] In 1989, the Hall of Fame was expanded to include associate members who have assisted in the development of sport in Australia. In 2012, there were 518 members. [2] Each year the Hall of Fame inducts notable retired athletes, associate members and upgrades one member to 'legend' status.
| Established | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Location | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Chairperson | John Bertrand |
| Website | https://sahof.org.au/ |
The main award each year is the 'Don' Award but other awards include Team Sport Australia Award, Spirit of Sport Award and Hall of Fame Moments.[3]
The National Sports Museum located at the Melbourne Cricket Ground houses the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. [3]
The Don Award
This award was first awarded in 1998. It is named after Sir Donald Bradman and recognises the sporting achievement of the year which has inspired the people of Australia.[4] As of 2022, there are three people who have won the award more than once; Steve Hooker (2008 and 2009), Sally Pearson (2012 and 2014) and Ashleigh Barty (2019 and 2022).[5]
| Year | Athlete/team | Sport | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Mark Taylor | Cricket | |
| Heather Turland | Athletics | ||
| 1999 | Ian Thorpe | Swimming | |
| 2000 | Cathy Freeman | Athletics | |
| 2001 | Pat Rafter | Tennis | |
| 2002 | Alisa Camplin | Freestyle skiing | |
| Steven Bradbury | Speed skating | ||
| 2003 | Damien Oliver | Horse racing | |
| 2004 | Petria Thomas | Swimming | |
| 2005 | Grant Hackett | Swimming | |
| 2006 | Kerryn McCann | Athletics | |
| Socceroos | Soccer | ||
| 2007 | Glenn McGrath | Cricket | |
| Shane Warne | Cricket | ||
| 2008 | Matthew Mitcham | Diving | |
| Steven Hooker | Athletics | ||
| 2009 | Steven Hooker | Athletics | |
| 2010 | Lydia Lassila | Freestyle skiing | |
| 2011 | Cadel Evans | Cycling | |
| 2012 | Sally Pearson | Athletics | |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | Golf | [6] |
| 2014 | Sally Pearson | Athletics | |
| 2015 | Jason Day | Golf | |
| 2016 | Michelle Payne | Horse racing | |
| 2017 | Jeff Horn | Boxing | |
| 2018 | Kurt Fearnley | Athletics (Paralympic) | [7] |
| 2019 | Ashleigh Barty | Tennis | [8] |
| 2020 | Australian women's T20 cricket team | Cricket | |
| 2021 | Patty Mills | Basketball | [9] |
| 2022 | Ashleigh Barty | Tennis | [5] |
| 2023 | Matildas | Soccer | [10] |
The Dawn Award
This award was first awarded in 2021. It is named after Dawn Fraser and recognises a courageous ground-breaker who has demonstrated achievement against the odds and challenged the status quo.
| Year | Athlete/team | Sport | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | Tennis | [9] |
| 2022 | Peter Norman | Athletics | [11] |
| 2023 | 2000 Olympics Australian women's water polo team | Water polo | [10] |
Legends
| Induction year | Athlete | Sport | Legend year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Don Bradman | Cricket | 1993 | |
| 1985 | Dawn Fraser | Swimming | 1993 | |
| 1985 | Hubert Opperman | Cycling | 1993 | |
| 1985 | Betty Cuthbert | Athletics | 1994 | |
| 1985 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | Tennis | 1994 | |
| 1985 | Jock Sturrock | Sailing | 1994 | |
| 1986 | Scobie Breasley | Horse racing | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Shirley de la Hunty | Athletics | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Reg Gasnier | Rugby league | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Dunc Gray | Cycling | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Marjorie Jackson-Nelson | Athletics | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Ted Whitten | Australian rules football | 1995 | |
| 1985 | Shane Gould | Swimming | 1996 | |
| 1986 | Vic Patrick | Boxing | 1996 | |
| 1985 | Bill Roycroft | Equestrian | 1996 | |
| 1985 | Herb Elliott | Athletics | 1997 | |
| 1985 | Margaret Court | Tennis | 1998 | |
| 1985 | Walter Lindrum | Billiards | 1998 | |
| 1985 | Murray Rose | Swimming | 1999 | |
| 1985 | Heather McKay | Squash | 2000 | |
| 1985 | Peter Thomson | Golf | 2001 | |
| 1985 | Rod Laver | Tennis | 2002 | |
| 1985 | Jack Brabham | Motorsport | 2003 | |
| 1986 | Keith Miller | Cricket | 2004 | |
| 1985 | John Landy | Athletics | 2005 | |
| 1987 | Ron Barassi | Australian rules football | 2006 | |
| 1988 | Greg Norman | Golf | 2007 | |
| 1991 | Bart Cummings | Horse racing | 2008 | |
| 1985 | Edwin Flack | Athletics | 2009 | |
| 1985 | Ken Rosewall | Tennis | 2009 | |
| 1994 | Leigh Matthews | Australian rules football | 2010 | |
| 1985 | John Raper | Rugby league | 2010 | |
| 2005 | Cathy Freeman | Athletics | 2011 | |
| 2002 | Susie O'Neill | Swimming | 2012 | |
| 1985 | John Bertrand | Sailing | 2013 | [6] |
| 1985 | John Newcombe | Tennis | 2014 | |
| 1987 | Anne Sargeant | Netball | 2015 | [12] |
| 1987 | Wally Lewis | Rugby league | 2016 | |
| 1985 | Raelene Boyle | Athletics | 2017 | |
| 1985 | Richie Benaud | Cricket | 2018 | |
| 2007 | Louise Sauvage | Athletics (Paralympic) | 2019 | [13] |
| 2003 | John Eales | Rugby union | 2020 | [14] |
| 1985 | Dennis Lillee | Cricket | 2021 | [15] |
| 2008 | Ian Thorpe | Swimming | 2021 | [15] |
| 1985 | Ron Clarke | Athletics | 2022 | |
| 2009 | Shane Warne | Cricket | 2022 | [16] |
| 2011 | Layne Beachley | Surfing | 2023 | [17] |
| 1987 | Mark Ella | Rugby union | 2023 | [17] |
| 1985 | Bob Skilton | Australian rules football | 2023 | [18] |