Paralympics Australia#History Project

PA is a company limited by guarantee and its shareholders are national sports federations and national sporting organisations for the disabled.{{cite web|title=Mission and goals |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/mission-goals-0 |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=8 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409090454/http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/mission-goals-0 |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}

Paralympics Australia was established in 1990 as the Australian Paralympic Federation. It is governed by a board of directors which may include elected and appointed members.

• Marcus Einfeld 1990–1992{{cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/980763|title=Einfeld, Marcus Richard: Australian Sports Medal|work=itsanhonour.gov.au|access-date=27 March 2009|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009214944/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=980763&search_type=quick&showInd=true|url-status=live}}
• Sally Anne Atkinson 1992
• Ron Finneran 1993{{cite web|title=Ron Finneran|url=https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/ron-finneran/|work=Sport Australia Hall of Fame website|access-date=24 September 2020}}
• Bob McCullough 1994–1996{{cite web|title=Annual Reports 1994 to 1996|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/annual-reports|work=Australian Paralympic Committee website|access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Marie Little 1996–1997{{cite web|title=Annual Report 1997|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/1997%20APF%20Annual%20Report.pdf|work=Australian Paralympic Committee website|access-date=8 July 2013}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• Greg Hartung 1997–2013{{cite web|title=APC Board |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/apc-board-staff |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=8 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628202128/http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/apc-board-staff |archive-date=28 June 2015 }}{{cite news|last=Sygall|first=David|title=Greg Hartung : the man who brought disabled sports in to the mainstream|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/greg-hartung-the-man-who-brought-disabled-athletes-into-mainstream-20131214-2zdvh.html|access-date=19 December 2013|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=15 December 2013}}
• Glenn Tasker 2013–2018
• Jock O'Callaghan 2018–2023{{cite web |title=APC announces new President |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/apc-announces-new-president/ |website=Australian Paralympic Committee website |date=2 September 2018 |access-date=11 September 2018}}
• Alison Creagh 2023–{{Cite web |date=12 September 2023 |title=Paralympics Australia Announces New President |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2023/09/paralympics-australia-announces-new-president/ |access-date=12 September 2023 |website=Paralympics Australia}}

• Adrienne Smith 1990–1993
• Frank Martin 1994–1997
• Scott Derwin 1997–1999
• Brendan Flynn 1999–2003
• Darren Peters 2003–2009
• Miles Murphy 2009
• Jason Hellwig 2010–2015{{cite web|title=Annual Reports 1994–2011/12|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/content/annual-reports|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|access-date=18 February 2013}}{{cite web|title=APC Chief Executive stands down|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/apc-chief-executive-stands-down|website=Australian Paralympic Committee News, 27 March 2015|date=27 March 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015}}
• Lynne Anderson 2015–2021{{cite web|title=APC Board appoints new Chief Executive|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/apc-board-appoints-new-chief-executive|website=Australian Paralympic Committee News, 21 August 2015|date=20 August 2015 |access-date=31 August 2015}}
• Catherine Clark 2022–2024{{Cite web|date=26 October 2021|title=Paralympics Australia Appoints New Chief Executive|url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2021/10/paralympics-australia-appoints-new-chief-executive/|access-date=1 November 2021|website=Paralympics Australia}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=Paralympics Australia – Resignation of Chief Executive Officer {{!}} Paralympics Australia |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2024/07/paralympics-australia-resignation-of-chief-executive-officer/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=www.paralympic.org.au |language=en-AU}}
• Cameron Murray 2024–{{cite news |title=Paralympics Australia Announces Cameron Murray As Chief Executive Officer {{!}} Paralympics Australia |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2024/11/paralympics-australia-announces-cameron-murray-as-chief-executive-officer/ |access-date=16 November 2024 |work=www.paralympic.org.au |date=12 November 2024 |language=en-AU}}

Milestones in the development of the Australian Paralympic movement and Paralympics Australia:

• 1960 – Australia participated in the 1st Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy. The Australian team of 12 athletes won three gold, six silver and 1 bronze medals.
• 1962 – Perth hosted the 1st Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. It was the first international disability multi-sport held in Australia and raised the profile of disability sport.{{cite journal|last=Bedbrook|first=George|title=The First Commonwealth Paraplegic Games|journal=The Australian Paraplegic|date=September 1962|pages=9–10}}
• 1975 – Australian Confederation of Sports for the Disabled established.{{cite book|title=Oxford Companion to Australian sport. 2nd ed.|year=1994|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne|isbn=0195535685}}
• 1976 – 1st Winter Paralympic Games held in Sweden. Australia was unofficially represented at these Games by Ron Finneran, who competed but was not officially recognised as he did not fall into the amputee or visual impairment categories.
• 1977 – Sydney hosted the 2nd FESPIC Games, a multi-sport event for Far East and South Pacific athletes with a disability.{{cite book|last=Chiang|first=Silas|title=FESPIC Movement : sports for people with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific|year=2010|publisher=Commercial Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=978-962-07-6449-3|url=http://www.hksap.org/download/FESPIC%20%20Book.pdf|access-date=18 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522211100/http://www.hksap.org/download/FESPIC%20%20Book.pdf|archive-date=22 May 2011|url-status=dead}}
• 1981 – National Committee on Sport and Recreation established to make recommendations to the Minister for Sport on priority areas for the development of sport and recreation for disabled people including funding allocations.{{cite book|title=Australian Sport : a profile|year=1985|publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|location=Canberra|isbn=0644036672|pages=[https://archive.org/details/australiansport00aust/page/39 39]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/australiansport00aust/page/39}}
• 1984 – Amputee swimmers and track and field athletes attended their first training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in preparation for the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics.{{cite book|title=Annual Report 1983-1984 |year=1984 |publisher=Australian Institute of Sport |location=Canberra |url=https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/295210/AIS_Annual_Report_1983-1984.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331185957/https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/295210/AIS_Annual_Report_1983-1984.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2012 }}
• 1985 – inaugural Australia Games provided events for disabled athletes in athletics, swimming, basketball, lawn bowls, netball and weight lifting competitions.{{cite book|last1=Australian Bureau of Statistics|title=Year book of Australia 1986|date=1986|publisher=AGPS|location=Canberra|pages=678–679}}
• 1988 – Russell Short, a vision impaired thrower, became the first athlete with a disability to be offered a scholarship at the AIS.{{cite web|title=Timeline – Australian Institute of Sport|url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/about/history/timeline|work=Australian Sports Commission website|access-date=18 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321224131/https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/about/history/timeline|archive-date=21 March 2019|url-status=dead}}
• 1990 – The Australian Paralympic Federation was established to coordinate elite Australian athletes with a disability participation in the Paralympic Games and liaise with the International Paralympic Committee.
• 1990 – Australian Sports Commission Disabled Sports Program offered three AIS scholarships to athletes with a disability – Russell Short, Rodney Nugent and Dean Barton-Smith.{{cite web|title=Annual report 1989-1990|url=https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/291749/ASC_AR_1989-1990.pdf|work=Australian Sports Commission|access-date=18 February 2013}}
• 1991 – Chris Nunn commenced as part-time coach of Aussie Able Program located at the AIS. ).{{cite journal|title=Chris Nunn – Athletics Head Coach of the Australian Paralympic Team |journal=Coaching Australia |year=2000 |volume=4 |issue=2 |url=https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/187825/Vol4No22000.pdf |access-date=17 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331074608/https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/187825/Vol4No22000.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2012 }}
• 1993 – Sydney won the right to host the 2000 Paralympic Games. Ron Finneran and Adrienne Smith lobbied to ensure that the Paralympics were part of Sydney's bid for the 2000 Olympics and they would be underwritten by the Federal and State Governments.{{cite news|title=A selfless heroine for Paralympians|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/a-selfless-heroine-of-the-paralympians-20120328-1vyl7.html|access-date=18 February 2013|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 March 2012}}
• 1993 – Michael Milton was the first winter Paralympian to receive an AIS scholarship.
• 1994 – Paralympic Preparation Program established by the Australian Sports Commission assist to athletes with a disability in their preparation for the 2000 Sydney Paralympics{{cite web|title=Annual report 1993-1994|url=https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/245031/ASC_AR_1993-1994.pdf|work=Australian Paralympic Federation|access-date=18 February 2013}}
• 1994 – Australian Paralympian of the Year established with wheelchair racer Louise Sauvage the first winner.{{cite web|title=Annual report 2011-2012|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/2011-2012%20APC%20Annual%20Report.pdf|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|access-date=18 February 2013}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• 1998 – The Australian Paralympic Federation changed its name to the Australian Paralympic Committee. A new logo was created.{{cite web|title=Annual Report 1998|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/1998%20APC%20Annual%20Report|format=PDF|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|access-date=18 February 2013}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• 2000 – Sydney hosted the 11th Summer Paralympics, the first Games held outside the Northern Hemisphere. Australia finished first on the medal tally winning 149 medals – 63 gold, 39 silver and 47 bronze medals. It has been Australia's most successful summer Paralympics to date.{{cite web|title=Paralympic games History – Summer |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-summer/paralympic-games-history-summer |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=18 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605061121/http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-summer/paralympic-games-history-summer |archive-date=5 June 2011 }} At the end of the Games, International Paralympic Committee, Robert Steadward declared Sydney the "best Games ever".
• 2001 – AIS and APC established an AIS/APC Alpine Ski Program. It was the first single sport AIS program for athletes with a disability.{{cite web|title=Annual report 2002|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/2002%20APC%20Annual%20Report|format=PDF|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|access-date=18 February 2013}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• 2002 – APC adopted a policy of mainstreaming that resulted in national sports organisations being responsible for the preparation of their athletes to Paralympic level.
• 2002 – Australia's best performance at Winter Paralympics winning six gold and one bronze medal at the Australia at the 2002 Winter Paralympics.{{cite web|title=Paralympic Games History – Winter |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-winter/paralympic-games-history-winter |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=18 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605054642/http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-winter/paralympic-games-history-winter |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}
• 2005 – APC established the Paralympic Search Program to identify people with disabilities who had the athletic potential to represent Australia at Paralympic level competition. At the 2012 London Paralympics, 43 talent search program athletes represented Australia and won 28 medals.{{cite web|title=Search for the next Paralympoc star continues|url=http://london2012.paralympic.org.au/news/search-our-next-paralympic-star-continues|work=Australian Paralympic Committee News|date=10 October 2010|access-date=18 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306024817/http://london2012.paralympic.org.au/news/search-our-next-paralympic-star-continues|archive-date=6 March 2014|url-status=dead}}
• 2009 – APC and Australian Olympic Committee jointly submitted a National High Performance Plan for Olympic and Paralympic Sports in Australia to the Crawford Inquiry into Australian sport.{{cite book|title=National High Performance Plan for Olympic and Paralympic Sports in Australia|year=2009|publisher=Australian Olympic Committee : Australian Paralympic Committee|location=Sydney|url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/files/dmFile/AOC_High_Perf_Plan_2009.pdf}}
• 2009 – Greg Hartung, APC President, was elected the Vice President of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board at a meeting of the IPC General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur.{{cite news|last=McDonald|first=Margie|title=Greg Hartung rises to IPC vice-presidency|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/greg-hartung-rises-to-ipc-vice-presidency/story-e6frg7mf-1225802057696|access-date=18 February 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=23 November 2009}}
• 2010 – The APC received an additional $3 million per annum as part of the Australian Government's sport reform package Australian Sport: The Pathway to Success.{{cite web|title=Athletes big winners in new high performance funding|url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/news/asc_news/2010/record_funding_allocations_announced_for_australian_sport|work=Australian Sports Commission News, 3 September 2010|access-date=18 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620003921/http://www.ausport.gov.au/news/asc_news/2010/record_funding_allocations_announced_for_australian_sport|archive-date=20 June 2013|url-status=dead}}
• 2010 – The APC and Australian Defence Force (ADF) launched the ADF Paralympic Sport Program that aimed to direct ADF members, who acquired a disability during their employment, into Paralympic sport.{{cite news|last=Browning|first=Jennifer|title=Injured soldiers encouraged to be Paralympians|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-12/injured-soldiers-encouraged-to-be-paralympians/433206|work=ABC News, 13 May 2010|date=12 May 2010 |access-date=18 February 2013}}{{cite web|title=Launch of the Australian Defence Force Paralympic Sports Program|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2010/may/20100512a/index.htm|work=Department of Defence Media|date=12 May 2010|access-date=18 February 2013}}
• 2011 – APC established Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/apc-programs/australian-paralympic-hall-fame/australian-paralympic-hall-fame |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=18 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207221048/http://www.paralympic.org.au/apc-programs/australian-paralympic-hall-fame/australian-paralympic-hall-fame |archive-date=7 February 2012 }}
• 2011 – APC engaged the University of Queensland and the University of Canberra to write the History of the Paralympic Movement in Australia. This project is part of a larger project within the APC, to capture and archive valuable historical records of Australians at the Paralympics.{{cite web|title=APC to secure Australia's paralympic history|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/apc-secure-australia%E2%80%99s-paralympic-history|work=Australian Paralympic Committee News|date=21 July 2011|access-date=18 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529093407/http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/apc-secure-australia%E2%80%99s-paralympic-history|archive-date=29 May 2013|url-status=dead}} as the country's first Centre for Paralympic Excellence.{{cite web|title=Australia Announces Centre for Paralympic Excellence|url=http://www.paralympic.org/news/australia-announces-centre-paralympic-excellence|work=International Paralympic Committee News|access-date=18 February 2013}}
• 2012 — Australia participated in the 14th Paralympic Games in London, England. The Australian team of 161 athletes won 32 gold, 23 silver and 30 bronze medals.{{cite web|title=Bring on Rio|url=http://london2012.paralympic.org.au/news/bring-rio|work=Australian Paralympic Committee News, 10 September 2012|access-date=8 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923042742/http://london2012.paralympic.org.au/news/bring-rio|archive-date=23 September 2013|url-status=dead}}
• 2013 – Greg Hartung steps down as President after 16 years in the position and replaced by Glenn Tasker.
• 2015 – Ski & Snowboard Australia took over the operation of the Paralympic winter sport. The APC had managed the program since 1994.{{cite web|title=A new direction for Australian Winter Para-sport|url=http://www.skiandsnowboard.org.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_main&NewsID=55988&OrgID=2083|website=Ski and Snowboard Australia News|access-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303003359/http://skiandsnowboard.org.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_main&NewsID=55988&OrgID=2083|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
• 2016 – Australia participated in the 15th Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Australian team of 176 athletes won 22 gold, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals
• 2019 – Changed named to Paralympics Australia (PA) with a new logo.
• 2019 – Australian Government announced $12 million in funding to Paralympics Australia – $8 million for Australian Team at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and $4 million for the development of training centre in Melbourne.{{cite news |last1=Sanda |first1=Dominica |title=breaking news Aussie paralympians get $12m funding boost |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/aussie-paralympians-get-12m-funding-boost/news-story/c2f1e6549c1a7cf44de3a435e3bf396c |access-date=6 February 2019 |work=News.com.au |date=5 February 2019}}

{{Portal|Sports}}

• Australian Olympic Committee
• Australia at the Paralympics
• Australia at the Summer Paralympics
• Australia at the Winter Paralympics

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Spoken Wikipedia|Australian_Paralympic_Committee.ogg|date=2012-5-6}}

• [http://www.nla.gov.au/oral-history/australian-centre-for-paralympic-studies-oral-history-project Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies Oral History Project] – access to interviews
• [http://www.paralympic.org International Paralympic Committee Official site]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121219021753/http://ausport.hosting.libero.com.au/libero/WebOpac.cls National Sport Information Centre Catalogue] – listing of information resources maintained by the Australian Paralympic Committee.

{{OPC}}

{{Sports governing bodies in Australia}}

Australia

Category:Australia at the Paralympics

Category:1990 establishments in Australia

Category:Sports organizations established in 1990

Category:Parasports organisations in Australia