Bill Barwick

Ernest William “Bill” Barwick was arguably the greatest distance runner to come from Tasmania. During his career Barwick held every Tasmanian distance record from the 800 yards to 15 miles, and became the first Tasmanian athlete to represent Australia at the Olympics. He was a specialist in the mile, which saw him set a national record at the 1932 Australian championships in Melbourne. This performance earned him a place on the Olympic team for the 1932 Los Angeles Games. Shortly after arriving in the United States, however, he suffered from an Achilles tendon injury that severely hampered his performance. Barwick ran in the 1,500 metres but could only manage to finish seventh in his heat and therefore did not advance to the final. In 1932 and 1933 he set no fewer than six Australian records and eight State records across multiple distances. Barwick retired from running in 1935 and went on to work in athletics administration. In 1985 he was awarded with an MBE for services to sport.

Personal Bests: 1500 – unknown; Mile – 4:16.9 (1932).