Australian Sport History: From the Founding Years to Today

The academic study of sport history in Australia is a relatively recent initiative, dating back to the 1970s. It was inspired by a handful of enterprising scholars, each of whom is now retired. The following paper has two aims. First, it reflects on the efforts of early sport historians to carve out a research niche within the Australian academy. In keeping with the festschrift theme, it also dwells upon the profound influence of Wray Vamplew - a Yorkshireman who had the temerity to help pioneer sport history in an Antipodean setting. Second, the main body of the paper goes on to identify three key areas of research developed over the past thirty years by scholars of Australian sport history, then concludes with recommendations for further research.