Dawn Fraser’s Balmain childhood and the highest Queen’s Birthday honour
DAWN FRASER has turned 80 but the memory of learning to swim in Balmain is still clear. She explains how success stemmed from her inner west childhood and likened her recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List to winning her first Olympic gold medal.
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DAWN FRASER may have turned 80 but the memory of learning to swim in Balmain is still crystal clear in her mind.
The Australian swimming legend was four years old when her beloved brother Donnie used to hoist her onto his back and jump off the 10m tower at the Dawn Fraser Baths — named in her honour.
“One day he just took me off his shoulders when we came up and I had to swim towards the ladder and that’s how I really learnt to swim,” Fraser told the Inner West Courier.
Rather than being terrified, she was instantly hooked.
“I just loved it, I loved the water.”
Ten years later swim coach Harry Gallagher spotted her raw talent when he was forced to bring his swim squad to the baths after their pool at Drummoyne was flooded in torrential rain.
“All of a sudden our lanes were being taken over by this person called Mr Gallagher and when his squad trained we used to jump off the tower and bomb them.
“One day I came out the pool when it was pretty late and got on my push bike and he said: ‘I’d get a light for that bike if I were you’ and I said: ‘I’d mind my own business if I were you’.
“He came up to my place the next night to speak to my mother and father as he wanted to coach me.”
She never dreamt the encounter would lead to her winning eight Olympic medals.
Fraser spoke to the Courier about her fond memories growing up in the inner west as she was just one of ten Australians to be made a companion (AC) in the Order of Australia — the highest possible achievement — in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List on Monday.
She was recognised for her “eminent service to sport through ambassadorial, mentoring and non-executive roles with a range of organisations at all levels and to the community through roles in conservation and motoring associations”.
“It’s a great honour,” she said. “It’s like winning my first gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics and I’m just so very chuffed about it.”
“I came from a working class family and my mother and father worked very hard and that made me want to work hard for the rest of my life.”
Her favourite childhood memories include her shipwright father Kenneth taking them to see big ships being launched from Cockatoo Island where he worked.
Their family used to breed canaries which were used to detect toxic gas in the coal mine in front of their house on Birchgrove Rd.
Fraser said Balmain had “changed dramatically” from a blue collar working class suburb to one now populated with doctors and professionals wanting to live in a “beautiful” setting close to the water.
The diehard Wests Tigers fan jokes she has “one black eye and one gold eye” and is still on the board of directors for Balmain Tigers.
“I was a bit disappointed when Wests Tigers let Aaron Woods go and Robbie Farah and all those top guys but now we’ve got a good coach, Ivan Cleary and he’s got a good group of youngsters coming through.”
She is supportive of the latest plans to redevelop its dilapidated leagues club building at Rozelle into 173 apartments and a new club as it would allow the Tigers to return to their spiritual home.
“I can’t wait for us to get back in because even though we have Tigers at Five Dock and Sydney Markets, we need to be back on Victoria Rd in the leagues club there because that’s where everybody used to come.”
Fraser also reflected on her time as publican of the RiverView Hotel from 1978 to 1983 when Balmain’s pub culture was booming.
“That was probably the most interesting five years of my life … it was hard work, sometimes 23 hours a day working but I learnt a lot from it and I sponsored some very good junior teams when I was publican there.”
Fraser has since moved to Noosa, Queensland as she wanted to be close to her daughter Dawn-Lorraine and grandson Jackson, 14.
With coach Harry Gallagher in 1967 at Adelaide's City Baths.
“We go out on the jet ski, fishing, we ride to school.”
Despite turning 80 last year, she is about to start swimming again after being cleared after a shoulder operation.
“I won’t give into age.
“I will probably get up to about 20km a day if I can otherwise I wouldn’t get fit.
“Mentally I like to think I’m about 60 and I try to keep my body as fit as that. I’ve made a promise to make my grandson’s 21st birthday and I’ll try and hold my promise.”
INNER WEST QUEENS BIRTHDAY HONOURS
AC- COMPANION
Dawn Fraser: For eminent service to sport, through ambassadorial, mentoring and non-executive roles with a range of organisations and to the community through roles in conservation and motoring associations.
Professor Virginia Margaret Spate: Pyrmont: For eminent service to higher education, particularly to art history and theory and to the advanced study of the contemporary arts, as an academic, author and curator and as a role model.
AO — OFFICER
Julie Bates, Ultimo: For distinguished service to community health, particularly through harm reduction programs for sex workers and people with substance abuse issues and those living with HIV/AIDS.
AM — MEMBER
Teresa Anderson: For service to community health and public administration as a clinician, manager and health service executive
Dr John Alexander Byrne, Glebe: For significant service to library and information management through initiatives to develop access to global and Indigenous resources.
Louise Rosalind Davis, Drummoyne: For significant service to business in the not-for-profit sector through promoting corporate social responsibility.
Marie Louise Sylvan, Pyrmont: For significant service to business, particularly consumer rights, investment and health agencies and to conservation.
OAM — MEDAL
Mr John Goss, Balmain: For service to motor sports.
Prof Paul Richard McKenzie, Camperdown: For service to medicine, particularly to anatomical pathology.
Ruth Sutton, Concord: For service to veterans and their families, in particular the Concord RSL.
Dr Mark Turkington, Drummoyne: For service to education, in particular Sydney Catholic Schools.