Former Olympic champion credits faith for diamond jubilee with love of her life

Olympic gold medallist Fleur and her husband Brian Wenham, who helped design the Warragamba Dam, celebrate their diamond jubilee still covered with the love and faith with which they took their vows.

Brian and Fleur Wenham on their wedding day, 60 years ago.

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Olympic gold medallist Fleur and her husband Brian Wenham, who helped design the Warragamba Dam, celebrate their diamond jubilee still covered with the love and faith with which they took their vows.

Fleur and Brian Wenham with their children, grandchild and great grandchildren.

Well known local pastor Brian and Fleur, the 1956 Olympic gold medallist, celebrated their diamond jubilee in style in the company of their family and friends, in February.

The Condell Park couple have spent most of their life serving the church, having met while they were teenagers in the St George District and attending Penshurst Methodist Church.

Brian, who is originally from Yass, helped designed the Warragamba Dam.

Brian and Fleur Wenham celebrated their diamond jubilee 60th wedding anniversary. Picture: Robert Pozo

His nephew Stuart Wenham, who died aged 60 in 2017, was famous for his pioneering work in solar technology and invented the Advanced Hydrogenation hydrogen passivation technology.

The future Australian Olympic star Fleur was born and raised in Penshurst and is an accomplished pianist and organist.

The Wenhams moved to Condell Park in January 1973 after he was appointed pastor of the Peoples Church, now known as Condell Park Bible Church.

Brian and Fleur Wenham, who is holding the 1956 Olympic gold medal, with Blaxland MP Jason Clare.

“We have a spiritual bond in our marriage as we both trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour when we were in our early twenties, before we were married,” Mr Wenham, 86, said.

“This led to a time when we committed our lives to serving the Lord in full time ministry, so we have been able, not only to live together, but to work together with a common goal.

Mrs Wenham, 82, added: “The secret in maintaining our marriage is our desire to honour God in all things, to be a testimony for Jesus Christ and to present Him in His saving power.”

Brian and Fleur Wenham enjoy their wedding day.

The lovely couple have two children, Carol Grigg and Brett, five grandchildren (Susannah, Timothy, David, Elisa and Jonathan) and three great-grandchildren (Harrison, Winslow and Benson).

Ms Grigg was awarded an OAM in 2014 for her work with the Asperger Syndrome Partner Information Australia, which she founded.

Brian is now pastor emeritus (retired) at Condell Park, having served as senior pastor there for 43 years up to 2016.

Australia Prize winners Martin Green, left, and Stuart Wenham with their buried-contact solar cell developed and built at the University of NSW in February 1999.

Fleur is best known as the third runner in the all-conquering Australian Olympic 4x100m women’s relay team which smashed the world record twice en route to capturing gold at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

Brian, daughter Carol Grigg and Fleur.

Fleur Mellor, as she was then known, handed over the third leg baton to Betty Cuthbert as the awesome foursome brought home the gold in the record time of 44.5 seconds.

The other champion runners were Norma Croker and Shirley Strickland.

Carol Grigg, Brett Wenham, Fleur and Brian Wenham, and Lisa Wenham.

Mrs Wenham worked with her husband in his ministry in addition to being an active member of the Women’s Amateur Athletics Association.

Mr Wenham graduated as a civil engineer from the University of NSW, before working for Sydney Water Board.

He studied in the Methodist Theological College, was ordained to the ministry with his first appointment being at Wollongong in January 1964.

After the change to Condell Park Bible Church he became involved in a worldwide Biblical ministry in which the degree Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him.