By Sarah Mitchell
A trailblazing Sydney swimmer who won an Olympic medal more than 110 years ago has been honoured with a blue plaque, unveiled today at her family’s namesake ocean pool.
Wilhelmina “Mina” Wylie won silver in the 100 metres at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, making her the second Australian female swimmer to place at the Games – her friend, Sarah “Fanny” Durack, placed first.
Mina Wylie pictured in 1973 with one of the many mementos from her career.Credit: Stevens/Fairfax Media
The blue plaque, a Heritage NSW initiative designed to acknowledge and honour the extraordinary people who have shaped the state, was unveiled on Friday at Wylie’s Baths, the Coogee pool built by her father Henry Wylie, also a competitive swimmer.
Durack’s blue plaque was unveiled on Thursday, at her childhood home on Douglas Street, Stanmore.
The two women, who had to fight for Australia to enter women’s swimming events – because the NSW Ladies Swimming Association did not believe women should compete in front of men – were among the country’s first women Olympians.
Wylie’s Baths in Coogee.Credit: Edwina Pickles
Wylie went on to hold world records in freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke before her retirement in 1934.
NSW’s blue plaques are inspired by similar schemes in the UK.
Unveiling the Wylie plaque, Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill spoke of the importance of recognising female athletes in NSW history, and the community of the eastern suburbs, where Wylie grew up.
Wilhelmina (Mina) Wylie - the first Australian woman to win an Olympic silver medal - has been honoured with a blue plaque at Coogee.Credit: Archival photo via NSW Government.
“It’s really for our future generations, particularly young girls, knowing that their life, their path to becoming a female athlete is easier because of the Wylies of the world,” she said.
“It’s really important that we recognise these female trailblazers who too often go forgotten in the history books. Her being a competitive athlete at that period of time is no small feat.”
Former Olympian Lisa Forrest, who won medals in the 1978 and 1982 Olympic Games, said earlier female athletes had more to prove than their male counterparts.
“Women were always challenged,” she said at Wylie’s Baths. “There was this idea that women were just going to train to get to the Olympic team and then eat too much, too many sweets and get fat and not take swimming seriously.”
Forrest said the plaque was a step in recognising the hard work, grit and determination of Wylie, as well as motivating the next generation to continue to “fight the good fight”.
Wylie’s blue plaque is one of 16 in the third round of such memorials, which are nominated by members of the public. In her case, the nomination came from Randwick Council.
Wylie family representative, Julie Wylie, Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill, former Olympian Lisa Forrest and Randwick Deputy Mayor Marea Wilson unveiled the blue plaque on Friday morning.
Other recipients in this round of the plaques, which were introduced by Heritage NSW in 2022, include HIV/AIDS activist Bobby Goldsmith and Bessie Guthrie, one of the founding members of Elsie’s women’s refuge, in Glebe.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.