The country towns that produced Australian sporting stars

Some of the best Australian athletes were born and bred in the bush. But which country town is the sporting capital? HAVE YOUR SAY

Some of Australia’s best athletes were born and bred in the country. Picture: Supplied

Country Australia is the birthplace of many of the nation’s greatest exports.

Food and fibre, country singers, ‘big things’ and increasingly, sporting superstars.

From humble beginnings to competing on the world stage, the likes of cycling great Cadel Evans, international golfing star Greg Norman, Olympic swimming champion Kyle Chalmers and former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor all hail from the bush.

While Wagga Wagga in southern NSW is often recognised as producing the most sporting stars — among them Taylor, AFL greats Paul Kelly and Wayne Carey and the famous rugby league Mortimer brothers — the beef capital of Rockhampton in Queensland is certainly staking its claim on the title.

Rockhampton has produced the likes of Olympic swimming gold medallist Duncan Armstrong (who can forget the excitement of his coach Laurie Lawrence after his win in the 200m freestyle at Seoul in 1988) and, of course, one of the greatest tennis players to have ever picked up a racquet in Rod Laver.
Laver’s accomplishments include 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He is the only person to achieve the coveted Grand Slam — winning Wimbledon as well as the Australian, French and US opens in a calendar year — twice. He did so in 1962 and 1969.

Another town that features with a star-studded list of notable former residents is Horsham in Victoria’s Wimmera region.

Mayor Robyn Gulline said the recognition of her town’s sporting prowess was a celebration of the type of person that lives there.

“The fact that we have so many sporting champs coming from this municipality and broader region is testament to the can-do attitude and steely determination of country people,” she said.

“Sport is integral to country living and there are so many sporting opportunities here, whether it be football, netball, hockey, basketball cycling.”

She said parents who put in the hours and kilometres driving their kids to various levels of sporting competitions must also be acknowledged.

We have compiled a list of more than 200 elite athletes from our sporting history from 13 country towns.

But which of these towns raised the lion’s share and the most successful Australian sporting stars? Check out the list below.

ALBURY, NSW

Situated on the border of Victoria and NSW, Albury has a population of almost 50,000. The town is home to five AFL teams, three rugby league sides and 12 local soccer clubs.

Lauren Jackson is an international basketballer that has represented Australia in the Olympics and earned herself a place in the Australian Hall of Fame. Picture: Jesse D. Garrabrant/AFP

Margaret Court — Tennis

Dianne Fromholtz — Tennis

Lauren Jackson — Basketball

Brett Kirk — AFL

Anthony Purtell — Rugby League

Will Setterfield — AFL

Charlie Spargo — AFL

BALLARAT, VIC

While Ballarat may be best known for it’s role in Victoria’s gold rush, the Central Highlands town has also produced a number of high-profile sporting stars. During the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, Lake Wendouree was host to the rowing and kayaking events. Australian-rules football is a favourite of it’s residents, with cricket a close second.

Steve Moneghetti, renowned Australian runner, at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. Picture: Chloe Smith.

Sophie Alexander — AFLW

Kaitlyn Ashmore — AFLW

Peter Blackburn — Badminton

Ray Borner — Basketball

Tony Lockett — AFL

Mick Malthouse — AFL

Russell Mark — Shooting

Steve Moneghetti — Running

Michelle Payne — Horseracing

Drew Petrie — AFL

Shayne Reese — Swimming

Greg Smith — Paralympian/ wheelchair rugby

Jared Tallent — Race-walking

DUBBO, NSW

People often flock to the Central West NSW town of Dubbo for its world-renowned Western Plains Zoo, but along with animals, sport reigns supreme. The most popular sports among the 30,000-odd residents are rugby, AFL, cricket and even ultimate frisbee.

Tim Armstrong (batsman) has had an illustrious career as an Australian and domestic cricket player, formerly playing with the Perth Scorchers. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

Tim Armstrong — Cricket

Mark Crick — Rugby Union

Megan Dunn — Cycling

Scott Hill — Rugby League

Andrew Jones — Cricket

Chris Killen — Cricket

Don Parish — Rugby League

Mark Patterson — Cricket

David Peachy — Rugby League

Luke Priddis — Rugby League

Charles Robinson — Cricket

Andrew Ryan — Rugby League

Brian Tink — Boxer

Jacob Tratt — Soccer

Christopher Tremain — Cricket

HORSHAM, VIC

The Wimmera town located halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide has a strong sporting history, including producing one of the AFL’s most influential Indigenous players in Adam Goodes as well as a very successful local football club - the Horsham Demons. Alongside AFL, cricket, tennis, basketball and athletics are equally popular across the region.

Dual-Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes became an Indigenous icon for the AFL. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Jarrod Berry — AFL

Tom Berry — AFL

Jannik Blair a.k.a. The Bizzness — Wheelchair basketball

Aaron Bruce — Basketball

Shaun Bruce — Basketball

Mitch Creek — Basketball

Jane Flemming — Athletes

Adam Goodes — AFL

Brett Goodes — AFL

Shane Heard — AFL

Adrian Hickmott — AFL

Jake Lloyd — AFL

Jason Niblett — Cycling

Bill Pyers — Horseracing

Sebastian Ross — AFL

Brad Sholl — AFL

Craig Sholl — AFL

Darcy Tucker — AFL

KATHERINE, NT

“Where the outback meets the tropics” is the towncry of Katherine, but despite it’s geographically-isolated location it has raised some famous sporting personalities. It has a permanent population of about 7000 and though agriculture, mining, defence and tourism are its biggest economic contributors, you will definitely recognise some of these sporting exports.

Cadel Evans was Australia’s first winner of Le Tour de France. Picture: Tim de Waele

Cadel Evans — Cycling

Leisel Jones — Swimming

Luke Kelly — Rugby League

James McManus — Rugby League

D’Arcy Short — Cricket

Mathew Sinclair — Cricket

Stephanie Talbot — Basketball

MOULYINNING, WA

The smallest town on this list, Moulyinning is probably better known for it’s farming prowess, producing livestock and cereal crops. It’s located almost 300km from Perth and has a long history of sporting achievements, including the Pearce sister’s rise to hockey fame in the 1930s.

Morna Hyde, nee Pearce, 83, Morna, originally from WA, and two of her sisters captained Australian hockey teams. Pictured with sister Jean. Picture: Karen Dodd

Mark Bairstow — AFL

Ross Ditchburn — VFL

Dalton Gooding — AFL

Allen Mycock — AFL

Caroline Pearce — Hockey

Morna Pearce — Hockey

Jean Pearce — Hockey

May Pearce — Hockey

MT ISA, QLD

Mount Isa is home to one of the most productive mining sites in the world, as well as a number of international sporting stars from a range of disciplines. While it is more than 1800km from Queensland’s capital, residents have plenty of sporting opportunities, including playing rugby, athletics, gymnastics, tennis, shooting and squash among others.

Former number 1 golfer Greg “The Shark” Norman hails from Mountt Isa in Queensland.

Simon Black — AFL

Charlie Cameron — AFL

Peter Crawford — Basketball

Jamie Fien — Rugby League

Jamie Goddard — Rugby League

Greg Norman — Golf

Scott Prince — Rugby League

Pat Rafter — Tennis

William Sweetenham — Swimming

Brad Tassell — Rugby League

Kris Tassell — Rugby League

John White — Squash

PORT LINCOLN, SA

The seafood capital of Australia, Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Lower Eyre Peninsula is also home to the most millionaires per capita in Australia. Its biggest exports are obviously in aquaculture, but it also has a huge capacity for grain-handling, as well as beef, lamb and wool. A number of notable athletes have called Port Lincoln home, not least of all horseracing royalty Makybe Diva, whose owner Tony Santic was born and bred in the town.

Olympic medallist Kyle Chalmers pictured at Tokyo this year. He also won Gold in Rio for the 100m freestyle. Picture: Tom Pennington

Eddie Betts — AFL

Peter Burgoyne — AFL

Shaun Burgoyne — AFL

Kyle Chalmers — Swimming

Graham Johncock — AFL

Dean Lukin — Weightlifting

Kieran Modra — Cycling

Lauren Nourse — Netball

Byron Pickett — AFL

Tony Santic — Horseracing

Lindsay Thomas — AFL

Bianca Woolford — Cycling

ROCKHAMPTON, QLD

The central Queensland town of Rockhampton is the agricultural — specifically cattle — and industrial centre of northern Australia. As well as being a popular tourist destination, it also has a long list of sporting champion alumni. Among them is one of the greatest tennis players in history - Rod Laver.

Australian cycling champion Anna Meares was born in Rockhampton. Picture: Don Arnold

Duncan Armstrong — Swimmer

Alexander Belonogoff — Rowing

Cyril Connell Snr — Rugby League

Cyril Connell Jnr — Rugby League

Brad Cooper — Swimming

Steve Crear — Rugby League

Kylie Cronk — Softball

Mick Dittman — Jockey

Sid Domic — Rugby League

John Doyle — Rugby League

Jamie Dwyer — Hockey

Tim Glasby — Rugby League

Matthew Gohdes — Hockey

Ben Goodson — Cycling

Jake Granville — Rugby League

Duncan Hall — Rugby League

Paul Hoffmann — Cricket

Glen Housman — Swimming

Ben Hyne — Rugby Union

Kym Ireland — Hockey

Jess Jonassen — Cricket

Nick Kenny — Rugby League

Mark Knowles — Hockey

Rod Laver — Tennis

Karni Liddell — Swimmer

Anna Meares — Cycling

Kerrie Meares — Cycling

Matt Minto — Rugby League

Scott Minto — Rugby League

Cameron Munster — Rugby League

David Nicholas — Cycling

Duncan Paia-aua- — Rugby Union

Jonah Placid — Rugby Union

Rod Reddy — Rugby League

Joshua Rose — Soccer

Storm Sanders — Tennis

Anthony Siebold — Rugby League

Jamie Simpson — Rugby League

Matt Sing — Rugby League

Zac Smith — AFL

Alfred Songoro — Rugby League

Bert Tabuai — Rugby League

Kenrick Tucker — Cycling

Tamika Upton — Rugby League

Stephen Weigh — Basketball

Rhys Wesser — Rugby League

Guy Williams — Rugby League

TAMWORTH, NSW

Known as the Country Music Capital of Australia, Tamworth, in north western NSW has a few different claims to fame. It was also the first place in Australia to use electric street lights in 1888. In sporting circles, it also holds the title of Equine Capital of Australia because of the high number and breadth of equestrian events held there. But if horses aren’t your thing, there are more than 50 different sports played throughout the area.

Clive Barton represented Australia in the Sydney Olympics. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Clive Barton — Shooting

George Barton — Shooting

John Gleeson — Cricket

Josh Hazlewood — Cricket

Nick Kay — Basketball

Sandra Morgan-Beavis — Swimming

Ethan Parry — Rugby

Cody Parry — Rugby

Bill Chaffey — Paratriathlete

Michael Yorkfield — Hockey

TEMORA, NSW

Arguably Australia’s friendliest town, Temora in NSW”s Riverina region is in the heart of grain-growing country in the state, and is also one of the largest honey producers in Australia. There are a number of sports clubs in the town and many members of the community have had big success across different arenas, but possibly Temora’s most famous athletes are Rugby League players.

Scott Reardon is a champion water skiing and Paralympian with multiple world championship achievements, including a Gold medal at the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. Picture: AAP Image

Trent Barrett — Rugby League

Luke Breust — AFL

Anthony Crichton — Rugby League

Ryan Hinchcliffe — Rugby League

Mark Kerry — Swimming

Zac Lomax — Rugby League

Liam Martin — Rugby League

Josh McCrone — Rugby League

Todd Payten — Rugby League

Scott Reardon — Waterskiing and Athletics

Steve Reardon — Rugby League

WAGGA WAGGA, NSW

While Wagga Wagga - Australia’s ninth largest inland city - is known for agriculture and defence, it has also produced a high calibre of sporting stars. So many great sporting stars have come from Wagga that the term the “Wagga Effect” has been coined. Household names to hail from Wagga include AFL great Wayne Carey and cricket legend Mark Taylor.

Captaining the Australian team between 1994-99, Mark Taylor played in more than 100 cricket test matches.

Scobie Breasley — Horseracing

Greg Brentnall — Rugby League

Wayne Carey — AFL

Ben Cross — Rugby League

Steve Elkington — Golf

Marc Glanville — Rugby League

Quinten Hann — Snooker

Paul Hawke — AFL

Nathan Hines — Rugby Union

Dougal Howard — AFL

Brad Kahlefeldt — Triathlon

Paul Kelly — AFL

Geoff Lawson — Cricket

Bill Mohr — AFL

Cameron Mooney — AFL

Chris Mortimer — Rugby League

Peter Mortimer — Rugby League

Steve Mortimer — Rugby League

John Pitura — AFL

Alicia Quirk — Rugby Sevens

Tony Roche — Tennis

Adam Schneider — AFL

Nathan Sharpe — Rugby Union

Sally Shipard — Soccer

Michael Slater — Cricket

Peter Sterling — Rugby League

Jamie Soward — Rugby League

Matt Suckling — AFL

Mark Taylor — Cricket

WANGARATTA, VIC

The North East Victorian town is renowned for its gourmet food and wine scene, which is a big drawcard for visitors, but sport also plays a big part in residents’ lives. With four AFL clubs in the town, plenty of football superstars were born here, as well as current Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.

Darcy Vescio is a gamechanger in the AFLW, playing since its inception and winning league leading goal kicker twice. Picture: Natasha Morello

Rebecca Allen — Basketball

Alipate Carlile — AFL

Robert Hickmott — AFL/ horse racing

Belinda Hocking — Swimming

Steve Johnson — AFL

Chris Naish — AFL

Ben Reid — AFL

Sebastian Pasquali — Soccer

Nick Morris — Wheelchair basketball

Darcy Vescio — AFLW

Dean Woods — Cycling

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