Jackson-Nelson, Marjorie (1931 - )

Sprinter Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was commonly known as 'The Lithgow Flash', after the New South Wales town in which she was brought up. Jackson-Nelson became the Governor of South Australia on 3 November 2001. She won two Olympic gold medals (Helsinki 1952) and seven Commonwealth Games gold medals for athletics. Jackson-Nelson also founded the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship, for which she has fund-raised since 1977.

The daughter of William Alfred and Mary (née Robinson) Jackson, Marjorie Jackson was the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal for track and field and the first Australian (male or female) to win an Olympic gold medal on the running track since 1896. During her athletic career Jackson broke world sprint records on ten occasions. In 1953 Jackson married Peter Nelson, an Olympic cyclist. Following his death from leukaemia in 1977 she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship and has since dedicated herself to raising funds to sponsor research into fighting this disease.

In 1988, Jackson was nominated by the Governor-General and the Prime Minister as one of 20 living members of the '200 Great Australians' recognised by the Australian Bi-Centenary Committee. In 2001, Jackson-Nelson was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia and, as Governor, was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the Royal Visit to Adelaide in February 2002.

Events

1950	Gold Medalist at Auckland Empire Games - Athletics - 100y; 220y; 440y Medley Relay; 660y Medley Relay
1952	Gold Medalist at the Helsinki Olympic Games - Athletics - 100m and 200m (world record) at the Olympic Games, Helsinki
1952	Outstanding Athlete award from the Helms Foundation United States of America
1952	Recipient of the Australian Sportsman of the Year
1953	Married Peter Nelson (deceased 1977)
1 June 1953	Appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to women's athletics
1954	Gold Medalist at Vancouver Empire and Commonwealth Games - Athletics - 100y, 220y and 4 x 110y relay
1954	Gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, Vancouver
1977	Founder of the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship
1982	Women's Section Manager for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team
1985	Admitted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame
1986	Women's Section Manager for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team
1986	Outstanding Athlete award from the International Amateur Athletics Association
1990 - 1992	Deputy Chairperson of the Adelaide's bid to host 1998 Commonwealth Games
1994	General Team Manager for the Commonwealth Games Victoria (Canada)
1995	Paul Harris Fellow Rotary
1995	Legend for Australian Sport
1997	Member of the South Australian Olympic Council
1998	Honoured by Australia Post on a postage stamp titled 'Olympic Legends'
1998	Nominated by Governor-General and Prime Minister as one of the 200 Great Australians
1998	Athletes Liaison Officer for the Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur
1998 - 2000	Member Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games
1999	Voted as one of the Australians of the Century Herald Sun
2000	Bearer of the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony Olympic Games, Sydney
2001	Appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
3 November 2001	Governor of South Australia
1 March 2002	Appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)

Australian Women Exhibitions

• Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989, Australian Women's Archives Project, March 2003, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/honours/honours.html. [ Details... ]
• She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2007, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/sg/sport-home.html. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• Australia at the Games, 50 of our finest, with Gordon, Harry, Australian Olympic Committee, 2006, http://www.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=25. [ Details... ]
• South Australian Government, 'Governor of South Australia', http://www.governor.sa.gov.au/. [ Details... ]

See also

• Healey, John (ed.), S.A.'s greats: the men and women of the North Terrace plaques, Historical Society of South Australia, Adelaide, 2001, 183 pp. [ Details... ]
• Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp. [ Details... ]