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

Outstanding Athlete award from the Helms Foundation United States of America

1952

Recipient of the Australian Sportsman of the Year

1952

Gold Medalist at the Helsinki Olympic Games - Athletics - 100m and 200m (world record) at the Olympic Games, Helsinki

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

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

Honoured by Australia Post on a postage stamp titled 'Olympic Legends'

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)

Sources used to compile this entry: Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp; http://www.governor.sa.gov.au/html/governor.html#bio accessed 2002-03-27.