The Australians

Ron Clarke was an Australian athlete, writer, and the Mayor of the Gold Coast from 2004 to 2012. He was the best-known middle- and long-distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.

Marjorie Jackson-Nelson is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete. She finished her sporting career with two Olympic and seven Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, six individual world records and every Australian State and National title she contested from 1950–1954.

Herb Elliott is a former Australian athlete and arguably the world's greatest middle distance runner of his era. In the 1500 meters at the 1960 Rome Olympics, he won the gold medal and bettered his own world record with a time of 3:35.6. After winning in Rome in 1960, he started a degree course at the University of Cambridge, England.

Betty Cuthbert was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 meters, 100 yards, 200 meters, 220 yards and 440 yards. Cuthbert also contributed to Australian relay teams completing a win in the 4 × 100 meters, 4 × 110 yards, 4 × 200 meters and 4 × 220 yards. Cuthbert had a distinctive running style, with a high knee lift and mouth wide open.

John Landy is an Australian middle-distance runner and state governor. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run and held the world records for the 1500-metre run and the mile race. Landy won silver medal in the 1954 Commonwealth Games and bronze medal in the 1956 Olympic 1500 meters. He was also the 26th Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006.