Hugh Weir

Hugh Richard Weir OBE CBE (21 July 1894 – 5 March 1975) was an Australian sports administrator and International Olympic Committee member.

This article is about the Australian sports administrator. For the American judge, see Hugh W. Weir.

Personal

Weir was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 21 July 1894.[1] He died of a heart attack on 5 March 1975 in Sydney, New South Wales.[2] During his working career, he was a Manager with shipping company McIllwraith McEacharn.[3]

Career as a sports administrator

Weir joined the Essendon Amateur Athletic Club in 1913 and was a highly regarded hurdler, sprinter and long jumper until 1926.[4] In 1920, he was the Club's delegate to the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association and was appointed Association treasurer in 1923 and then Secretary from 1924 until 1935. In 1927, he was appointed Secretary General of the Victorian Olympic Council. He was Manager of the Australian team at the 1930 British Empire Games.[3]

In 1936, Weir became a board member of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia.[1] Weir was its President from 1944 to 1957.[1] Between 1956 and 1958, he was Vice President of the International Amateur Athletic Federation.[1]

He was involved in organizing the 1935 Centenary Games in Melbourne, the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney and the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.[1]

Weir was an International Olympic Committee member from 1946 until his death in 1975.[1] He was a chairman of the IOC's Eligibility Commission which examined the issue of amateurism.[1]

Honours
  • 1935 - Victorian Amateur Athletic Association (now Athletics Victoria) Life Member
  • 1953 - Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil)[5]
  • 1956 - IAAF Veterans Pin [6]
  • 1957 - Athletics Australia Honorary Life Governor[7]
  • 1958 - Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) [5]
  • Australian Olympic Committee Life Member[8]

References
  1. "Tribute to Hugh Weir" (PDF). Olympic Review (89–90): 80. March–April 1975. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  2. "Olympic Games man dies". Canberra Times. 9 March 1975. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  3. Gordon, Harry (1994). Australia at the Olympic Games. University of Queensland Press: Brisbane. pp. 163–164.
  4. "A history of athletics in Essendon" (PDF). Athletics Essendon. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  5. "Hugh Richard Weir". It's An Honour website. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. "IAAF Veteran Pin Recipients (Oceania)". Oceania Athletics. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  7. "Annual Report 2012-2013". Athletics Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  8. "Life Members". Australian Olympic Committee website. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
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