Edwin Harold Flack (1873-1935) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Edwin Harold (Teddy) Flack

Born 5 Nov 1873 in Islington, London, England

Ancestors

Son of Joseph Henry Flack and Marian (Smith) Flack

Brother of Henry Reginald Flack and Marian Beatrice Flack

Died 10 Jan 1935 at age 61 in Berwick, Victoria, Australia

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Profile last modified 8 Jan 2024 | Created 18 Jul 2016

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1 Biography
2 Sources
3 See also

Biography

Edwin Flack was the first Australian
to compete in the modern Olympic Games, in 1896 in Athens,
where he won Australia's first two Gold medals.

Formative years

Teddy Flack is Notable.

Edwin "Teddy" Flack was Australia's first Olympic Gold Medallist, before Australia was even a country, a sports administrator, a prominent accountant, and a successful dairy farmer.

Formative years

Edwin Harold Flack was born on 5th November 1873 at Islington, London, England. He was a son of Joseph Flack and Marian Smith.^[1]

Teddy Flack migrated from England to Victoria.

He migrated to Victoria, Australia with his parents when he was an infant aboard the steamship, Durham^[2]. The ship departed London, England on 21 July 1874 and Plymouth on 26 July 1874 and arrived in Hobson's Bay, Colony of Victoria on 19 September 1874^[3]^[4]

Edwin Flack attended the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, where he did well academically and very well in athletics. In 1893-94, after joining the Old Melbournian Harriers Athletics Club, he was Victorian and Australasian mile champion, and won the New South Wales 2-mile championship in 1894.

Teddy joined his father's Melbourne accountancy firm and, in 1895, was sent to London to his father's good friend, Edwin Waterhouse, of Price & Waterhouse (after whom he was, no doubt, named), to gain experience at a higher level. There he joined the London Athletic Club, and enjoyed sufficient success to whet his appetite to have a 'go' at a novel international sporting event being arranged.

1896 Olympic Games

Teddy represented Australia at the 1896 Olympic Games

Teddy Flack competed in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896. For those first Olympics, athletes registered individually under their country's banner. Teddy gave his country as Australia; before the Australian Colonies were federated. There was no flag, national anthem or uniform; he simply competed in his Melbourne Grammar School colours. Suffering sea sickness between England and the Mediterranean, he disembarked in Athens feeling quite weak. Nevertheless, he won the first heat of the 800 metres the very next day. He went on to win the Gold Medals in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events. In his enthusiasm, Teddy also entered the marathon. Lacking long distance experience, after leading from the 30km to 36km mark he collapsed with just three kilometres remaining. Although mostly a 'social' player, Teddy also competed in tennis at the Olympics in Athens. He was eliminated in the first round of the singles competition, on the morning of his 800 metres victory. After that game, he and his partner and friend from England, George Robertson, played their only doubles tennis game (having 'won' their first round by a forfeit). They were defeated. However, many years after Teddy's death, the Olympic Committee deemed that Teddy and George had finished third and have since been credited with the bronze medals (medals were not then awarded for third place). At the end of the week Teddy was being followed everywhere by adoring crowds, who had taken to calling him 'the Lion of Athens'.^[5]^[6]

Teddy Flack became known as the 'Lion of Athens'

Life after athletics

Teddy was an accountant

Teddy continued to compete in England in 1896 and 1897, whilst he worked at Price Waterhouse, but returned to Melbourne in 1898 and the family accounting firm. He became senior partner of Flack & Flack Charted Accountants, succeeding his father during The Great War years. The firm later became Price Waterhouse Australia, and in 1998 after a merger, became known as PricewaterhouseCoopers.

He never competed for Victoria again (or for Australia after it was formed in 1901), but joined the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and was involved as a representative for Australia at the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) Congress.

Teddy was surely devastated when his only sister, Marian, died in 1903, aged just 24 years.

Teddy was a dairy farmer

He purchased a property near Berwick, Victoria, where he stayed on weekends, and began breeding Friesian cattle. He named the property, Burnbank. The herd became successful, permitting Teddy to produce milk and cheese. His property, now known as Burnbank Estate, is at 64 Beaumont Road, Berwick.^[7]

Teddy Flack suffered heart problems in later life and passed away following surgery at a private hospital on 10th January 1935. He was 61 years of age.^[8] His ashes were interred at Berwick Cemetery, Victoria.^[9] His death was noted in the The Age newspaper.^[10] His final resting place is a popular tourist venue.^[11] Teddy was survived by his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.

Legacy

Edwin "Teddy" Flack is commemorated in several appropriate ways:

the Marion & E H Flack Trust was established from Teddy's estate in 1935, through which many charitable and welfare organisations, hospitals, and research funds have benefitted through annual grants.^[12]
he was portrayed by English actor Benedict Taylor in the 1984 television mini-series The First Olympics: Athens 1896
Edwin Flack Reserve, Berwick^[13]
Melbourne Grammar School's sporting complex at Port Melbourne has been named Edwin Flack Park
one of the streets alongside Stadium Australia at Homebush, Sydney, the venue of the 2000 Summer Olympics, has been named Edwin Flack Avenue^[14]
he has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, in 1985,^[15] and the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame, in 2000^[16]
Athletics Australia acknowledges that it was Teddy Flack who first caused an awareness of the Olympic Games in this country: he was the first to compete, the first to win. They have inaugurated the Edwin Flack Award, which is awarded to "an athlete who has rendered distinguished service to athletics"^[17]
a 45-cent Australian postage stamp in the Olympic centenary year of 1996^[18]
a bronze statue on the median strip of High Street, Berwick was unveiled in 1996 to celebrate the centenary of his great sport victories^[19]