Pine's Estate celebrates Peter Norman Day - 9 Oct 2011

PETER NORMAN DAY – 9 OCTOBER 2011 – NEWTOWN

Dear Friends & Neighbours

A year on from saving our homes, The Pines Estate and the Three Proud People Mural, we are here to recognise and remember, the man, the Olympian, Peter Norman.

Like many Australians you may not be aware of who Peter Norman was, and for that matter, who the men in our mural are, and what all the fuss was about in 1968.

Peter Norman is the man standing on the far left of the mural. He was a 200m sprinter.

When Peter Norman, a Melbourne schoolteacher, split the black American sprinters Tommy Smith and John Carlos in the final of the 200 metres at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, he earned himself a niche forever in one of the most controversial moments in Olympic history.

Tommy Smith, the gold medallist, and John Carlos, who won the bronze, staged their own racial protest on the victory dais. As the US anthem was played and the flag raised, they stared downwards and held black-gloved fists high in a Black Power salute, a gesture of anger and defiance that caused them to be expelled from the Games Village before the end of the Olympics.

Peter Norman, standing beside them, wore a civil rights button in support of them. He told reporters: “Every man is born equal and should be treated that way.” After the Mexico Olympics he was never picked for an Olympic team ever again.

Born on the 15th of June, 1942 in Victoria, Peter, grew up in Coburg, he began his athletic career with the Collingwood Harriers athletics club as a high jumper, but it was with the Melbourne Harriers that he won his first major title, the Victoria junior 200m championship, in 1960. He was Australian champion for the five years from 1966 to 1970, and became known for his fast finishing. He took a relay bronze at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, silver in the 200m at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and gold in the 200m at the inaugural Pacific Games in Tokyo in 1969.

In 2000 he was awarded the Australia Sports Medal for his contribution to sport, along with 18,000 others. He helped with Olympic team fund raising, Olympic education in schools and worked for the Department of Sport and Recreation. With all of this he was not recognised or asked to be involved in the 2000 Olympic torch bearing relay or in any other official capacity.

So mark 9th October in your diary each year and help us keep Peter Norman Day an important part of our more recent Australian history.

If you would like to learn more about Peter Norman get a copy of Matt Norman’s documentary “Salute” or go to www.salutethemovie.com