ABC Sports Award of the Year was one of the premier sports awards in Australia. From 1951 to 1983, it was called the ABC Sportsman of the Year Award.
The award was originally voted for by Australian Broadcasting Corporation sports supervisors and the sports editors of major Australian newspapers. After 1983, members of the Australian Sportswriters' Association also voted. The awards were first presented on television in 1957.
Swimmer Dawn Fraser was voted as the best Australian sportsman of the 25 years in 1975 as part of the award silver jubilee celebrations.
In 1993, there was a merger of the Sport Australia Awards and the ABC Sports Award of the Year with the new award known as ABC Sport Australia Awards. After 1994, the new award removed the ABC from its title. The award was later known as the Australian Sport Awards and ceased in 2006. The main national annual awards are Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards and the Australian Institute of Sport Awards.
Individual award winners
Year AthleteSport1951Frank SedgmanTennis1952Marjorie JacksonAthletics1953Jimmy CarruthersBoxing1954John LandyAthletics1955Peter ThomsonGolf1956Betty CuthbertAthletics1957Stuart MackenzieRowing1958Herb ElliottAthletics1959Jack BrabhamMotor racing1960Herb ElliottAthletics1961Richie BenaudCricket1962Dawn FraserSwimming1963Margaret SmithTennis1964Dawn FraserSwimming1965Ron ClarkeAthletics1966Jack BrabhamMotor racing1967Heather McKaySquash1968Lionel RoseBoxing1969Rod LaverTennis1970Margaret CourtTennis1971Shane GouldSwimming1972Shane GouldSwimming1973Stephen HollandSwimming1974Raelene BoyleAthletics1975Bart CummingsHorse racing1976Greg ChappellCricket1977Graham MarshGolf1978Tracey WickhamSwimming1979David GrahamGolf1980Alan JonesMotor racing1981Geoff HuntSquash1982Robert de CastellaAthletics1983Robert de CastellaAthletics1984Jon SiebenSwimming1985Jeff FenechBoxing1986Greg NormanGolf1987Wayne GardnerMotorcycle racing1988Debbie Flintoff-KingAthletics1989Kerry SaxbyAthletics1990Hayley LewisSwimming1991Ian Baker-FinchGolf1992Kieren PerkinsSwimming1993Greg NormanGolf1994Kieren PerkinsSwimming
Most Outstanding Team Award Winners Team award was introduced in 1987.
Year TeamSport1987Australian cricket teamCricket1988Australia women's national field hockey team (Hockeyroos)Field hockey1989Australian cricket teamCricket1990Australian men's rowing coxless four crew (Oarsome Foursome)Rowing 1991Australia national rugby union team (Wallabies)Rugby union1992Australian men's rowing coxless four crew (Oarsome Foursome)Rowing 1993Australian cricket team (joint winner)Cricket1993Australian Men's Team Pursuit Team (joint winner)Cycling
See also Sport in Australia Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Australian Sport Awards Australian Institute of Sport Awards World Trophy for Australasia
References