Aquatics at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games

Aquatics at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games made its fifth appearance at the Commonwealth Games, with both Swimming at the Commonwealth Games and Diving at the Commonwealth Games being included again. Water Polo at the Commonwealth Games was dropped from the schedule and would not return until 2002.

There were four diving events and 13 swimming events contested.

The choice of swimming venue suffered from budgeting issues and a bid by Los Angeles-based Paddock Inc. came in at $140,000 less than the Beaver Construction's tender of $440,719. There were suggestions to rebuild the 1928 Nicola Street Crystal Pool before the Games committee decided that the University of British Columbia (UBC) would benefit from a new $300,000 open air pool.

The pool was constructed on UBC's West Point Grey campus.

Australia topped the medal table with seven gold medals.

Medal table

Medal winners Diving 3m Springboard (M) 10m Highboard (M) 3m Springboard (W) 10m Highboard (W)

Swimming Men's events 110 yd freestyle440 yd freestyle 1650 yd freestyle 110 yd backstroke 220 yd breaststroke 4×220 yd freestyle relayDavid HawkinsGary ChapmanJon HenricksRex Aubrey Allen GilchristGeorge ParkGerald McNameeTed SimpsonDennis FordGraham JohnstonPeter DuncanBilly Steuart 3×110 yd medley relayCyrus WeldDavid HawkinsJon Henricks Frederick LucasJack DomsLincoln Hurring Jack WardropJohn ServiceRobert Wardrop

Women's events 110 yd freestyle 440 yd freestyle 110 yd backstroke 220 yd breaststroke 4×110 yd freestyle relayFelicity LovedayJoan HarrisonMachduldt PetzerNatalie Myburgh Beth WhittallGladys PriestleyHelen StewartVirginia Grant Daphne WilkinsonFearne EwartJean BothamValerie Nares-Pillow 3×110 yd medley relayHelen GordonMargaret McDowellMargaret Girvan Joan HarrisonMachduldt PetzerMary MorganJann GrierJudith KnightLorraine Crapp

Finals (men)

3m springboard

PosAthletePts1 Peter Heatly 146.762 Tony Turner 145.273 Jack Stewart 144.984 Kevin James Newell 141.045 Bernard D. Valois 137.976 Bill Patrick 135.48 7 Frank Mercer 124.74

10m Platform

PosAthletePts1 Bill Patrick 142.72 Kevin James Newell 142.063 Peter Heatly 141.324 Peter Tarsey 140.565 Tony Turner 138.316 Terrence Connelly 110.78

110y freestyle PosAthleteTime1 Jon Henricks 56.52 Cyrus Weld 58.53 Rex Aubrey 58.74 George Park 59.1 5 Cheung Kin Man 59.96 Barrington Roper 1:00.2

440y freestyle PosAthleteTime1 Gary Chapman 4:39.82 Jack Wardrop 4:41.53 Graham Johnston 4:43.34 Peter Duncan 4:48.65 Gerald McNamee 4:51.66 Billy Steuart 4:52.1

1650y freestyle

PosAthleteTime1 Graham Johnston 19:01.42 Peter Duncan 19:22.13 Gary Chapman 19:28.44 Billy Steuart 19:28.65 Donald Bland 20:02.76 Gerald McNamee 20:07.9

110y backstroke PosAthleteTime1 John Brockway 1:06.52 Lincoln Hurring 1:06.93 Cyrus Weld 1:08.64 Lin Meiring 1:09.25 Bert Wardrop 1:09.9 6 Haydn Rigby 1:10.7

220y breaststroke PosAthleteTime1 Jack Doms 2:52.62 Peter Jervis 2:52.63 Alan Hime 2:52.84 David Hawkins 2:53.35 John Service 2:53.96 Robert Gair 2:56.0

4x220y freestyle relay PosAthleteTime1 Hawkins, Chapman, Henricks, Aubrey 8:47.62 Gilchrist, Park, McNamee, Simpson8:56.03 Ford, Johnston, Duncan, Steuart 8:56.34 Bland, Rigby, Roberts, Jervis 9:17.6

3x110y medley relay PosAthleteTime1 Weld, Hawkins, Henricks 3:22.02 Lucas, Doms, Hurring 3:26.63 Wardrop J, Service, Wardrop R 3:27.34 Rigby, Roberts, Jervis 3:27.85 Park, Anderson, Simpson 3:28.36 Devlin, Fletcher, Laverty 3:45.2

Finals (women)

3m springboard PosAthletePts1 Ann Long 128.262 Barbara McAulay 127.743 Irene MacDonald 126.194 Charmain Welsh 121.545 Jeannette Laws 104.266 Lois Wood 89.64

10m Platform PosAthletePts1 Barbara McAulay 86.552 Eunice Miller 79.863 Ann Long 79.534 Jeannette Laws 61.345 Lois Wood 55.16

110y freestyle

PosAthleteTime1 Lorraine Crapp 1:05.82 Virginia Grant 1:06.33 Joan Harrison 1:08.24 Marrion Roe 1:08.95 Machduldt Petzer 1:09.0 6 Natalie Myburgh 1:09.4

440y freestyle PosAthleteTime1 Lorraine Crapp 5:11.42 Gladys Priestley 5:19.63 Margaret Girvan 5:21.44 Machduldt Petzer 5:21.55 Natalie Myburgh 5:23.06 Beth Whittall 5:27.3

110y backstroke PosAthleteTime1 Joan Harrison 1:15.22 Pat Symons 1:17.43 Jean Stewart 1:17.54 Lenora Fisher 1:18.25 Margaret McDowall 1:18.86 Maureen Pitchfork 1:19.0

220y breaststroke PosAthleteTime1 Elenor Gordon 2:59.22 Mary Morgan 3:03.33 Margaret Grundy 3:04.54 Jann Grier 3:13.45 Margaret Stangroom 3:18.06 Margaret Peebles 3:20.5

4×110y freestyle relay

PosAthleteTime1 Loveday, Harrison, Petzer, Myburgh 4:33.92 Whittall, Priestley, Stewart, Grant 4:37.03 Wilkinson, Ewart, Botham, Nares-Pillow 4:41.8

3×110y medley relay PosAthleteTime1 Gordon, McDowell, Girvan 3:51.02 Harrison, Petzer, Morgan 3:52.73 Grier, Knight, Crapp 3:55.64 Botham, Grundy, Pitchfork 3:56.4 5 Fisher, Stangroom, Grant 3:57.5

References