Flora Drennan was an Australian national champion in the 100 yard sprint. However,  if you Google her in relation to this, you will have no success.  She won the title in 1908, far too early for  recognition among the  official female Australian Athletic Champions, recorded from 1930.

Born Flora Cecelia Carmichael in 1877, she married Samual Drennan in 1899 and subsequently  became a nurse. The couple  had three children before the young mother  came to prominence as a runner; Sam Jnr., Flora, Esma and Olga.

I love the way Flora practiced her starts with the aid of a jam tin. She said she would throw one over her shoulder and when it hit the ground she was off like a shot. Looking back years later she explained; ‘It made one very alert!’

In 1911, aged 31,  she was preparing to meet a much younger competitor to retain her title. The race was held at Sydney’s Moore Park, and was one of the first well publicised women’s races.

Her opponent was Miss Annie Moore. My apologies for the quality of the following newspaper photo.

 

Unfortunately, Flora was unwell with a stomach complaint at the time and knew she couldn’t possibly win. However, as she  didn’t want to disappoint the public she said nothing  and stepped up for the standing  start.   The pair were dressed in what were essentially men’s running costumes, much to the amusement of the mainly male  onlookers.  Flora added a pale blue velvet ribbon around her waist as a nod to femininity.

Her bespoke  shoes were  made of kangaroo skin, and fitted with 1/2 inch spikes.  She had been the first woman to use spikes.

The women were very different in physique. Flora was 5′ 6″ and very slender. Annie Moore was shorter, but more heavily built. There were lots of facetious comments from the crowd as they waited for the starting gun.

Annie Moore and Flora Drennan competing in 1911.

Those insults turned to cheers as the women flew down the track.  Inevitably, it was Miss Moore who finished two yards ahead of the unwell Flora, in 13. 3 seconds.

Flora  was examined by her physician, Dr Maitland, after the race. He diagnosed her with a serious, but unspecified  condition. She was operated on (possibly for a hysterectomy) and advised not to run again for at least twelve months.  The doctor commented that she was; ‘..a wonderful woman to put up the race she did against Miss Moore.‘   (The Sun, Sept, 5 1911)

The patient herself said that when she was well again she would happily  take on any of her sex at any distance from 50 yards to a quarter of a mile. During her career  she won over 60 races, and took home countless trophies.

 

Flora Drennan surrounded by her sporting trophies.

 

Samuel Drennan died in 1943 and two years later Flora married Roy Priest. She never stopped competing.  In her late fifties she defeated her married daughter at the Royal Air Force sports held at Richmond, NSW.  She played an important role as  a sports administrator, and was a tireless worker in promoting athletics for women.

Flora Priest, formerly Flora Drennan.

Flora was most impressed by the exploits of Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Blankers-Koen, dubbed rather patronizingly as The Flying Housewife, had two children and was three months pregnant with her third when she competed at The Games.   Remembering her own career, and the voluminous costume she ran in, Flora commented wistfully;  ‘I certainly didn’t have muscles like that. And even I had, no-one would have seen them.

Flora Drennan, as she was most commonly known,  died in 1956, aged 79. She was buried beside her first husband in Rookwood Cemetery.

Grave of Samuel Drennan and Flora in Rookwood Cemetery.

Grave of Samuel Drennan and his wife Flora.

 

FOR A LIST OF THE WINNERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONS  (WOMEN) FROM 1930 ONWARDS, CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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