| Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE |
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|---|---|
| 33rd Governor of South Australia | |
| In office 3 November 2001 – 8 August 2007 |
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| Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Premier | Rob Kerin 2001–02 Mike Rann 2002–07 |
| Preceded by | Sir Eric Neal |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Scarce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 September 1931 Coffs Harbour, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Residence | Marion, South Australia |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1952 Helsinki | 100 metres |
| Gold | 1952 Helsinki | 200 metres |
| British Empire (and Commonwealth) Games | ||
| Gold | 1950 Auckland | 100 yards |
| Gold | 1950 Auckland | 220 yards |
| Gold | 1950 Auckland | 3×110/220 yd |
| Gold | 1950 Auckland | 4×110/220 yd |
| Gold | 1954 Vancouver | 100 yards |
| Gold | 1954 Vancouver | 220 yards |
| Gold | 1954 Vancouver | 4×110 yards |
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE (born 13 September 1931) is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete. She finished her sporting career with 2 Olympic and 7 Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, 10 world records and every Australian State and National title she contested from 1950–1954.[1]
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Marjorie Jackson was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and first gained fame when she defeated reigning Olympic 100 and 200 metres champion Fanny Blankers-Koen a number of times in 1949, thus earning the nickname "the Lithgow Flash", after the New South Wales town of Lithgow where she lived and had grown up.
Having won four titles at the 1950 British Empire Games, Jackson came as a favourite to the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. She won both the 100 m, in a then-World-Record-equalling time of 11.5, and the 200 m, winning the first Olympic athletics titles for Australia since Edwin Flack in 1896. Having more strong runners in the team, the Australian 4 x 100 m relay team was also a favourite for the gold, but a faulty exchange meant Jackson's chances for third gold medal were gone. The Americans, anchored by Catherine Hardy (later Lavender), won in an upset, setting a new world record time of 45.9 seconds. Later in 1952, Jackson lowered the 100m World Record time to 11.4, running this new record in a meet at Gifu, Japan on 4 October 1952.
In 1953 Jackson married Olympic cyclist Peter Nelson. After his death from leukaemia in 1977, she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship.
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the eight flag-bearers of the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
In late 2001, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was appointed Governor of South Australia. She relinquished the office on 31 July 2007.
On 15 March 2006, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the final four runners who carried the Queen's Baton around the MCG stadium during the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Melbourne.
On 6 June 2007, it was announced that a new medical facility to be built in Adelaide will be named the "Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital". On 18 February 2009, Premier Mike Rann agreed to remove her name from the planned hospital.
She also has a road named in honour of her at Olympic Park in Sydney, beside the Sydney Superdome (now Acer Arena).
She is also a Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and a Freeman of the City of London.
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by Sir Eric Neal |
Governor of South Australia 2001–2007 |
Succeeded by Kevin Scarce |
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