Australian Athletics Championships
# Australian Athletics Championships

The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships. The event is conducted by Athletics Australia.

The 2023 Australian Championships were the 100th edition of the event, which dates back to 1890 for men, and 1931 for women. These championships has been held in all states of Australia, with the Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre being the venue that has held the most editions of the event (12).

Initially, men’s and women’s events were held separately, in different places, until the Olympic selections of 1972 and 1976, and as a single event since 1978.

These championships are considered open: athletes from other countries such as New Zealand and the USA have competed in and won events.

## History

The championships were first held on 31 May 1890 under the name Inter Colonial Meet at Moore Park in Sydney.

In 1893, teams from the Australasian colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand competed in the first formalised Australasian Athletics Championships meeting.

A New Zealand team continued to compete in this event until the 1927/28 event. At the next championships in 1929/30, women's events were included for the first time.

In 1933, the women began conducting their own championships, with a wider range of events. Except for occasional combined championships in 1936, 1972 and 1976, the separation of men's and women's championships continued until the 1977/78 event.

## Championship events

The full range of Olympic events is not usually conducted at the national championships. For example, during the 2007/08 season the following championship events were held separately:

* Men's and Women's 10,000 metres – Zatopek Classic – 13 December 2007
* Men's 50 kilometres race walk – Melbourne – 16 December 2007
* Women's 5000 metres – Sydney Grand Prix – 16 February 2008
* Men's 5000 metres – IAAF World Athletics Tour, Melbourne meet – 21 February 2008
* Men's and Women's 20 kilometres race walk – Melbourne – 23 February 2008

## Most successful athletes

The most successful athletes at the Championships have been throwers Gael Martin and Warwick Selvey who won 20 and 19 championships events, respectively.

## List of championships

| Year | Venue | Place |
| - | - | - |
| 1890–91 | Moore Park | Sydney |
| 1893–94 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne |
| 1895–96 | Lancaster Park | Christchurch |
| 1897–98 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
| 1899–00 | Bowen Park | Brisbane |
| 1901–02 | Auckland Domain | Auckland |
| 1903–04 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne |
| 1905–06 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
| 1907–08 | Hobart Cricket Ground | Hobart |
| 1909–10 | Bowen Park | Brisbane |
| 1911–12 | Basin Reserve | Wellington |
| 1913–14 | Amateur Sports Ground | Melbourne |
| 1919–20 | Sydney Sports Ground | Sydney |
| 1921–22 | Adelaide Oval | Adelaide |
| 1923–24 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1925–26 | Bowen Park | Brisbane |
| 1927–28 | Basin Reserve | Wellington |
| 1929–30 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne |
| 1931–32 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
| 1932–33 | Amateur Sports Ground | Melbourne |
| 1933–34 | Adelaide Oval | Adelaide |
| 1934–35 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1935–36 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1935–36 | Rushcutters Bay Oval | Sydney |
| 1937–38 | Bowen Park | Brisbane |
| 1937–38 | Royal Park | Melbourne |
| 1939–40 | Leederville Oval | Perth |
| 1946–47 | Leederville Oval | Perth |
| 1947–48 | St. Kilda Cricket Ground | Melbourne |
| 1947–48 | University Oval | Sydney |
| 1948–49 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
| 1949–50 | Adelaide Oval | Adelaide |
| 1949–50 | Norwood Oval | Adelaide |
| 1950–51 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1951–52 | Exhibition Grounds | Brisbane |
| 1951–52 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1952–53 | Leederville Oval | Perth |
| 1953–54 | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
| 1953–54 | Leederville Oval | Perth |
| 1954–55 | Olympic Sports AdelaideKensington Oval | Adelaide |
| 1955–56 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1955–56 | Brisbane Cricket Ground | Brisbane |
| 1956–57 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1957–58 | Exhibition Grounds | Brisbane |
| 1957–58 | Sydney Sports Ground | Sydney |
| 1958–59 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1959–60 | Leederville Oval | Perth |
| 1959–60 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1960–61 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1961–62 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1961–62 | West Parkland Field | Adelaide |
| 1962–63 | Thebarton Oval | Adelaide |
| 1962–63 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1963–64 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1963–64 | Royal Park | Melbourne |
| 1964–65 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1964–65 | Perry Lakes Stadium | Perth |
| 1965–66 | Perry Lakes Stadium | Perth |
| 1965–66 | Sydney Sports Ground | Sydney |
| 1966–67 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1966–67 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1967–68 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1967–68 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1968–69 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1968–69 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1969–70 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1969–70 | Royal Park | Melbourne |
| 1970–71 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1970–71 | Sydney Sports Ground | Sydney |
| 1971–72 | Perry Lakes Stadium | Perth |
| 1972–73 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1972–73 | North Hobart Oval | Hobart |
| 1973–74 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1973–74 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1974–75 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1974–75 | Lang Park | Brisbane |
| 1975–76 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1976–77 | The Domain | Sydney |
| 1976–77 | Sydney Sports Ground | Sydney |
| 1977–78 | QE II Stadium | Brisbane |
| 1978–79 | Perry Lakes Stadium | Perth |
| 1979–80 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1980–81 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1981–82 | QE II Stadium | Brisbane |
| 1982–83 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1983–84 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1984–85 | Bruce Stadium | Canberra |
| 1985–86 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1986–87 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1987–88 | Perry Lakes Stadium | Perth |
| 1988–89 | QE II Stadium | Brisbane |
| 1989–90 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1990–91 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1991–92 | Olympic Sports Field | Adelaide |
| 1992–93 | QE II Stadium | Brisbane |
| 1993–94 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1994–95 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1995–96 | ES Marks Athletics Field | Sydney |
| 1996–97 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1997–98 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1998–99 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 1999–00 | Stadium Australia | Sydney |
| 2000–01 | QE II Stadium | Brisbane |
| 2001–02 | QE IIANZ Stadium | Brisbane |
| 2002–03 | QE IIANZ Stadium | Brisbane |
| 2003–04 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2004–05 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2005–06 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2006–07 | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane |
| 2007–08 | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane |
| 2008–09 | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane |
| 2009–10 | Western Australian Athletics Stadium | Perth |
| 2010–11 | Olympic Park | Melbourne |
| 2011–12 | Lakeside Stadium | Melbourne |
| 2012–13 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2013–14 | Albert Park | Melbourne |
| 2014–15 | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane |
| 2015–16 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2016–17 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2017–18 | Carrara Stadium | Gold Coast |
| 2018–19 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2019–20 | Main championships not held | Main championships not held |
| 2020–21 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2021–22 | Sydney Olympic Park | Sydney |
| 2022–23 | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane |

### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 - held in New Zealand as part of the Australasian Athletics Championships
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 - women's championship only
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 - men's championship only
* ↑ The main championships were not held but eight events were completed prior to the cancellation.

## Championships records

### Women

| Event | Record | Athlete/Team | Date | Meet | Place | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 800 m | 1:58.32 | Catriona Bisset | 30 March 2023 | 2022–23 Championships | Brisbane | |
| High jump | 2.00 m NR | Nicola McDermott | 18 April 2021 | 2020–21 Championships | Sydney | |
