Australian Masters Games

The Australian Masters Games is a biennial sporting event and the largest multi-sport participation sporting event in Australia. Garry Daly as President of the Confederation of Australian Sport proposed the concept of Masters Games to the Northern Territory government.[1] It went on to establish the Central Australian Masters Games in 1986. The first Australian Masters Games were held in Hobart, Tasmania in 1987.[1] The Australian Masters Games event is owned by the Confederation of Australian Sport and state governments and cities bid to host the Games. The minimum age for most sports is 30 years of age however some of the sports, like Gymnastics, the minimum age for participation is 20 years of age.

Edition Year Host Sports Competitors
1st 1987 Hobart 35 3695
2nd 1989 Adelaide 42 7415
3rd 1991 Brisbane 40 5957
4th 1993 Perth 40 5759
5th 1995 Melbourne 51 10479
6th 1997 Canberra 31 8811
7th 1999 Adelaide 46 10144
8th 2001 Newcastle 61 11225
9th 2003 Canberra 58 10326
10th 2005 Adelaide 59 10003
11th 2007 Adelaide 52 9693
12th 2009 Geelong 50 7126
13th 2011 Adelaide 52 8103
14th 2013 Geelong 51 7771
15th 2015 Adelaide 49 8159
16th 2017 NW Tasmania 47 5109
17th 2019 Adelaide 45 7036
18th 2021 Perth 51[2]
19th 2023 Adelaide 45+[3] 9000[3]

The estimated number of competitors for future events includes volunteers and social participants. An official breakdown of the three participant categories is provided in an update to the participation report by the organisers following each event.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Garry Daly". Sport Australia Hall of Fame website. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b South Australian Tourism Commission (18 January 2021). "South Australia Secures Right to Host 2023 Australian Masters Games". Australian Leisure Management. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Participation and Economic Impact of the Australian Masters Games 1987-2019" (PDF). Confederation of Australian Sport website. Retrieved 20 August 2021.