Winifred Lawrence
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Winifred Tweedie Dunn |
| Born | 6 January 1920 Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Died | 22 December 2006 (aged 86) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Spouse |
Clynton John Christie Lawrence
(m. 1946; died 2001) |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | 100 yards breaststroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941) 220 yds breaststroke champion (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941) |
| Personal best | 100 m breaststroke – 1:31.4 |
Winifred Tweedie Lawrence
Early life and family
Born in Dunedin on 6 January 1920, Lawrence was the youngest daughter of Edward Hanratty Dunn and Ellen Clarke Dunn (née Ferguson).[1][2][3] She was educated at King Edward Technical High School.[4] On 30 January 1946, she married Clynton John Christie Lawrence in Dunedin.[1][5]
Swimming career
Dunn first came to national attention in 1935, when she broke the New Zealand 100 metres breaststroke record, previously held by Gladys Pidgeon, with a time of 1:39.6.[6] The record was later broken by Judith Webster of Auckland, but Dunn regained the record in December 1937 with a time of 1:33.0.[7] She also broke the national 220 yard breaststroke record, swimming 3:22.6, and was subsequently selected to represent New Zealand in the 220 yards breaststroke at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney.[8][9][10] She went on to finish seventh in that event.[11] She was also a member of the New Zealand 3 x 110 yard medley relay team at the Sydney games, alongside Mona Leydon and Joyce Macdonald, that finished in fifth place with a time of 4:22.3.[12]
Dunn was the New Zealand 220 yards breaststroke champion every year from 1938 to 1941, and the 100 yards breastroke champion from 1939 to 1941.[13]
In 1939, Dunn broke the New Zealand 400 metres breaststroke record by 45.2 seconds, recording a time of 7 minutes 11 seconds.[14] She also held the New Zealand 100 metres breaststroke record, with a time of 1:31.4, for 14 years, until it was broken by Rae Currie in 1954.[15]
As Winifred Lawrence, she became a well-known swimming coach in Auckland over many decades, retiring in 2002.[16]
Honours
In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Lawrence was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to swimming.[17] In 2001 she was made a life member of the Auckland Swimming Association.[18]
Death
Lawrence was widowed by the death of her husband in 2001.[19] She died on 22 December 2006, and her ashes were buried in Waikumete Cemetery.[20]
References
- ^ a b "Winifred Tweedie Dunn". Ancestry.com.au. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Engagements". Evening Star. No. 25376. 6 January 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Birth search: registration number 1920/7682". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Swimming". Evening Star. No. 22018. 2 May 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Personal". Otago Daily Times. No. 26061. 26 January 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "A swimming record". Evening Post. 5 June 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Swimming: several records lowered". New Zealand Herald. 15 December 1937. p. 22. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Swimming records: official recognition". New Zealand Herald. 31 December 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Empire Games: N.Z. swimmers team". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 December 1937. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Empire Games: swimmers chosen". Evening Post. 17 December 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Winifred Dunn". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Results for the 1938 British Empire Games: swimming – 330 yard medley relay – women". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Matheson's record". The Advocate. 20 January 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Two records to girl swimmer". The Sun. 3 March 1954. p. 45. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Report of the mayor" (PDF). Waitakere City Council. 28 February 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2000 (including special list for East Timor)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 June 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Life members". Auckland Swimming Association. 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Cemetery search: Clynton Lawrence". Auckland Council. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Cemetery search: Winifred Lawrence". Auckland Council. Retrieved 22 August 2017.