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Story: Open water swimming

First swimmer across Foveaux Strait

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First swimmer across Foveaux Strait

On 7 February 1963 Dutch immigrant John van Leeuwen was the first person to swim Foveaux Strait. Exhausted after his effort, he is helped on board the support vessel after reaching Stewart Island.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP-New Zealand-Recreation-Swimming-01

by Hazeldine's Studio (Invercargill)

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Open water swimming – Major marathon courses, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6910/first-swimmer-across-foveaux-strait (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 February 2016.