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Story: Olympic and Commonwealth games

New Zealand at the opening of the first British Empire Games, Ontario, 1930

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New Zealand at the opening of the first British Empire Games, Ontario, 1930

At the first British Empire Games (now Commonwealth Games) in Hamilton, Ontario, there were only 11 countries. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland participated as separate countries. Other participants were Bermuda, British Guiana, Canada, Newfoundland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand sent a team of 22 which brought home three gold, four silver and two bronze medals. 

Using this item

National Library of New Zealand

Reference: Evening Post, 8 October 1930, p. 9 (NP-1719-9)

Permission of the 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

Joseph Romanos, Olympic and Commonwealth games – The British Empire Games and Commonwealth Games, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/37923/new-zealand-at-the-opening-of-the-first-british-empire-games-ontario-1930 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Joseph Romanos, published 14 November 2012, updated 1 June 2023.