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Story: The New Zealanders

Yvette Williams

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Yvette Williams

Sporting triumphs in the 1950s promoted pride in New Zealanders’ physical prowess. Athlete Yvette Williams was a popular heroine on the strength of her gold medals at two British Empire Games (Auckland 1950, Vancouver 1954) and at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. She also held the world long jump record.

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New Zealand Herald

Reference: 1950

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, The New Zealanders – Post-war New Zealanders, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/3564/yvette-williams (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.