James Herbert 'Herb' Elliott AC MBE (b. 1938), runner, won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the Rome Olympics in 1960. The time he set in that event, 3 minutes 35.6 seconds, was not bettered for seven years. Having been schooled amidst the sports culture of Aquinas College, Perth, the young Elliott pursued a severe training regime devised by his coach, Percy Cerutty, who would exhort him to speed up by reminding him that 'it's only pain.' Winner, also, of two Commonwealth gold medals in 1958, Elliott ran the sub-four-minute mile seventeen times, and he was never beaten on level terms over a mile or 1 500 metres. He retired from athletics in 1961, after three scintillating years at the top. Later, he served on the boards of companies including Australian Portland Cement Ltd, Puma and Ansell Ltd; he is currently Chair of the Fortescue Metals Group and the Telstra Foundation. A Living National Treasure, he carried the Olympic flame into the stadium at the opening of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2008
© Max Dupain/Copyright Agency, 2024
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Johanna McMahon revels in history and mystery in pursuit of a suite of unknown portrait subjects.
Gael Newton delves into the life and art of renowned Australian photographer, Max Dupain.
