Harold MacBain was
a dominant figure in
Australian weightlifting
with a competitive career
that spanned three
decades, winning the first
of his eleven Australian
titles in 1936 and the last
in 1954 at the age of 42.
Competing mainly as a
featherweight (60kg),
Harold was a fine
technician and excelled
in the “king of lifts” - the
clean and jerk. He was
acknowledged by his
contemporaries as the first
Australian to lift double
bodyweight in this lift.
Harold was also one
of Australia’s first-ever
weightlifting coaches
(notably guiding Vern
Barberis early in his
career) and following
his retirement became
one of the most active
referees in the sport. One
of the first Australians to
become an international
Category I referee, Harold
officiated at the 1956
Olympic Games.
Harold was a promising
boxer before turning to
Olympic weightlifting and
also held the Australian
56kg deadlift record for
over 30 years with 230kg. |
Verdi (Vern) Barberis was
Australia’s first Olympic
medallist in weightlifting,
winning the lightweight
(67.5kg) bronze medal at
the 1952 Helsinki Olympic
Games, following a bronze
medal at the 1950 British
Empire (Commonwealth)
Games.
A 7-time Australian
champion, Vern went on
to win Australia’s first
Commonwealth Games
gold medal in 1954 and
rounded out his career
at the 1956 Melbourne
Olympic Games.
In another first, Vern
was the first Australian
lightweight to clean and
jerk over 300 pounds
(136.5kg) which at
the time exceeded the
Victorian heavyweight
record. His Australian
records stood for many
years and his Victorian
snatch record lasted
twenty years.
A graduate of Melbourne
University, Vern Barberis
was a highly respected
teacher and principal.
From 1969-1971, Vern
also held the position of
President of the Australian
Weightlifting Federation. |
Joseph (Joe) Hensel
inherited his love
of strength sports
from his father. In
1944, Joe established
the Hackenschmidt
Weightlifting Club, later
known as the Mayfield
Weightlifting Club,
home to many national
champions over the years.
Joe was already an active
official and organiser by
the age of 20, while still
active as a lifter. He was
the first secretary of the
Newcastle Weight Lifting
Association, a position
he held from 1952 until
1983. Other highlights
included selection as
Manager/Coach of the
1956 Olympic team;
Secretary/Treasurer
(1957-1965) and
Vice President (1953-
1955) of the Australian
Weightlifting Federation;
Member of the Organising
Committee of the 1962
Commonwealth Games;
and Life Membership of
the AWF.
Joe was an excellent
MC and also produced
the highly popular and
informative magazine,
“The Australian
Weightlifter”. |
Nicolo (Nick) Ciancio
inspired a generation of
Australian weightlifters
with his uncompromising
attitude to training and
competition, setting his
sights on international
success and in the process
smashing Australian
records with disdain.
Nick began his
weightlifting career at the
Melbourne Weightlifting
Club in 1963 under the
watchful eye of Les
Martyn and by 1970
had won the first of his
two Commonwealth
Games gold medals,
as a lightheavyweight
(82.5kg). Moving up to
the 90kg category, Nick
placed 6th at the 1972
Munich Olympic Games,
lifting the same total
as the two placegetters
ahead of him but was
relegated on heavier
bodyweight.
Nick’s record snatch of
157.5kg, set in 1975,
stood for thirteen years.
His head-to-head battles
with New Zealand’s John
Bolton and appearances
on television’s “Wide
World of Sport” electrified
weightlifting fans in the
early ‘70s. |
Dinko (Dean) Lukin is
Australia’s best known
weightlifter and the only
Australian to win an
Olympic gold medal in the
sport.
Dean began weightlifting
in 1976 after his talent for
the sport was discovered
by his headmaster, Leon
Holme, who would go on
to become his coach.
From the age of 17,
Dean became a full time
fisherman, spending
months at a time at sea
fishing for tuna. Most
of his training was done
in an old tin shed in
his home town of Port
Lincoln, South Australia,
in between fishing stints.
The 1982 Brisbane
Commonwealth Games
first brought Dean into
the public eye with
his emphatic win in
the superheavyweight
category. He soon
followed up with his
memorable Olympic
victory in 1984 and
went on to win a second
Commonwealth Games
gold in 1986.
Dean was inducted into
the Sport Australia Hall of
Fame in 1985. |
As head of the Australian
Weightlifting Federation
(1971-1983), Leslie (Les)
John Martyn presided
over a period that has
been described as “the
golden years” of the
sport, a time during which
Australian weightlifters
climbed up world rankings
and dominated the
Commonwealth.
Les was one of the first
coaches of weightlifting
in Australia. Combining
passion and meticulous
planning, he guided his
charges to many national
and international titles.
Amongst numerous other
highlights and Government
appointments, Les has
held the position of
President of the ACGA,;
President of CAS; General
Manager, Australian team
1978 Commonwealth
Games; Inaugural
chairman of the Coaches
Association of Australia
(all sports); Member IWF
Executive Board (1981-
84); Life Member of the
ACGA, CAS, AWF and
CWF; Recipient of IWF
Honour Gold Medal and
is a Member of the Sport
Australia Hall of Fame. |