Randwick Botany Harriers is an athletics club affiliated with Athletics NSW which has over a century of history. Based in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, the club has a particularly rich history in distance running.
The club’s history dates back to 1907 via the Botany Harriers. In 1959 the Botany Harriers merged with the Randwick-Kensington Athletics Club (the Randwick and Kensington Athletics Clubs had earlier merged in 1932).
Randwick Botany Harriers quickly asserted itself as a dominant club within Sydney’s summer interclub and in winter cross country. The club’s mission is to provide a pathway to excellence in all disciplines officiated by Athletics NSW.
The club has had representatives in the Australian Olympic team every year since 1924, with the exception of 1992, with medals won by Nick Winter (gold in the triple jump in 1924), Allan Lawrence (bronze in the 10000m in 1956) and Jane Saville (bronze in the 20km walk in 2004). Other Olympic finalists are Bill Butchart (800m, 1956), Gary Knoke (4th, 400m Hurdles, 1964), Peter Farmer (Hammer Throw, 1976), Darren Clark (4th, 400m 1984; and 4th, 400m 1988) and Steven Solomon (400m, 2012).
In the 1970s the club was also pioneering in developing Australia’s first synthetic athletics track, Hensley Athletics Field, while prominent club members helped establish Little Athletics in NSW, forming Randwick Botany Little Athletics Centre.
