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McKay, Heather Pamela (1941 - )

AM, MBE
Published Resources
Sportswoman
Born: 31 July 1941  Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia

Awarded the Australian Sports Medal on 30 August 2000, Heather McKay was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on 26 January 1979 for her service to the sport of squash. She had previously been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 1 January 1969 for services to sport. An Australian representative in squash and hockey, McKay dominated ladies squash for two decades and lost only two squash matches in her career.


Career Highlights
Alternative Names: Blundell, Heather (maiden name)
The eighth of eleven children, who were all interested in sport, Heather Blundell played tennis in summer and hockey in winter. In 1959 with the idea of improving her fitness for hockey, she played her first game of squash. A year later she entered the National Championships and won the Australian title, and then won it every year for the next 14 years. In 1962 she won the British Open - a title she held until 1977.

Heather Blundell married one of her male practice partners, Brian McKay, in 1965. The McKays left Australia in 1975 to coach in Canada and while there Heather McKay played racquetball. In 1985 the McKays returned to Australia and until 1993 she worked as a squash coach at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Chronology
1960 - 1973

Winner of the Australian Amateur Championships

1961 - 1973

Winner of New South Wales Championships

1961 - 1973

Winner of Victorian Championships

1962 - 1977

Winner of the British Open Championships

1965

Married Brian H McKay

1967

Awarded ABC Sportsman of the Year

1 January 1969

Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire

1976

Winner of the World Squash Championship

1977

Winner of the American Championship

1979

Winner of the American Amateur Racquetball Championship

1979

Winner of the World Squash Championship

26 January 1979

Awarded Member of the Order of Australia

1980

Winner of the Canadian Racquetball Championship

1980 - 1981

Winner of the American Professional Racquetball Championships

1982 - 1985

Winner of the Canadian Racquetball Championships

1984

Winner of the American Professional Racquetball Championship

1985 - 1998

Squash Coach with the Australian Institute of Sport

30 August 2000

Awarded the Australian Sports Medal

 
Published Resources

Journal Articles

  • Dobrez, Pat, 'Interview with Heather McKay (AM, MBE)', Kunapipi, vol. 23, no. 1, 2001, pp. 155-174. [ Details... ]

See also

  • Atkinson, Ann, The Dictionary of Famous Australians, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards (NSW), 1992, 268 pp. [ Details... ]
  • Brasch, Nicolas, Great Australian Women in Sport, Heinemann, Port Melbourne (Vic.), 1997, 32 pp. [ Details... ]
  • Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp. [ Details... ]
  • Rolton, Gloria, Outstanding Women in Australia: Women in Sport, Macmillan Education Australia, South Melbourne (Vic.), 1997, 48 pp. [ Details... ]
  • Smith, Terry, The Champions: Australia's Sporting Greats, Angus & Robertson, North Ryde (NSW), 1990, 234 pp. [ Details... ]

Google
Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Anne Heywood
Created: 18 October 2002
Modified: 18 June 2004

Published by National Foundation for Australian Women on Australian Women's Archives Project Web Site
Comments, questions, corrections and additions: awap@womenaustralia.info
Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 16 June 2006
http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0180b.htm

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