Harold Nelson Smyrk (16 September 1889 – 10 November 1956) was an Australian diving champion who represented Great Britain at the

1908 Olympic Games The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

in London.

History

Smyrk was born in Melbourne, where his father Herbert Moesbury Smyrk (1862 – 3 June 1947) was a

stained-glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

artist, a partner with one Charles Rogers as Smyrk & Rogers. The partnership dissolved in September 1888, and the family left for Adelaide to work for painter and decorator

E. F. Troy Edward Francis Troy (30 January 1856 – 7 April 1910) was a stained glass artist and decorative painter in Adelaide, South Australia, and a founder, in 1884, of the St Vincent de Paul Society in that State. History Troy had a studio and worksho ...

(c. 1855–1910) of

Gawler Place Gawler Place is a single-lane road in the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs north to south from North Terrace to Wakefield Street, parallel to and approximately midway between King William and Pulteney Streets. ...

and Flinders Street. He would later, as "Herbert Moesbury", achieve a little fame as a writer, Beardsley-esque illustrator and traveller with a special fondness for

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

. For four or five years, they lived in the seaside suburb of Glenelg, which boasted a large marine swimming pool. His father was a good swimmer, and Harold an apt pupil, and soon became quite proficient, but diving, particularly the high dive, was where he excelled. The family left for London around March 1898, to the regret of members of the

Adelaide Easel Club The Adelaide Easel Club was a society for South Australian painters which broke away from the South Australian Society of Arts in 1892 and which re-merged with the parent organization in 1901. History The club was founded in November 1892 when a g ...

, of which his father had been an active member. but a year later his imminent return to Australia was reported, his father having apparently not enjoyed the acceptance he had been hoping for. His mother, Laura Elizabeth Smyrk, died in 1902. They didn't return to Adelaide but Sydney, and Smyrk joined the South Sydney Swimming Club, winning numerous diving championships. and in 1903 moved to England, residing at

Kingston-on-Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...

, and Smyrk joined the Cygnus Swimming Club. In 1905 he won a silver cup presented by Sir Claude de Crespigny. Smyrk, who was several times remarked on for his diminutive size, represented Great Britain in diving at the 1906 Olympiad at Athens, and the

in London, but failed to reach the finals. Smyrk returned to Australia, and by 1915 was a resident of Glenelg, where he started a diving club in 1918. While in Adelaide he was active in swimming organizations, and was a competitive golfer. Smyrk married Ivy Powell of

St Peters, South Australia St Peters is an inner-eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Norwood Payneham St Peters. The area was first settled in 1838, with allotments sold to investors in the South Australia Company. It was originally a separate town ...

on 31 December 1916; they lived in Adelaide until around 1930 and divorced in Sydney in 1933. In 1951 he had a cottage on The Esplanade, Warringah, Sydney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyrk, Harold 1889 births 1956 deaths Australian male divers British male divers Divers at the 1906 Intercalated Games Divers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Olympic divers for Great Britain Divers from Melbourne