Harold Joffre Tyrie (3 August 1915 – 22 February 2007) was a New Zealand

track and field athlete Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...

who won a bronze medal at the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 ye ...

. He also played representative rugby union for .

Early life and family

Born in Dunedin on 3 August 1915, Tyrie was the son of William Leslie Tyrie and Annie Tyrie (née Miller). He was educated at Otago Boys' High School from 1929 to 1932. On 27 September 1940, he married Phyllis Mary McClelland at St John's Church, Millers Flat, and the couple went on to have three daughters.

Athletics

Representing Otago, Tyrie won the New Zealand national 440 yards title three times: in 1936, 1939, and 1940. At the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, he finished sixth in the final of the men's 440 yards, and was a member of the New Zealand quartet in the men's 4 x 440 yards relay that won the bronze medal. He later turned to coaching, and trained athletes including Don Jowett and

Robin Tait Robin Douglas Tait (14 April 1940 in Dunedin, Otago – 20 March 1984 in Auckland) was a discus thrower representing New Zealand at two Summer Olympics: 1968 and 1972. He represented New Zealand at six Commonwealth Games: 1962, 1966, 1970, 197 ...

Rugby union

second-row forward A rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field, with 4 substitutes on the bench. Each of the thirteen players is assigned a position, normally with a standardised number, which reflects their role in attack and defence, although pl ...

from the Southern Rugby Football Club in Dunedin, Tyrie played two representative rugby union games for Otago, in 1938 and 1941.

Military service

Tyrie graduated from the 12th Officer Cadet Training Unit in September 1942 and was commissioned as a temporary

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the New Zealand Infantry. Later, in 1944, with the rank of corporal, Tyrie was wounded in Italy while serving with the

2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

Later life and death

In later life, Tyrie was a ceramic artist of some note. He died in Christchurch on 22 February 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrie, Harold 1915 births 2007 deaths Athletes from Dunedin People educated at Otago Boys' High School New Zealand male sprinters Athletes (track and field) at the 1938 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics New Zealand rugby union players Otago rugby union players Rugby union locks New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand ceramicists 20th-century ceramists Rugby union players from Dunedin Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games