Lynch Cooper (c. 1905–1971) was an Aboriginal Australian sprinter who won the

Stawell Gift The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short-distance running race. It is the main event in an annual carnival held on Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, St ...

in 1928 and the world's professional sprint championship competition in 1929. He later become prominent in Aboriginal activism including as president of the Aboriginal Progressive Association in the 1940s.

Family

Cooper was born at Moira Lake near

Tocumwal Tocumwal ( ) is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Berrigan Shire local government area, near the Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the Murray River, north of the city of Melbourne. ...

and was educated at Mulwala State School. His father was Aboriginal activist and community leader

William Cooper William Cooper may refer to: Business *William Cooper (accountant) (1826–1871), founder of Cooper Brothers * William Cooper (businessman) (1761–1840), Canadian businessman *William Cooper (co-operator) (1822–1868), English co-operator *Willi ...

. Lynch Cooper married Eva Christian, daughter of Alfred William Christian and Annie Laid née Bruce, of

Jeparit Jeparit ( ) is a town on the Wimmera River in Western Victoria, Australia, north west of Melbourne. At the 2016 census Jeparit had a population of 342, down from 394 five years earlier. History The area around Jeparit is originally home to th ...

on 11 February 1939 at the Methodist Church,

Footscray, Victoria Footscray is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Maribyrnong local government area. Footscray recorded a population of 17,131 at the . Footscray ...

References

Links

1933 - Wangaratta FC & Border United FC team photo1934 - Wangaratta FC & Rutherglen FC team photos
Australian male sprinters Indigenous Australian track and field athletes Stawell Gift winners 1900s births 1971 deaths Burials in Victoria (state) People from the Riverina Athletes from New South Wales {{Australia-athletics-bio-stub