Mervyn Thomas Wood, (30 April 1917 – 19 August 2006) was an Australian

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...

and police officer. He was an eight-time Australian national sculling champion, four-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist. He later rose to become the Commissioner of the

New South Wales Police Force The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...

Early life and career

Wood was the youngest of four children born in

Kensington, New South Wales Kensington is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area (LGA) of the City of Randwick, in the Eastern ...

, on 30 April 1917. His father Thomas Wood had emigrated to Australia and entered the Police Force in 1905. Wood grew up in Randwick and attended

Sydney Boys High School Sydney Boys High School (”SBHS”), otherwise known as The Sydney High School (“SHS”) or High, is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex school, single-sex Selective school (New South Wales), academically s ...

, graduating in 1934, where he represented his school in

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

, swimming and most successfully, rowing. Following high school, Wood became a police cadet and rowed for the New South Wales Police Rowing Club. The police senior eight dominated at state and national championships and was selected in toto represent Australia at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

in Berlin. At the age of 19 years, Wood appeared in his first Olympics rowing in the three seat of the Australian men's eight. His boat was eliminated in the

repechage Repechage (; french: repêchage, "fishing out, rescuing") is a practice in series competitions that allows participants who failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round. A well known example is the wild car ...

and did not make the final.Merv Wood
sports-reference.com Upon his return, Wood made police constable. After the majority of his crew retired, Wood took up

sculling Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, it ...

. He worked in the police force in the Criminal Investigation Branch, and in 1944 joined the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

as a navigator.

Rowing

After the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Wood won State and National Championships in 1946, 1947 and 1948 and was selected to represent Australia in the

single scull A single scull (or a scull) is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to minimi ...

at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

in London. Wood travelled to London ahead of the rest of the team and won the

Diamond Challenge Sculls The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. First run in 1844, it is open to male scullers from all eligible rowing clubs.

event at the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

, beating

Bert Bushnell Bertram Harold Thomas Bushnell (3 September 1921 – 10 January 2010) was a Great Britain, British Rowing (sport), rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal alongside Dickie Burnell in the sculling, double sculls, ...

in the final. At the Olympics, Wood won all of his races handily including the final, which he won by 14 seconds. Wood celebrated by smoking his pipe – he was a lifelong smoker who only put aside the habit for the Olympics. Wood went on to win the national single scull championship a record seven straight times, winning in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952. At the

1950 British Empire Games The 1950 British Empire Games was the fourth staging of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand between 4 and 11 February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the third edition of the games. The main venue was ...

he won the single scull and with compatriot

Murray Riley Murray Stewart Riley (5 October 1925 – 2020) was an Australian Olympic rowing athlete, who, after leaving a career as a police officer, gained notoriety as a criminal. Riley represented Australia at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1952 and 1956 Sum ...

the double scull. As the 1948 Olympic Champion, Wood was awarded the Philadelphia Challenge Cup as the best amateur sculler in the world, which Wood defended in 1950, defeating

John B. Kelly Jr. John Brenden "Jack" Kelly Jr. (May 24, 1927 – March 2, 1985), also known as Kell Kelly, was an American athlete, an accomplished rower, a four-time Olympian, and an Olympic medal winner. He was the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner Jac ...

and

Antony Rowe Antony Duncan Rowe (4 August 1924 – 5 December 2003), or Tony Rowe, was an English rower who competed for Great Britain at the 1948 Summer Olympics and won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1950. He was later a pr ...

in a match race in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wood represented Australia in the single scull event at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

in Helsinki, where he was honoured by being selected to carry the Australian flag at the opening ceremony. On the journey to Finland, Wood stopped in England and repeated his victory at the Henley Royal Regatta in the Diamond Challenge Sculls, beating Tony Fox in the final. Wood was a favourite to win the single scull at the Olympics, but lost the final by 1.7 seconds to

Yuriy Tyukalov Yury Sergeyevich Tyukalov (russian: Юрий Серге́евич Тюкалов, 4 July 1930 – 19 February 2018) was a Russian rower. He started primarily as a single sculler; he also won an Olympic gold medal in 1952 and a silver medal at th ...

. Although he never offered it as an excuse, as a child, Wood had injured his arm which occasionally caused him distress while rowing including during the summer of 1952. This may have affected his performance at the games, but Wood also faced far stiffer competition than in the 1948 games, which were held shortly after the Second World War, and his main rival Tyukalov would prove to be one of the best oarsmen of his generation. At the

1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fi ...

in Vancouver, Wood rowed in both the coxless four and the double scull events. The finals were separated by only 45 minutes, and Wood won gold medals in both events. In 1956 Wood lost the national sculling title to teenager

Stuart Mackenzie Stuart Mackenzie (5 April 1936 - 20 October 2020) was an Australian rower. He was an Australian champion and Olympic medalist, who also competed for Great Britain at the 1962 World Championships. Club and state rowing Mackenzie was educated at ...

, who was selected ahead of Wood to represent Australia in the single scull at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. But Wood and his partner Riley were selected for the double scull. Among others in the final, Wood and Riley faced the Soviet team that included Yuriy Tyukalov, who had beaten Wood at the 1952 Games. Tyukalov's boat again triumphed, an American boat finished second, and Wood's boat third, giving him a Bronze medal at age 39. Wood was again named the flag-bearer, the only Australian to have twice achieved the honour.Australia
sports-reference.com Wood's final competition was the

1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18–26 July 1958. Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games ...

in Cardiff, where teaming with MacKenzie he won silver in the double scull at age 41.

Commissioner of Police

Following his retirement from rowing, Wood returned full-time to his post in the New South Wales Police Force, eventually becoming the Commissioner in 1977. His double scull partner at the 1956 Olympics,

, was also a police officer. After leaving the force, Riley became an international drug smuggler. Wood's link with Riley and the controversy it generated was a factor in causing him to quit as Commissioner in 1979. Another factor was a document, allegedly prepared by senior police officers, which was given to a number of politicians, and which alluded to a meeting between Wood and an "illegal casino operator", among other things. The then Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, started by backing Wood, stating that it would be strange for a Police Commissioner not to know people in the underworld. Once the document surfaced, however, the public backlash forced Wran to take back his support for Wood.

Awards

Wood was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the

1957 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1957 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lon ...

, in recognition of his outstanding representation in the sphere of Australian amateur sport.Australia list: In the

1975 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1975 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1975 to celeb ...

, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM). Wood was appointed a Member (Fourth Class) of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1977 on the occasion of the Queen's Silver Jubilee visit to Australia. In 1984, all existing Members (Fourth Class) were upgraded to the rank of Lieutenant, and could therefore use the suffix 'LVO'.

Death

Wood died in Sydney on 19 August 2006 at age 89. He had been suffering from cancer.Mervyn Wood, 89, 4-Time Olympic Rower, Dies
''AFP'' via ''New York Times''. 24 August 2006.

Rowing record

Olympics

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, eight (8+), did not qualify for finals *

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

, single (1x), gold *

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

, single (1x), silver *

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

, double (2x), bronze

Empire/Commonwealth Games

*1950, Single (1x), gold *1950, Double (2x), gold *1954, Four w/out (4-), gold *1954, Double (2x), gold *1958, Double (2x), silver

Henley Royal Regatta

*1948, Diamond Challenge Sculls, first place *1952, Diamond Challenge Sculls, first place

References

External links

Australian Olympic Committee ObituaryAustralian Olympic Committee Biography
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090210095449/http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/underbellyataleoftwocities/ Underbelly website Obituarybr>News.com.au ObituaryAustralian Rowing History Olympic Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Mervyn 1917 births 2006 deaths Australian male rowers Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic rowers of Australia Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in rowing Olympic gold medalists for Australia Olympic silver medalists for Australia Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Rowers at the 1950 British Empire Games Rowers at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Rowers at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire Royal Australian Air Force airmen Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Commissioners of the New South Wales Police Australian Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order Australian recipients of the Queen's Police Medal Rowers from Sydney Commonwealth Games medallists in rowing Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees