Famous 20th Century Australian Sportspersons
Find out more about the greatest 20th Century Australian Sportspersons, including Kyrie Irving, Shane Warne, Jarryd Hayne, Tim Cahill and Peter Norman.
This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century Australian Sportspersons
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Shane Warne(Australian cricketer. Widely considered one of the greatest leg spin bowlers in cricket history.)
Birthdate: September 13, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Victoria, Australia
Died: March 4, 2022
Shane Warne was a former Australian cricket player, best known for his leg-break bowling. Widely regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, Warne was the second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket. He was also one of the most controversial cricketers. In 2013, Shane Warne was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: August 27, 1908
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cootamundra, Australia
Died: February 25, 2001
Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, is widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. He started playing cricket as a young man and scored numerous records within a few years. In a career spanning around two decades, he retired with a career test batting average of 99.94. He retained a pre-eminent position in the game for decades following his retirement.
Birthdate: August 9, 1938
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Rockhampton, Australia
Australian former tennis player Rod Laver is widely regarded to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He was ranked world No. 1 in nine different years. He holds 200 singles titles--the most in tennis history. He excelled on a variety of court surfaces: grass, clay, hard, carpet, and wood/parquet. The Laver Cup Tournament is named after him.
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Birthdate: December 19, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Ricky Ponting is an Australian retired cricket player best known for his abilities as a batsman, fielder, and captain. Widely regarded as one of the modern-time greats, Ponting is the leading run-scorer for Australia in Test and ODI cricket. Ponting captained the Australian Test team between 2004 and 2011 and is considered one of the most successful cricket captains of all time.
Birthdate: August 27, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Queanbeyan, Australia
Mark Webber is an Australian former racing driver. From 2002 to 2013, Webber competed in Formula One, winning the 2010 British Grand Prix. From 2014 to 2016, he competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the 2015 season for Porsche alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. In 2019, Mark Webber was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: February 16, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Slade Point, Australia
Cathy Freeman is a former sprinter known for her achievements in the 400 meters events. Her personal best of 48.63, set at the 1996 Olympics, makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. She gave Australia an Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics. Also a humanitarian, Freeman is credited with founding the Cathy Freeman Foundation.
Birthdate: September 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Serov, Russia
Kostya Tszyu is a former boxer who held multiple light-welterweight championships. Renowned for his punching power, Tszyu is considered one of the hardest-punching boxers in the history of light-welterweight boxing. He represented the Soviet Union at the 1991 World Championships, where he won a gold medal. In 2010, Tszyu was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Birthdate: February 9, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia
Glenn McGrath is an Australian former international cricketer. A fast-medium pace bowler, he is considered one of the greatest Australian international bowlers of all time. He played international cricket for 14 years and was a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket in the 1990s and 2000s. He is currently the director of MRF Pace Foundation.
Birthdate: July 31, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Griffith, New South Wales, Australia
Legendary Australian tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was once world number 1 and the world’s first mother to earn a Wimbledon win in 66 years. A Wiradjuri Aborigine, she is now part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and also became the Australian of the Year in 1971.
Birthdate: November 14, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bellingen
Birthdate: December 6, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Australian former professional footballer Timothy F. Cahill was known for "his aggressive and powerful approach and his ability to head the ball in the penalty area" during his playing years. Having scored 50 goals in 108 caps, he is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Australia national team. Currently, he works as a pundit for BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
Birthdate: August 11, 1988
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Canberra
Birthdate: November 2, 1934
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Throughout his 25-year illustrious career, Australian tennis legend Ken Rosewall has won 18 Grand Slams, including 8 singles titles. Known for his 5’7” lean frame, he was nicknamed Muscles by his teammates, apparently, for the lack of them. The son of a grocer, he had begun playing tennis at age 3.
Birthdate: December 28, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mount Isa, Australia
Pat Rafter became the first Australian male in the Open Era to win consecutive US Open titles. The former ATP singles number 1 is also the only person with an undefeated record against tennis legend Roger Federer and is remembered for his politeness and his habit of saying “Sorry, mate.”
Birthdate: July 18, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Perth
Birthdate: April 2, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hurstville
Died: May 19, 2014
Jack Brabham was an Australian professional racing driver best remembered for winning the Formula One World Championship thrice during his illustrious career that lasted 15 years. He is credited with founding the eponymous Formula One racing team and racing car manufacturer. Early in his career, Brabham contributed immensely to the design of racing cars introduced by the Cooper Car Company.
Birthdate: September 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Shellharbour City Council, Australia
Alexander Volkanovski is an Australian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion in UFC and is currently ranked fourth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound list. Alexander Volkanovski has had one successful title defense and one Fight of the Night honor in his UFC career so far.
Birthdate: November 28, 1984
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Birthdate: November 10, 1992
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: August 21, 1967
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Gold Coast, Australia
Birthdate: November 3, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Blackbutt, Australia
Roy Emerson is a former tennis player from Australia. A former world No. 1, Emerson won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles and 12 Grand Slam singles titles, which includes a career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles. Emerson went on to achieve another career Grand Slam, becoming the first man to complete a double career Grand Slam in singles.
Birthdate: January 30, 1990
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Baulkham Hills, Sydney, Australia
Mitchell Starc is an Australian international cricketer. He plays for the Australian national team in international cricket and New South Wales in domestic cricket. Primarily a left-arm fast bowler, he is also a capable lower-order left-handed batsman. He was part of the Australian squad that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He is married to fellow cricketer Alyssa Healy.
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Harry Kewell(Football coach and former Football player -Winger)
Birthdate: September 22, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Smithfield, Australia
Birthdate: April 27, 1995
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Canberra, Australia
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who has had a career-best singles ranking of 13, has also been part of a few controversies. During a 2019 Wimbledon match, he apparently deliberately hit Rafael Nadal with a ball, straight in the chest, and later defended his actions, saying it was completely fair.
Birthdate: September 4, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Balmain
Dawn Fraser is an Australian freestyle champion swimmer. She won the Olympic individual event the women's 100-meter freestyle three times in her career. She also won six Commonwealth Games gold medals. Much respected for her athletic abilities, she was also known for her controversial behavior. She became a swimming coach after her retirement. She is also a former politician.
Birthdate: July 27, 1955
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cremorne, Australia
Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border, also popularly known as AB, remains to be regarded as one of the best batsmen the game has ever had. Under his captaincy, Australia didn’t just win a World Cup but also brought back the Ashes in 1989. He is also one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures.
Birthdate: August 7, 1948
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Unley
Birthdate: October 13, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sydney
Ian Thorpe is an Australian retired swimmer who won five Olympic gold medals. He predominantly competed in freestyle but was also skilled at backstroke and the individual medley. He emerged as the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics, with three gold and two silver medals. He is openly gay and often talks about the challenges of being homosexual.
Birthdate: February 10, 1955
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
Greg Norman is an Australian retired professional golfer and entrepreneur. One of the greatest Australian golfers ever, Norman was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2009, he was named in Queensland's Q150 Icons list as a sports legend. Also a philanthropist, Norman established the Greg Norman Golf Foundation, which provides guidance to students.
Birthdate: April 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Liverpool
Birthdate: September 26, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Melbourne Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Birthdate: February 14, 1977
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Katherine
Tour de France-winning Australian cyclist Cadel Evans is also a four-time Olympian. His career took off when he earned a scholarship to the mountain biking program of the Australian Institute of Sport. An avid philanthropist, he has an adopted son from Ethiopia, along with a son from his second wife.
Birthdate: February 24, 1981
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Lleyton Hewitt is an Australian professional tennis player and a former world No. 1. He has won one Wimbledon, one U.S. Open and one U.S. Open doubles title. The son of a sportsman, he developed an early interest in different kinds of sports and decided to pursue tennis professionally. He has been involved in several controversies.
Birthdate: October 6, 1972
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Birthdate: June 2, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Canterbury
Birthdate: November 12, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia
Birthdate: May 23, 1944
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: October 29, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Birthdate: November 23, 1956
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shane Gould was 15 when she participated in the Munich Olympics. She stunned everyone with her early retirement at 16 and stayed away from the limelight for 25 years, eventually re-emerging after raising her four kids on an Australian farm and then breaking records at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Birthdate: June 17, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brisbane
Birthdate: March 24, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gold Coast
Birthdate: June 15, 1942
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Melbourne
Died: October 3, 2006
Peter Norman was an Australian athlete who won a silver medal in the 200 meters event at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He is remembered for supporting fellow athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos by wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during their medal ceremony; he is the third athlete seen in the popular Olympics Black Power salute photograph.
Birthdate: September 29, 1985
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ballarat, Australia
Birthdate: February 26, 1945
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Epworth Hospital
Died: September 8, 2006
Peter Brock was an Australian professional racing driver best remembered for his association with Holden. A three-time Australian Touring Car champion, Brock was honored with the prestigious Australian Sports Medal in 2000. In 2001, he was made an inductee of the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Brock was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.
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Michelle Jenneke(Hurdler who won a silver medal for the 100 m hurdles at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics)
Birthdate: June 23, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kenthurst, Australia
Michelle Jenneke is an Australian track and field athlete and model. She won a silver medal for Australia at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. She received international recognition in 2012 when her pre-race warm-up dance became famous on the internet. As a model, Michelle Jenneke was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2013.
Birthdate: December 4, 1990
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
One of Australia’s greatest wheelchair sportspersons, Dylan Alcott has mastered both wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. He is also one of the rare few to have won Paralympic gold medals in two sports, both basketball and tennis. In 2021, he declared his wish to retire from tennis after the Australian Open.
Birthdate: May 21, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newtown, Australia
Anthony Mundine is an Australian former rugby league footballer and former professional boxer. He competed from 2000 to 2021 as a boxer and held championship titles, such as the WBA super-middleweight title, the IBO middleweight title, and the WBA interim super-welterweight title. Before becoming a boxer, Mundine was a popular figure in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Birthdate: October 9, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Birthdate: June 9, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: May 14, 2022
Birthdate: November 21, 1970
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Perth