Winifred Lawrence
MNZM
Personal information
Birth nameWinifred Tweedie Dunn
Born(1920-01-06)6 January 1920
Dunedin, New Zealand
Died22 December 2006(2006-12-22) (aged 86)
Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse
Clynton John Christie Lawrence
​
​
(m. 1946; died 2001)​
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Achievements and titles
National finals100 yards breaststroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941)
220 yds breaststroke champion (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941)
Personal best100 m breaststroke – 1:31.4

Winifred Tweedie Lawrence MNZM (née Dunn; 6 January 1920 − 22 December 2006) was a New Zealand breaststroke swimmer, who, as Winnie Dunn, represented her country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Early life and family

Born in Dunedin on 6 January 1920, Lawrence was the youngest daughter of Edward Hanratty Dunn and Ellen Clarke Dunn (née Ferguson).[1][2][3] She was educated at King Edward Technical High School.[4] On 30 January 1946, she married Clynton John Christie Lawrence in Dunedin.[1][5]

Swimming career

Dunn first came to national attention in 1935, when she broke the New Zealand 100 metres breaststroke record, previously held by Gladys Pidgeon, with a time of 1:39.6.[6] The record was later broken by Judith Webster of Auckland, but Dunn regained the record in December 1937 with a time of 1:33.0.[7] She also broke the national 220 yard breaststroke record, swimming 3:22.6, and was subsequently selected to represent New Zealand in the 220 yards breaststroke at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney.[8][9][10] She went on to finish seventh in that event.[11] She was also a member of the New Zealand 3 x 110 yard medley relay team at the Sydney games, alongside Mona Leydon and Joyce Macdonald, that finished in fifth place with a time of 4:22.3.[12]

Dunn was the New Zealand 220 yards breaststroke champion every year from 1938 to 1941, and the 100 yards breastroke champion from 1939 to 1941.[13]

In 1939, Dunn broke the New Zealand 400 metres breaststroke record by 45.2 seconds, recording a time of 7 minutes 11 seconds.[14] She also held the New Zealand 100 metres breaststroke record, with a time of 1:31.4, for 14 years, until it was broken by Rae Currie in 1954.[15]

As Winifred Lawrence, she became a well-known swimming coach in Auckland over many decades, retiring in 2002.[16]

Honours

In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Lawrence was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to swimming.[17] In 2001 she was made a life member of the Auckland Swimming Association.[18]

Death

Lawrence was widowed by the death of her husband in 2001.[19] She died on 22 December 2006, and her ashes were buried in Waikumete Cemetery.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 "Winifred Tweedie Dunn". Ancestry.com.au. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Engagements". Evening Star. No. 25376. 6 January 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Birth search: registration number 1920/7682". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Swimming". Evening Star. No. 22018. 2 May 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Personal". Otago Daily Times. No. 26061. 26 January 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "A swimming record". Evening Post. 5 June 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Swimming: several records lowered". New Zealand Herald. 15 December 1937. p. 22. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Swimming records: official recognition". New Zealand Herald. 31 December 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Empire Games: N.Z. swimmers team". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 December 1937. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Empire Games: swimmers chosen". Evening Post. 17 December 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Winifred Dunn". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Results for the 1938 British Empire Games: swimming – 330 yard medley relay – women". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  13. ↑ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Matheson's record". The Advocate. 20 January 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Two records to girl swimmer". The Sun. 3 March 1954. p. 45. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Report of the mayor" (PDF). Waitakere City Council. 28 February 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2000 (including special list for East Timor)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 June 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "Life members". Auckland Swimming Association. 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Cemetery search: Clynton Lawrence". Auckland Council. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Cemetery search: Winifred Lawrence". Auckland Council. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
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