Australian athlete Marjorie Jackson (b. 1931) became the first Australian woman athlete to be awarded Olympic gold medals when she won the 100 m and 200 m women's sprints at Helsinki in 1952. Her time of 11.5 seconds for the 100 m equalled the 1936 Olympic record.
She was born in Lithgow, New South Wales, and first received recognition when she came first in the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m sprints and the 600 m relay at the 1950 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. She won three more gold medals at the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver.
In 1988, she was nominated by the governor-general and the prime minister as one of the '200 Great Australians' recognised by the Australian Bicentenary Committee. In 2001, she was appointed Governor of South Australia. | 
