Objects of Substance - Fifty metre Freestyle Trophy

Over the past 113 years, the event has been cancelled only twice: in 1921, when Head Mistress, Annie Mackay stated it was “inadvisable to use the public baths; so we have not held our swimming carnival” (Mackay, 1921), and in 1951 due to a poliomyelitis epidemic. Across the decades, the structure of the event [heats are held in the morning with the fastest ten swimmers going through to the final] and the trophy itself have changed with the times. Barbara Devenish-Meares received a much smaller trophy which has now morphed into a cascade of four impressive tiers chronicling the skills and exploits of generations of Grammar swimmers. This has grown into a truly inspiring award for such an explosive event!

2023 The Individual Swimming Trophy for the Open 50m Freestyle Championship, with the fourth layer added in 2016.

As Swimming Co-ordinator from 2000 to 2019, the Open 50m Freestyle Championship was always my favourite race of the day. It still is! Talking to the finalists prior to the event, announcing the competitors as they stand behind the blocks, and the potent and collective silence in the stadium before the start has always given me that sense of