Professor John Bloomfield AO was one of the main architects and drivers of the modern Australian sport system.
He was foundation professor at Australia’s first university based Department of Human Movement (UWA 1974) and President of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation, now Sports Medicine Australia (1971). He was the driving force behind the foundation of the Australian Institute of Sport in 1980 and was its founding Deputy Chair and later Chair, as well as co-chair of the Australian Sports Commission 1987-89. John was also a driving force in founding the WA Institute of Sport in 1981.
Significant recommendations related to sport were the ‘professionalisation’ of sporting organisations, programs to develop coaching, sports science and medicine, sports management and talent identification, community sport facilities and the establishment of a National Institute of Sport.
Bob Ellicott, the Minister for Sport responsible for establishing the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), gave enormous credit to Professor Bloomfield for his strategy and development of sports and recreation reports in the lead up to the AIS. Professor Bloomfield has authored or co-authored over 100 national or international scientific papers and book chapters and is the author of several major books and reports on sport.
He was a Sir William Refshauge Lecturer at the 2001 SMA Conference and recipient of the Certificate of Appreciation from the ASMF Fellows in 2011 for his services to SMA.
We thank Professor Bloomfield for his tireless contribution and his passion for a more scientific approach to training, technique and injury prevention in Australian Sport. Vale Professor Bloomfield.
Learn more about his honours and achievements here.
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