Albert 'Pompey' Austin and a golden age of Australian pedestrianism

Albert 'Pompey' Austin, an Indigenous man, took on and beat all comers in a series of races on the flat and over hurdles in Victoria in the middle decades of the nineteenth century. He was a major participant in a golden age of Australian semi-professional running, also known as pedestrianism, which preceded the development of amateur athletics. Indigenous athletes broke into individual sports like pedestrianism and boxing because the barriers to entry were lower than in team games, their skills could be adapted, and there were opportunities for exploitation of their talents by Europeans. In Pompey's case, his athletic career was only one part of a significant contribution to sporting life and culture in the nineteenth century.