Ernest Sutherland
![]() Sutherland during World War I | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Palmerston North, New Zealand | 26 April 1894
Died | 8 July 1936 Palmerston North, New Zealand | (aged 42)
Occupation | Police officer |
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] |
Weight | 74 kg (164 lb)[1] |
Sport | |
Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | Decathlon, shot put, high jump, javelin throw, long jump, pole vault, triple jump |
Achievements and titles | |
National finals | High jump champion (1920, 1921) Javelin throw champion (1921, 1922) Long jump champion (1920, 1922, 1927, 1928) Pole vault champion (1929) Shot put champion (1927) Triple jump champion (1915, 1920) |
Ernest George Sutherland (26 April 1894 – 8 July 1936), also known as Buz Sutherland, was a New Zealand athlete.[2] Well known in his home country, he stayed in South Africa in 1922 after touring with a New Zealand team. He competed for South Africa at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and came fifth in the decathlon. He returned to New Zealand in 1926.[3]
Born in Palmerston North on 26 April 1894, Sutherland was the son of Jessie and William Sutherland.[1][4] In May 1915, he enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, serving overseas for three years and six months as a rifleman in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, and seeing active service in North Africa and France.[1][5] He was wounded in action, suffering a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh, at Bir Shola in January 1916 during the Senussi campaign.[1][6]
In all, Sutherland won 12 New Zealand national athletic championship titles across six field disciplines. His only title before leaving to fight in World War I was in the triple jump in 1915, his other 11 titles coming after the war. These were in: the triple jump in 1920; the high jump in 1920 and 1921; the long jump in 1920, 1922, 1927, and 1928; the javelin throw in 1921 and 1922; the shot put in 1927; and finally the pole vault in 1929.[7]
Sutherland was a policeman. He had a fatal fall from his bicycle on 8 July 1936 in Palmerston North when his shoulder strap became entangled with his knee and handlebars. He went head-first over his handlebar and broke his neck.[8][9]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "Sutherland, Ernest George – WW1 23/927 – Army". Archives New Zealand. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Ernest Sutherland". Olympedia. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ernest Sutherland". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Birth search: registration number 1894/3339". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Ernest George Sutherland". Online Cenotaph. Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "The roll of honour". Otago Daily Times. No. 16610. 5 February 1916. p. 8. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Hollings, Stephen (October 2019). "National champions 1887–2019" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Death of former well-known athlete". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXIII, no. 22466. 9 July 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ ""An extraordinary case"". The Press. Vol. LXXII, no. 21833. 13 July 1936. p. 14. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- 1894 births
- 1936 deaths
- Sportspeople from Palmerston North
- South African decathletes
- Olympic athletes of South Africa
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics
- New Zealand expatriates in South Africa
- Olympic decathletes
- New Zealand decathletes
- Road incident deaths in New Zealand
- Cycling road incident deaths
- New Zealand military personnel of World War I