Leopold’s John Womersley has dedicated his life to the sport of archery.
Mr Womersley, 88, was a foundational member and two-time president of local club Geelong Archers, established in 1960, and has served as an officiator and administrator at every level of the archery world.
In 1970 he became president of Archery Victoria, in 1976 he was elected president of Archery Association of Australia (now Archery Australia) and in 1979 he began a nearly 30-year stint as an international judge, including appearances at two Olympic games.
Mr Womersley has also spent many years on various international archery committees, as an Oceania liaison officer and international delegate.
He has also been recognised through other awards, including a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1978, the Australian Sports Medal (2000), the Queen’s Medal (2000) and induction to the Australian Archery Hall of Fame (2013).
Mr Womersley’s wife Susanne has also spent years in archery officiating and administration; the two first met in her home country of Austria in 1986 at the World Field Archery Championships.
Speaking on behalf of her husband, she said Mr Womersley was “so pleased” to have been recognised for a lifetime of service to archery despite not having been involved in the sport for the past several years.
“He’s very proud that Geelong Archers, something that started off on such a small scale, now has over 100 members and has become a real springboard for competitive archers,” she said.
“He really loved the sense of community and purpose that it gave him…You make friends all over the world.”
