White/Nixon family – an Olympic volunteering dynasty

10 Sept 2020

White/Nixon family – an Olympic volunteering dynasty

Since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, a member of the White/Nixon family have officiated at every international Games or Championships, athletics or multi-sport, ever held on Australia soil. It peaked at the Sydney 2000 when six members of the clan volunteering for the Games.

Former Athletics NSW Treasurer and co-author of a written history of Athletics NSW, Ray White was the technical official in charge of the decathlon scoring in Melbourne. Six years later Ray continued his involvement as the marathon timekeeper at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth. Actually it would be Ray’s second British Empire Games as he was married on 30 January 1938 and was a spectator in Sydney in 1938.

In 1977, Canberra hosted the Pacific Conference Games, with Ray still heavily involved, serving on the Stadium Construction and Satellite Meetings Committees (leadup meets were held in every capital city). At the Games, he was a records officer, but the officiating/volunteer baton was about to be passed on to another member of the family, when his son Ian was the technical official for the wind gauge. Just five years later at the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games another White would debut, Janet Nixon (nee White) as a basket handler, while Ian was again the wind gauge operator. In 1985 Canberra hosted the IAAF World Cup and Ian was appointed a track judge.

By 1996 at the World Juniors in Sydney, a growing number of the family were involved with the sport, with Janet’s sister Alanna a team liaison officer, while Janet and Ian held key roles of Photo finish judge and Technical Information Manager (TIC) respectively. Ian’s wife, Ann, was also a regular Athletics NSW official.

At the Sydney Olympics, six members of the family were involved. Ian and Janet held the same roles as four years earlier at the World Juniors, while Alanna was a volunteer in the TIC. Janet’s brother Brian, and husband David Nixon, were volunteers at Athletics training venues. Another of Janet’s brothers, Adrian, was an Athletics Announcers assistant. A seventh member of the family, Chris was a part of the AOC’s Boxing Kangaroos.

For the 2000 Paralympics and Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Ian and Janet continued in the same roles although Janet was now the chief.

For the most recent Games, the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Janet gave up her Photo finish role, to allow another person the opportunity, but she was still involved working for the supplier of photo finish equipment, Longines. But it was time for another member of the family to debut, when Janet’s daughter, Ian’s grand-daughter and Ray great grand-daughter Linda Nixon would volunteer in Sports Presentations at the Games on the Gold Coast.

“Sport is a major interest of my family,” said Janet Nixon. “Athletics dominated our family’s meal-time conversations for as long as I can remember. This continues to be the case. Races, Rules, Records, and Reminiscing. We talk about athletics a lot.”

But especially, she fondly remembers the Olympics.

“Sydney 2000 was a home games – and we could all participate in making it a successful event. It was a very exciting time. Each of us had our part to play. Our shifts, locations and responsibilities were different, but it was great to have the support of an entire family who understood the enormity of the event.

“In our family, Sydney 2000 was the best Olympics ever.”

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: The White/Nixon family at the 2000 Olympics – left to right: Alanna, Ian, Adrian, Janet, Brian, Chris and David.