Awarded Life Membership 18 February 1978

Birth: 1902

Death: 31 May 1982, Sydney

Arthur Hodsdon was a significant figure in Australian athletics from the 1940’s, through which he made a valuable contribution to the Australian British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association.

A member of the Western Suburbs Athletics Club in Sydney, Arthur commenced his voluntary work as an administrator and official, giving over 50 years of service to the Club. He first joined as a distance runner in 1924 and for most of his half-century involvement he was the treasurer, registrar and secretary.

His involvement at club level had him soon involved in matters state and national, via various Athletics NSW committees, and he was awarded Life Membership in 1949.

He was appointed Honorary secretary and treasurer of the Amateur Athletics Union in 1947, a position he held for 27 years, until 1974.

Arthur was the athletic delegate to the Australian British Empire Games Association and Member of the Executive Committee from 1936 to at least 1969.

His influence extended throughout the Oceania region, as Oceania Athletics Association President (1969-1978) and to the International Amateur Athletic Federation Council where he served as a member, attending the Congress of International Amateur Athletic Federation in 1954, 1962, 1966 and 1970; attending sporting functions as the IAAF representative in the region and playing a key role in the formation of the Pacific Conference Games, a regional event for nations of the Pacific, including the USA.

Arthur was awarded Life Membership of Athletics Australia in 1966, the same year he was honoured with the Order of the British Empire (MBE) ‘For service to amateur athletics’.