Awarded Life Membership 30 September 1979
Birth: 22 February 1922
Death: 11 February 2016, Sydney (93 years)
Arthur Tunstall was a significant Commonwealth Games administrator for four decades starting as Assistant General Manager at the Perth 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and finishing as Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) Secretary-Treasurer in 1998, a position held from 1969.
He was one of the pioneer voluntary Australian sports administrators who played a crucial role in the establishment of the national sport organisation system, which now controls and manages Australian sport.
His sport administration career started in the 1940’s as Secretary of the Woollahra Swimming Club. In 1951, he was appointed Secretary of the New South Wales Amateur Boxing Association after encouragement from leading administrator Les Duff. He held this position held until 2010. This led to Arthur being appointed Honorary-Secretary of the Amateur Boxing Union of Australia (now Boxing Australia) in 1953, a position held until 1999. His involvement with Oceania Amateur Boxing Association was as Secretary 1968 to 1989 and President 1989 to 2000.
In 1991, he was Chairman of the 6th World Amateur Boxing Championships in Sydney. He was Australia’s representative to International Boxing Association (AIBA) for decades and officiated at countless international tournaments and world championships.
Arthur had more influence than any other person in the history of amateur boxing in Australia.
His leadership positions in boxing led to his significant involvement in the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and international boxing movements.
Arthur was the Boxing Section Manager at four Olympic Games – Rome 1960, Mexico 1968, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980. He was a Boxing Technical Delegate at three Olympic Games – Seoul 1988, 1992 Barcelona and Atlanta 1996.
From the Perth 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, he was a member of the headquarters staff of eight Commonwealth Games teams in the positions of Chef de Mission / General Manager (Edinburgh 1970, Edinburgh 1986, Auckland 1990, Victoria 1994), Assistant General Manager (Perth) and Kingston 1966), and Transport Officer (Edmonton 1978).
Arthur Tunstall with the headquarters team at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games. (CGA Archive)
He was the Australian Delegate to Commonwealth Games Federation from 1972 to 1998 and Vice President for Oceania from 1994 to 1998.
In 1979, Arthur was awarded Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to boxing.
He became a Sport Australia Hall of Fame General (Administration) Member in 2005 and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
His other life memberships included the Australian Olympic Committee (1990).
In recognition of his lifelong amateur boxing leadership in Australia, Boxing Australia award’s the Arthur Tunstall Trophy Best Elite Men’s Boxer at the Australian Championships.
His wife Peggy was awarded Commonwealth Games Australia Life Membership in 1991 for her work with Arthur in managing the wide range of administrative tasks of the ACGA from early 1960’s and late 1990’s.
