The turning point: The 1950 British Empire Games as an imperial spectacle

Abstract

This article examines the origins, staging and reaction to the 1950 British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand, in the context of broader attitudes to the British Empire and Commonwealth in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. It argues that New Zealand, as perhaps the most loyal and Empire-focused of the former white dominions, viewed the Games far less as a sporting event than a spectacle through which the country could display its continued devotion to Britain. In this context considerable effort was made to present the best possible image of New Zealand for domestic and overseas audiences. The ‘family’ atmosphere and amateur spirit of the Games was also presented as a conscious counterpoint to the intensity and internationalism of the Olympic movement. However, contradictory attitudes to race, and especially to the performances of non-white athletes in Auckland, also reveal the conservative limits of New Zealand's conception of the imperial family.