Harry Kerr - New Zealand's first Olympic Games Medallist

fuji321
Jun 23, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Oct 28

By Duane Hart (Harry was Duane's Grand great uncle)

When Edward Henry Kerr (known as Harry) was born on January 28, 1879, in Waipuku Taranaki, New Zealand, his father, Edward, was 43 and his mother, Sarah, was 41.

In 1902, he married Isabella Maria Foster at Beach Church, New Brighton, Christchurch at the age of 23yrs. Witnesses at their wedding were Chas. Foster, New Brighton (town clerk) and E.C. Winny, New Brighton.

Harry was a champion shooter, loved rugby, and was good at most track and field events. But walking particularly caught the attention of the strapping 6ft 4in (or 1.93m) Kerr.

As was often the custom at the turn of the 20th century, he bypassed the major meets of the day to compete professionally, and was a regular at the big New Year's Day pro meet at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin, where he conceded massive handicaps.

Kerr eventually decided to turn amateur, which necessitated standing down from all competition for two years.He took his two-year hiatus in 1905-06, and dedicated himself to clearing bush on the family farm at Tariki, near Stratford.

Once eligible for championship meets, he quickly stamped his class and secured his Olympic selection by winning Australasian one and three-mile titles at Hobart in early 1908.

Harry seated at centre on the ship on way to London in July 1908

Harry departed on a ship from Tongariro for the London Olympic Games arriving in early July 1908.

Harry (aged 29 yrs) competed in the Australasian team at the 1908 London Olympics and on July 14th 1908, won New Zealand's 1st Olympic medal - A bronze in the 3500m walk.

The 1908 Australasia Team Uniform - The 3 New Zealand athletes had the silver fern stitched underneath the emblem

The Australasian Team at the 1908 London Olympics. The 3 kiwis are standing next to the flag bearer. Harry Kerr standing 4th from left. The other New Zealanders in the team were the walkers Albert Rowland (standing third from left) and hurdler Henry Murray (standing fourth from right) was the flag bearer.

The Australasian Team marching at the 1908 London Olympics Opening Ceremony

He almost missed the final, as in good keen Kiwi bloke style, he was having a natter to the race officials under the grandstand.

Ernest Webb (GB) George Goulding (Canada) and Ralph Harrison (GB) were the early leaders. Harrison was disqualified shortly after George Larner (GB) passed him. By the end of the first mile, the top four spots had solidified into the final positions. Larner had passed the field, bumping Webb (GB) to second place, while Kerr (NZ) had managed to overtake Goulding (Canada) for the bronze medal.

1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 3500 metres walk result:

1st Gold medal: George Larner Great Britain14:55.0

2nd Silver medal Ernest Webb Great Britain15:07.4

3rd Bronze medal Harry Kerr Australasia15:43.4

4th George Goulding Canada15:49.8

5th Arthur Rowland Australasia16:07.0

6th Charles Vestergaard Denmark17:21.8

7th Einar Rothman Sweden17:50.0

William Palmer Great Britain Did not finish

Ralph Harrison Great Britain Disqualified

Kerr also qualified for the final of the 10 mile race, but was unable to compete due to injured feet caused by the cinder track, a common ailment for many athletes of the time who only had grass tracks to train on.

He took part in several other local events in England, winning a bronze medal for breaking the standard, in the two-mile race at the English championships.

Kerr returned from London a national celebrity and continued to dominate the national scene, winning three further New Zealand titles in 1911-12. His greatest walk was at the national champs in Wellington in 1911, when he won the three-mile race in 21min 36.6s, which remained the national record until 1946.

He also enjoyed great success at the Australasian champs, winning two titles at both the 1909 and 1911 meetings.

After winning numerous national titles Kerr virtually retired in 1912 and served in World War I (service record number : 81130) enlisting aged 39 years on 27th Nov 1917, embarking on 27th July 1918 to London on the vessel Ulimaroa and arrived in London on 4th October 1918.

Harry was a Private in the 41st Reinforcements F Company in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He served as a Rifleman with the 41st NZ Rifle Brigade and in 2 Field Ambulance in France. He was wounded but remained with his unit.

In a twist of fate, Harry's cousin, John Vincent Hutchinson Cleaver, at the end of the battle on the Western Front, on the day the NZ Artillery was being withdrawn, died from his wounds in a Field Ambulance No. 2 on the 26 October 1918 in France at the age of 21.

Harry returned to New Zealand at the end of the war, arriving on 20th August 1919 and received the British War Medal.

In 1923 Harry and Isabella's adopted son Ronald was born.

The national champs were held in nearby Wanganui in 1925 and Kerr, by then 46yrs , decided to make a comeback.

He worked hard to regain his fitness, training by walking up and down the railway track near his farm. After ruining a pair of boots on the rough terrain, he then cleared a circular track around his house and did his training there.

Kerr's diligence was rewarded when he won the one and three-mile titles at the nationals. The New Zealand Herald headlined its report "Wonderful Performance For Man Of His Age" and described his feat as "little short of marvellous".

Always an outgoing character, Kerr continued to follow sport avidly. He represented Taranaki as a lawn bowler and was a regular attendee at big rep rugby matches in Taranaki until his death from cancer, in 1951.

Harry Kerr lived as a farmer on Surrey Road in the farming community in Tariki, halfway between Inglewood and Stratford, Taranaki.

He died on May 17, 1951, in his hometown at the age of 72.

Henry is buried at the Inglewood Cemetery, Taranaki, New Zealand.