Les's Story
1917 – 1981
The burley water polo player, Les McKay, was the Australian flagbearer at the opening ceremony at London 1948. McKay, a World War II veteran, had been a champion surf swimmer before the war. The Australian team, making its Olympic debut, promptly discovered that its part-time players, who played for recreation, were little match for the Europeans where in some countries water polo was almost a national sport.
McKay carried the Australian flag at the opening ceremony for the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland where he was a member of the water polo team that won the gold medal.
London 1948 Water Polo: Herman Doerner (Captain), Arthur Burge, Roger Cornforth, Ben Dalley, Jack Ferguson, Leon Ferguson, Colin French, Eric Johnston, Jack King, Les McKay
