J.J. Miller's 1946 Sporting Annual & Athletic Record
Published by J.J. Miller Printing Co Pty Ltd: Melbourne 1946
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This scarce post-war issue of J. J. Miller's Sporting Annual & Athletic Record for 1946 captures Australian and international sport at a moment of transition, as competitive athletics and racing resumed full force following the disruptions of World War II. Issued as the seventy-first year of this long-running and highly respected annual, the volume brings together an extraordinary breadth of sporting data, reportage, and statistical record-keeping, reflecting its role as an indispensable reference for sportsmen, bookmakers, journalists, and enthusiasts alike. The vividly illustrated cover, centred on the Melbourne Cup trophy, immediately signals the central importance of Australian horse racing within the national sporting culture.
The contents are notably comprehensive, encompassing detailed sections on horse racing, athletics, rowing, billiards, and other major sporting disciplines, alongside world and Australasian amateur records. The horse racing section is especially substantial, documenting performances in the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, full tables of placed horses, betting rules, racecourse dimensions, saddlecloth numbers, weights, and historical results, all meticulously organised for practical consultation. Interspersed throughout are photographic portraits of leading sportsmen of the era, adding a strong visual and documentary dimension to what is otherwise a densely factual reference work.
Printed and published in Melbourne by J. J. Miller Printing Co. Pty Ltd., this 1946 edition stands as both a sporting almanac and a social document of post-war Australia, preserving a snapshot of competitive life, records, and personalities at a pivotal historical juncture. Despite its evident working-class production and heavy use, the survival of such annuals is increasingly uncommon, particularly in complete or legible condition. This example would appeal strongly to collectors of Australian sporting history, Melbourne Cup and racing memorabilia, post-war ephemera, and researchers with an interest in the statistical and cultural foundations of twentieth-century Australian sport."
General wear and chipping to paper covers. Pages age toned but otherwise clean and the book presents well. Please study photos to further understand condition.
