Tony Ward is a writer and researcher based in Melbourne. Apart from his interest in national identity and sports, he runs a small consulting firm specialising in economic and financial analysis. He lives with his wife Gail in Elwood, inner Melbourne, and enjoys several sports, including golf, tennis, swimming and walking.

"Effectively the book is divided into two parts, with the first offering a more thematic examination, the second taking a chronological appraoch as it details Australian sport from 1860 through to the present. [...] The content is highly detailed and impressively researched." - Aaron Scott - Third Umpire"Ward comes to his subject with anunfeigned zeal, asking all the right questions. this book contains much the best statistical analysis of its kind available." - Gideon Haigh, The Sydney Morning Herald

• 1. Introduction 2. Measuring Sports Madness 3. Sport and National Identity 4. ‘The Heart of What it Means to be Australian’ 5. The Roar of the Crowd 6 .Lifeblood of the Community 7. Start of This ‘Sporting People’ 8. Early Sports 1860–1900 9. Visions of Australian Sport in 1900 10. Sports Images in a Time of Turmoil 1910–40 11. Heyday of the Amateur?: 1950s 12. Changing Times 1960–75 13. Marketing Sports Nationalism 1975–85 14. Take the Money and Run 1985–2007 15. Conclusion

Tony Ward is a writer and researcher based in Melbourne. Apart from his interest in national identity and sports, he runs a small consulting firm specialising in economic and financial analysis. He lives with his wife Gail in Elwood, inner Melbourne, and enjoys several sports, including golf, tennis, swimming and walking.

"Effectively the book is divided into two parts, with the first offering a more thematic examination, the second taking a chronological appraoch as it details Australian sport from 1860 through to the present. [...] The content is highly detailed and impressively researched." - Aaron Scott - Third Umpire"Ward comes to his subject with anunfeigned zeal, asking all the right questions. this book contains much the best statistical analysis of its kind available." - Gideon Haigh, The Sydney Morning Herald

• 1. Introduction 2. Measuring Sports Madness 3. Sport and National Identity 4. ‘The Heart of What it Means to be Australian’ 5. The Roar of the Crowd 6 .Lifeblood of the Community 7. Start of This ‘Sporting People’ 8. Early Sports 1860–1900 9. Visions of Australian Sport in 1900 10. Sports Images in a Time of Turmoil 1910–40 11. Heyday of the Amateur?: 1950s 12. Changing Times 1960–75 13. Marketing Sports Nationalism 1975–85 14. Take the Money and Run 1985–2007 15. Conclusion