Vale, Boomer #2: Colin Burdett, passes away

• Colin Burdett was a member of Australia's first men's Olympic basketball team in 1956
• He is a winner of South Australian League's "Player of the Year" award
• Colin Burdett said it was an honour to be presented with his Boomers #2 Akubra last year

Australian Boomer #2 Colin Burdett, an Australian basketball pioneer, has passed away, aged 94.

The South Australian guard, born on January 4, 1931, represented the inaugural Australian men's team at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

"My best memories, there are actually a lot," Burdett said before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris when he was presented with his Boomers number and an Akubra by Mark Lampshire (#44) and Brett Maher (#92) at his Adelaide home.

"Well, the first one must be being selected in the Australian team. The highlight, I think, was marching on to the MCG, there was, I think, 107,000 people there. Once you hit that arena, it was fantastic.

"We were the first team to move into the Village in Heidelberg.

"All our trainings before the Games, before we assembled in Heidelberg were done by correspondence, yeah, which was pretty poor compared to these days."

The 1956 Olympic Games team members were: Algis Ignatavicius; Bruce Flick; Colin Burdett; Geoff Heskett; George Dancis; Inga Freidenfelds; Ken Finch; Merv Moy; Peter Bumbers; Peter Demos; Peter Sutton and Stan Dargis.

Burnett, 25 years-old at the time, said the 1956 Olympiad helped set the stage for game of basketball in Australia.

"The game was in its infancy at that stage," he said.

"And it was due to the influx of new Australian boys and the American mormons, we learned so much from them that the game improved.

"We could basically say we were the pioneers of the game in Australia and I'm very thankful for the opportunities that I did have."

He was overwhelmed when presented with his Boomers Akubra.

"It means everything to me," he added.

"In fact, I don't know whether I should wear it or put it in a glass case.

"You don't forget these things, it's actually been an honour and I've enjoyed every minute of it."

Australia played seven games in 1956 between November 24 and December 1 beating Thailand (87-48) and Singapore (98-74) in Group C and D. Australia finished 12th after losing to Taipei 87-70 in their last game.

Basketball Australia said Burdett helped South Australia secure a national title in 1953 and played a key role for The Croweaters as the only team to defeat the US Air Force team in 1955.

Burdett's accomplishments include South Australian League's "Player of the Year" award. His standout performances at the 1955 Australian Championships was the catalyst for his Olympic Games selection.

The Australian Basketball Players Association said: "The ABPA is saddened to hear of the passing of former Australian Boomer; Boomer #2 Colin Burdett. Colin was a trailblazer of the game competing in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic games as a member of the first Australian Boomers team to compete at a major international tournament. We extend our deepest condolences to the Burdett family and everyone impacted by Colin’s passing."

Colin Burdett Biography

This article appeared in an player profile magazine posted to Basketball South Australia History:

Colin J. Burdett was born January 4th, 1931, in Adelaide. He attended Adelaide Boy's High School and played for the school in baseball and cricket. He was selected to play for SA Schoolboys baseball in the Australian Championships held in Sydney, where the team won the title. At school, he received a School Honours Blue for Baseball and Cricket. After he left school, he played A grade baseball for Adelaide Baseball Club and cricket for the SA junior Colts B team and in the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) B Grade competition.

Colin was introduced to basketball by a baseball mate and instantly fell in love with the game. He gave baseball away and proceeded to spend hours every day at the Old Boy's Institute (OBI) learning and practicing basketball skills to become a better player. At the Old Boy’s Institute Club in Adelaide, he played with future fellow Olympian Peter Sutton.

Colin commenced playing in 1949 as a member of the OBI “B” team, and the next year was promoted to the “A” team. In 1950 he won the A Grade “Most Improved Player” award for the South Australian League competition.

He was quickly learning the game, and his exposure each week to games against the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian players and teams showed him the skills to emulate and provided the motivation to be a better player. Colin cites the American Mormon team as a huge influence on him and the rest of the players in the SA League at that time. “The Mormons were very skilled and passionate about basketball,” recalls Colin.

At 6 ft 1 inch tall, Colin played the guard position and put his athleticism and great hand-eye coordination from years of baseball and cricket to good effect in basketball.

He was a member of the OBI club side that won the SA Championships in 1955 and was runner-up in 1956.

Colin represented South Australia for five years and was a member of the SA team that won the Australian Championships in 1953. As a member of the SA team, Colin was on the only team to defeat the US Air Force team that toured in 1955. Colin also played for the Australian Second Team Selection that played against the touring Boston Whirlwinds.

In 1956 he won the South Australian League's “Player of the Year” Award. His performances in the 1955 Australian Championships, when he was named to the 1956 Olympic squad, and his outstanding play in the SA League earned him a place in the Australian 1956 Olympic Basketball Team.

The preparation and time together for the Olympic Basketball Team was very limited. The players were strictly amateur and practiced in their own States and were coached by “correspondence.” When the Australian Olympic Basketball Team assembled in Melbourne, it was a mixture of players from three States and included players who had learned their basketball in Europe during and after the Second World War. The team was coached by Victorian Ken Watson.

The rules interpretations were different, more European rather than American, with which the Australians were more familiar, and the styles of the various nations varied greatly. Colin remembers the sheer physicality of some of the European teams and the speed of the Asian teams.

Of course, the Americans were in a league of their own. The Australians and Colin nevertheless gave a very good account of themselves, and as the tournament went on, they improved and became more aware of what international basketball was all about. The Australian Team finished in 12th place.

Colin played one more year of basketball after the Melbourne Olympics and then, like so many of his playing friends, "retired" from basketball to concentrate on his work.

Vale, Australian Boomer #2 Colin Burdett