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It is with deep sadness that the UNSW community marks the passing of Doug Crawford, a man whose fingerprints are etched into every corner of university sport. A pioneer, a leader, and a quiet force behind decades of progress, Doug was not just a contributor to the culture of sport at the University of New South Wales — he was one of its architects.

Doug’s connection to UNSW began in 1951 when he enrolled as a young engineering student, full of enthusiasm and a restless passion for activity and community. Though his academic journey took some detours, it was in these years that Doug found his true calling: building something greater than himself.

A founding member of both the boat and rifle clubs, Doug’s early contributions helped lay the foundation for what would become the UNSW Sports Association. His sprinting prowess saw him compete at intervarsity’s in Brisbane and Adelaide, and had it not been for injury, Doug might well have worn the green and gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Instead, he chose to serve as athletics team manager at the 1956 Melbourne intervarsity, a moment that marked the start of a lifelong commitment to student sport.

From 1954 to 1967, Doug was a constant presence on the Sports Association executive, serving as secretary, treasurer, and twice as president. His record of service, particularly as the longest serving president in the Association’s history, remains unmatched. But it wasn’t simply his tenure that made Doug special — it was his vision. He believed in sport as a unifying force, a platform for personal growth, and an essential part of student life.

That belief never wavered.

Even as he juggled family life in Beecroft and professional duties at Comalco Products in Yennora, Doug made the journey to Kensington, often twice a week, to chair meetings, mentor new leaders, and ensure sport remained a thriving part of the university. He led with quiet confidence, always with the long-term future of UNSW in mind. His leadership was marked not by grandstanding, but by steady action and unwavering loyalty.

Doug’s influence did not stop in the 1960s. In fact, many of his most enduring legacies came later. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Injury Assistance Scheme in 1966; a form of gap insurance that ensured UNSW student athletes would not be left financially vulnerable if they were injured while representing the university.

He played a central role in championing the Link Building, the state-of-the-art facility that transformed the way sport and recreation operated at UNSW. Opened in 1987, the building finally gave the university’s athletes and administrators a home worthy of their aspirations. Fittingly, one of its rooms bears Doug’s name.

But perhaps his most impactful legacy was in education, not of the classroom kind, but through opportunity. Doug was at the heart of creating the Ben Lexcen Scholarship, a program that has enabled generations of talented athletes to balance elite sport and academic study. It was his letter in July 1986 that brought the idea to life. As chairman of the trust, he worked tirelessly to ensure the scholarship would not just survive, but thrive. Doug did not just build programs — he built pathways for others to walk.

Throughout it all, Doug remained a mentor and a servant leader. His contributions were recognised in name: honorary life member of the Sports Association, a Lifetime Award in 2021, and the naming of the Doug Crawford Sports Recognition Awards in 1975. But Doug never sought recognition. He did it because he believed deeply in the value of sport, and in the students who carried that torch.

Even into his later years, Doug remained an active member of the UNSW sporting family, serving on committees, attending Blues Dinners – who he was a member of the selection committee for 30 years, and offering his quiet wisdom. He saw sport not only as competition, but as character building — a belief shaped by his own journey, and one he passed on to generations.

Doug Crawford taught us that service is the ultimate expression of leadership. That progress comes not just from vision, but from years of tireless effort. That sport can be a cornerstone of education. And that one person, through care, commitment, and consistency, can change an institution.

UNSW sport would not be what it is today without Doug Crawford. His legacy lives on in every rowing oar, every running shoe, every scholarship awarded, and every student athlete who walks onto a field with pride.

Vale Doug Crawford. Thank you for everything.

19.12.1933 - 10.06.2025