History

The Pacific School Games began as a test event for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. School Sport Australia took responsibility for the PSG and it has become the flagship of the Australian school sport program.  Subsequent PSG have been test events for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games using the relevant major event venues. 

 

The PSG in Canberra in 2008 will be the eighth Pacific School Games.

 

Five sports feature in the 2008 PSG.  Hockey and Basketball have been added to the core sports of Diving, Swimming and Track & Field to meet local needs and conditions.

 

The number of competitors has grown from 2,184 from 12 teams (including all Australian states and territories) in the first PSG to around 3,500 competitors from 30 teams from the states and territories, countries around the Pacific Rim and other invited nations.  Around 500 officials accompany the teams. 

Previous Pacific School Games

 

Venue	Year held	Countries / States Attending	Competitors	Sports
Brisbane	1982	12	2,184	Diving, Swimming, Track & Field
Melbourne	1984	15	2,155	Diving, Swimming, Track & Field
Sydney	1988	30	2,276	Diving, Swimming, Track & Field
Darwin	1992	27	1,934	Gymnastics, Swimming, Track & Field
Perth	1996	28	2,923	Diving, Gymnastics, Swimming, Track & Field
Sydney	2000	35	3,478	Diving, Gymnastics, Swimming, Track & Field
Melbourne	2005	28	3,100	Basketball, Diving, Swimming, Track & Field

 

• The second PSG in Melbourne was a special event as part of Victoria’s Sesqui Centenary celebrations. 

• The third PSG was the final event of the Bicentennial Celebrations in Sydney. 

• Gymnastics was introduced as a PSG sport in the fourth PSG as Darwin had no diving facilities. 

• The sixth PSG was a test event for the 2000 Olympics. 

• The seventh PSG was a test event for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

 

Altogether 55 countries have participated in at least one PSG along with all Australian states and territories.