19 Facts About Kevin O'Halloran

The first Western Australian to win Olympic gold, O'Halloran learnt to swim in his hometown of Katanning.

Kevin O'Halloran gained Olympic selection in the relay and the 400-metre freestyle.

Kevin O'Halloran led off the Australian quartet on the way to a new world record, before placing sixth in the 400-metre.

Thereafter, Kevin O'Halloran's career was beset by ear problems, and he retired in 1958 after failing to qualify for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

In 1976, Kevin O'Halloran died after tripping and accidentally shooting himself.

Kevin O'Halloran had two brothers and a sister, and the family lived on a 9,000-acre sheep farm established by his grandfather in 1900.

Kevin O'Halloran had been an age group champion in her youth.

Kevin O'Halloran competed for his school in Australian rules football and rowing.

Kevin O'Halloran attracted the attention of the leading Western Australian coach, Don Gravenall, but his schoolwork limited him to a few weeks of intense training over Christmas.

In 1952, at the age of 15, Kevin O'Halloran began to make his mark at the state level.

Kevin O'Halloran played a major role in Guildford's win at the interschool championships, placing second in the individual points tally.

When Kevin O'Halloran returned to his home, he often trained in a muddy waterhole.

Kevin O'Halloran was selected by the Western Australian team to compete in the Australian Championships, but his parents and headmaster decided that his schooling was more important, much to Gravenall's chagrin.

Kevin O'Halloran boarded with a host family and worked in a wool store to pay his expenses.

Kevin O'Halloran's selection broke up the team of Devitt, Rose, Chapman and Henricks, which had won the relay for New South Wales at the Australian Championships.

Kevin O'Halloran returned to Perth after the Olympics to be welcomed by a motorcade and a civic reception.

Kevin O'Halloran was named as one of the five Western Australian Sportspeople of the Year in recognition of his winning performance.

In 1958, Kevin O'Halloran's parents travelled across the continent to watch him swim at the Australian Championships in Sydney, but a recurring ear infection hindered his performances.

Kevin O'Halloran missed selection for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff and retired after the long car journey back across the Nullarbor.