‘Flying Milkman’ ran for Australia at the 1956 Olympics
DAVID JOHN STEPHENS November 11,1928-November 5, 2024
“The Flying Milkman”, David Stephens was born in Wentworthville, near Parramatta, NSW, to Wyndham Jack and Eileen Elizabeth Stephens (née McCabe).
Three years later, his family of four moved to Yarraville where David went to Williamstown High School and began competitive running. Following his schooling, he began his working life as an apprentice carpenter.
Competitive running was his true passion, and he trained hard. In the 1940s and 1950s, you didn’t see people training or running through the streets, it was mainly done at athletic tracks. One of David’s first jobs was delivering milk and would run alongside the draft horse doing his deliveries, combining training and cardio. This earned him the nickname “The Flying Milkman”.
In 1955, he set three-mile and six-mile Australian records running in bare feet. On January 25, 1956, he broke the six-mile (10,000-metre) world record at Olympic Park in Melbourne. He went on to represent Australia at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, but didn’t win a medal.
David met Beverley Wright in the early 1950s at the Eureka Youth Festival, a youth carnival for peace. They were married in 1954, and their first child, Mark, was born in 1957, followed by Adam in 1961.
David studied to be a schoolteacher from 1957. His first teaching appointment was at Kilmore East. He went on to teach at Williamstown State School and several others.
David Stephens, the “Flying Milkman”.
He was a progressive teacher. He would stray from the regular curriculum to share stories, advice and to listen to his students – quite uncommon for the day. Left-handed students were made to learn with their right hand, a directive from the board of education. David went against this practice.
In 1969, when he was 41, he was pensioned off by the state government. They wanted him out of teaching, and he never worked full-time again.
After David and Beverley parted, he decided to fulfil a dream in 1974, and travelled to London then northern Italy to study violin-making. He lived in Italy for 10 years and loved the lifestyle. He was somewhat different – the locals called him “Australia” – and he enjoyed the violin-making trade, the language (which he mastered), the lifestyle and the people.
At one time, David’s son, Adam joined him in Italy for a year. This opened Adam up to working abroad and chasing dreams and cultural lifestyles.
David returned to Australia in 1984 and lived in Carlton for the next 40 years. He never owned a TV or radio, he read books, played chess, kept fit and educated himself. He was always socially active and a regular at many places in Carlton, where he was much-loved and admired.
His early competitive running began during his school years. He ran and competed in field events in school house competitions. It was then that he started winning races.
He ran for the Williamstown Athletic Association and the Victorian Athletic Association. He won track and cross-country events and made the front page of the Footscray Mail newspaper for setting several Australian records.
In 1953, David trained in Czechoslovakia with Emil Zatopek, the champion long-distance runner best known for winning three gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
He trained with Zatopek, the “Czech Locomotive”, for a year and then returned to Melbourne.
In January 1956, David broke the world record in the 10,000 metres (six-mile) race at Olympic Park in Melbourne. He remembered it was a hot day but luckily a cool change came through just before his race began. He went on to compete in the 1956 Olympics, but ran injured and didn’t win a medal. He said this was no excuse.
David trained and worked with renowned athletics coach Percy Cerutty, who built an athletics training facility at Portsea. During this time, he trained with John Landy and Herb Elliott.
In 1989, David’s eldest son, Mark, died aged just 31, rocking the family.
At 92, he could still walk up 12 flights of stairs, do sit-ups, push-ups and squats. It was only in the past two years that he started to decline physically. He moved into age care at Rathdowne Place but hated losing his independence. His mind was still very sharp.
David is survived by his family, son Adam and daughter-in-law Julie, grandchildren Mitchell, Joshua, Jordan and Abigail, and sister Elizabeth.
He was buried in Melton Cemetery and a public memorial service was held at the Church of All Nations, Carlton, his spiritual home.
This tribute was compiled by family and friends of David Stephens.