About The Games

     

    Welcome to the official website of the XIX Australian Deaf Games to be held at Lake Macquarie and Newcastle in 2024. Lake Macquarie and Newcastle are proud and thrilled to host the 2024 Australian Deaf Games – a favourite event on the calendar of Australia’s Deaf Community and her Pacific neighbours.

    The Australian Deaf Games is the pinnacle multi-sport event for Deaf people in Australia involving up to twenty (20) sports and attracting more than 1000 competitors and participants from all over Australia, some neighbouring Pacific nations and, potentially, one of two other overseas countries.

    All athletes, most officials and the majority of visitors are Deaf or hard of hearing.

    The Games gives Deaf and hard of hearing people an opportunity to be exposed to a national competition format that promotes the development of Deaf sport. It provides:

    • Opportunities for social and elite competition
    • Encouragement of sporting involvement and its benefits to long term health and well-being
    • An environment that promotes a positive lifestyle balanced with social outcomes and sporting opportunities
    • An effective selection process for individuals and teams to be selected to represent Australia at International Deaf events.

    The essence of the Games is “Achieving Together”.

    The 2024 Games will include our Pacific Islands friends as we formally include the “Oceania Deaf Games” as part of our new rotating Games program.

    In November 2021, Deaf Sport Australia agreed to a change to hold our Games every two years instead of every four years. The inaugural Oceania Deaf Games should be held in 2024. As we have moved our 2022 Games to 2024, we have merged the Australian Deaf Games with the Oceania Deaf Games for this occasion. The Oceania Deaf Games will be a partnership with Deaf Sport New Zealand.

    • 2024 – Australian Deaf Games & Oceania Deaf Games
    • 2026 – Australian Deaf Games
    • 2028 – Oceania Deaf Games

    HISTORY

    The Australian Deaf Games is a unique, four-yearly event controlled and managed by Deaf Sports Australia via a State-based Games Organising Committee. It is one of the oldest ongoing Deaf sporting events in the world.

    The origins of interstate Deaf sport competitions in Australia can be traced back to 1895 when the Victorian Deaf cricket team travelled to South Australia for a friendly Deaf cricket match.

    The first “Deaf Sports Carnivals” were held as early as 1911 and continued regularly until the Games in its current format began in Sydney in 1964. Since then the Games have been held every 3-4 years, with the predecessor to the 2022 Games being held in January 2018, in Albury and Wodonga.

    It will be 60 years since the first Australian Deaf Games in 1964 held in Sydney. A wonderful opportunity to celebrate our first Games and deaf sport history.

    We will collect history items of our 18 Australian Deaf Games held since 1964 and showcase photos and videos as an exhibition where everyone can enjoy memories and stories from our past.

    MORE THAN JUST SPORT

    Whilst sport is clearly core, the Australian Deaf Games also constitutes a major social and cultural festival for the whole Deaf community. It provides a unique blend of social activities matched with a vast list of sporting events that together cater for a diversity of Deaf community needs.

    From humble beginnings in 1911 the event continues to grow and broaden in its appeal.

    2024 Australian Deaf Games

     

    The 2024 Australian Deaf Games is being centred in the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, utilising the many world-class sporting venues situated within the surrounding beaches, mountains and lake.

    Newcastle and Lake Macquarie will be the “must be at” event for Australia’s Deaf and hard of hearing community in 2024, providing a unique opportunity for everyone within and connected with the community to network, meet new people, celebrate with friends and colleagues, compete and be inspired.

    With up to 15 different sporting competitions and a wide variety of events that celebrate and showcase Deaf culture, the 2024 Games promises to be the biggest Deaf community event in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie’s history and the biggest Games ever! Over 1,000 Deaf and hard of hearing people and up to 150 volunteers are set to join in the festivities.

    A variety of sports are being played, including basketball, futsal, touch football, netball, swimming, athletics, rugby 7’s, table tennis, tennis and golf and new sports such as sailing and mountain bikes.

    For more information about Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, click here.