Ross Sutton

Lore & Background

Sutton was the eldest of five children, raised on a farm in Guyra, New South Wales, and later in Armidale. At age 21, while taking a flying lesson in a Tiger Moth, he crashed near Boorolong after attempting to drop a love letter from the plane. The crash left him paralysed from the chest down. During rehabilitation at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre, he completed a watchmaking course in two-and-a-half years and was introduced to sport as physiotherapy, taking up archery, basketball, dartchery, fencing, javelin, shot put, and table tennis.

After moving to Summer Hill, Sydney, in 1968, Sutton opened a jewellery and watch repair shop. His work restoring and mounting military medals for war veterans led to a specialisation in militaria, trading as 'Suttle Medals & Militaria'. He became a noted military historian, publishing books including 'Australian Awards Vietnam 1962 to 1991' and advising the Australian National War Memorial. In 1982, he recovered a stolen Victoria Cross from a young thief who had taken it from St Andrews Church, detaining the man until police arrived.

Reader's Guide

Ross Sutton's gold medal at the 1960 Paralympics marked Australia's first Paralympic gold, a milestone in the nation's sporting history. His achievement, alongside those of other early Paralympians, was described by the Australian Paralympic Committee as 'historically significant to Australia, not only because they won our first Paralympic gold medals but also because their achievements marked a turning point and positive move forward for people with a disability in this country.' Sutton's own words reflected this outlook: 'Life is what you make of it I say. Just because you are in a wheelchair, you don’t have to shut yourself away.'

Beyond sport, Sutton's legacy includes his recovery of a stolen Victoria Cross, a feat that made him a local hero in Summer Hill. His family donated his gold medal, bows, arrows, and archery equipment to the Australian Paralympic Committee, where it became arguably the most significant piece of sporting memorabilia in the APC's collection, later displayed at the National Sports Museum. Sutton died in July 2000, months before he was to carry the Paralympic Torch for the 2000 Sydney Games; his son Stuart ran in his place.

Did You Know?

• Sutton won Australia's first Paralympic gold medal in archery at the 1960 Rome Games with a score of 670 points.
• He was paralysed after crashing a Tiger Moth while trying to retrieve a love letter he had dropped from the plane.
• In 1982, he recovered a stolen Victoria Cross by buying it from the thief for $250 and then calling the police.
• He completed a six-year watchmaking course in two-and-a-half years while in rehabilitation.