John Allan Farrington (Xt, 1961)

John Farrington passed away on 15 June 2025 in Adelaide, South Australia aged 82. The following tribute has been provided by John’s family.

John was born in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, England to an Australian father and British mother. His father was serving with the RAF, a Squadron Leader in Bomber Command who was shot down over Denmark and killed in 1944.

Moving to Australia in 1946 John attended Scots School, Bathhurst, NSW until he was 16. He then returned to England to join his mother and stepfather and to attend Cheltenham College and University College London. Following graduation in 1964 he returned to Australia.

Throughout his working life John held a number of professional management positions within university administration, in NSW and South Australia. He was employed in Canberra as part of the review of Australian Sport during the 1970s which led to the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport.

John spoke often of his all too short years at College. The warmth, engagement and encouragement he experienced there seemed a sharp contrast to the seemingly somewhat bleak and spartan years spent at boarding school in country New South Wales. He returned to College regularly during trips to England, to attend a reunion or just to stand on the sidelines watching a rugby match on a cold, wintry Saturday afternoon or spend a lazy day watching a College cricket match. And there was always the short walk to stand at the front door of Christowe House. His final visit, in April 2023, followed the diagnosis of his terminal illness.

College was where John’s running talents blossomed. A keen and capable participant in a number of sports, his passion was long distance running, a passion that remained throughout his life. Yet he was not particularly competitive, always enjoying most his lengthy training runs through the bush tracks and fire trails of Australia’s national parks.

John represented both England and Australia in athletics at international level. Representing England, he won the International Junior Cross Country Championship in San Sebastian in 1963. He represented Australia in the Olympic games at Mexico in 1968 and was named captain of the athletics team for Munich in 1972 but was unable to participate due to a last-minute injury. He was in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1974 where he finished fifth in the marathon. His best marathon time of 2hrs 11mins 12sec was the fastest recorded in 1973. He won international races in several countries and was ranked in the world’s top 10 international marathon runners on four occasions during the 1970s.

John was quietly spoken, shy and reserved by nature and was happiest in the comfort of home and in the company of family and friends. He bore his long illness with quiet dignity, stoicism and grace. It was the way he lived his life.

He leaves his wife, Sue, his three sons, Mathew, Fletcher and Drew, and six grandchildren a wonderful legacy of love, respect, character and purpose. He will be most deeply missed.

John is seated, second from right

John is on the top step, centre - lying back leaning on his arm