Barbara McAulay
Australian diver
About Barbara McAulay
Lived 1929 – 2020 (aged 91). Barbara McAulay was an Australian platform diver.
Barbara Ethel McAulay Donnet (15 March 1929 – 5 November 2020) was an Australian diver. She competed in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
Diving career McAulay won the gold medal at 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, in the 10m platform, and in the 3m springboard, she finished second to Phyllis Long. At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics McAulay finished 13th in the 3m springboard and 14th in the 10m platform.
In 1957, McAulay toured the United States of America as a professional diver in the Water Follies. Upon her return, McAulay, with her husband Tom Donnet, taught swimming and diving in Melbourne and toured country Victoria, running clinics and exhibitions. Upon Tom's death in 1978, Barbara took over the elite diving squad and produced divers who competed at World Age Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and Olympics over a span of 16 years. She was a coach at the 1982 and 1990 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 1992 Olympic Games. She continued to coach diving until her retirement in 2016.
Personal McAulay married Olympic diving coach Tom Donnet. She was the mother of Jenny Donnet, a four time Olympic diver, and Barbi Donnet, an Australian representative at world level in diving.
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Important facts
People in Barbara McAulay's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Barbara McAulay's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Barbara McAulay?
Australian diver
When was Barbara McAulay born?
Barbara McAulay was born on 15 March 1929 in Victoria.
When did Barbara McAulay die?
Barbara McAulay died on 5 November 2020.
What was Barbara McAulay's occupation?
Barbara McAulay was a platform diver.
What nationality was Barbara McAulay?
Barbara McAulay was Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Barbara McAulay. https://biography.guide/barbara-mcaulay/
MLA: "Barbara McAulay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/barbara-mcaulay/.
Chicago: "Barbara McAulay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/barbara-mcaulay/.
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