Darcy Hadfield

Darcy Clarence Hadfield (1 December 1889 – 15 September 1964) was a New Zealand rower who won a bronze medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. In doing so, he became the first Olympic medallist who represented New Zealand; previous New Zealand medallists had represented Australasia. Subsequently he became the third New Zealander to hold the professional World Sculling Championship.

Biography Hadfield's parents were William and Adele . Since their wedding in 1878, they had lived in the cottage that he had built at the Awapoto River. The location was secluded and his father saw his Harry brother only sporadically as it involved travel across the Awaroa Inlet, for which the tide had to be right. His mother was unhappy with their isolation and they built a homestead—Meadowbank—close to his brother's place. They moved there in 1884; the homestead still stands and is now tourist accommodation on the Abel Tasman Coast Track.

Darcy Clarence Hadfield was born at Meadowbank Homestead on 1 December 1889. He was named after two of his mother's brothers: Darcy Stuart Snow (1871–1939) and Clarence Herbert Snow (1867–1930). In 1890, the Hadfield brothers had 11 children between them who were over the age of 5, and they decided to build a school that year. It was here that Darcy Hadfield received his education.