The water polo community is deeply saddened at the death of one the sport’s most committed contributors, Water Polo Australia Life Member and Hall of Fame inductee, Patrica ‘Pat’ Jones, who died on 1 August 2026.
Pat played a crucial role in the development of women’s water polo in Australia during the 1960s and 70s. Her work behind the scenes helped create opportunities for today’s female players. She also played significant roles in netball and swimming.
As a mother of six, Pat supported all her children in their lives with three of her daughters Tracy, Lisa and Kerry representing Australia.
A supporter of the Cronulla club, founded by husband Bill in 1969, Pat became the first manager of the NSW women’s team, having championed a National Championships for women. In 1976, she took on the same role for the first Australian women’s team that toured to Hawaii and played in the USA National Championships. This sparked her persistent campaign for Olympic inclusion.
In 1990, Pat took on the role of Chairperson of the Women’s Water Polo Gender Equity Committee for Australian Water Polo. With this position, she began working with the international push to get women’s water polo included in the Olympic Games playing a lead role in Australia with her passionate, tenacious approach.
The path wasn’t smooth and for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, FINA (the international swimming federation) only offered an ‘Olympic year tournament’ in Holland rather than actual Olympic inclusion. Disappointed but not deterred, Pat switched her focus to getting women’s water polo into the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
In 1997 Pat threw down the gauntlet and organised a protest that made headlines across the country and still resonates today. She and members of the Australian women’s team and younger players greeted the FINA President and officials at Sydney Airport wearing only their swimming costumes and water polo caps with placards.
This attention-grabbing protest, along with years of meetings and lobbying, finally paid off. In October 1997, the announcement came that women’s water polo would be included in the Sydney 2000 Olympics – 100 years after men first played the sport at the Games.
Pat’s work in water polo extended far beyond the Olympic campaign:
- Worked with Elza Thompson from Victoria to start the women’s interstate championships in 1969
- Managed Australian teams multiple times (1976 and 1991-1994)
- Managed NSW State Teams throughout in the 1960s and 70s
- Coordinated support for women’s water polo through WPNSW
- Supported Water Polo Australia and her husband and President Bill Jones across many years.
Her efforts across many decades saw her as the worthy recipient of many awards and honours including:
- 1995 Harry Quittner Medal from Water Polo Australia;
- 1996 Prime Minister’s Women in Sport Award
- 2009 she was the first woman recognised as a Life Member of Water Polo Australia.
- 2025 she was inducted into the Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame.
For her significant contribution, the Australian Water Polo Best Female Player of the Finals Award, is appropriately named in her honour.
Water Polo Australia President, Trent Birkett, said Pat’s loss will be felt right across the water polo community.
“Pat’s contribution and dedication to water polo, in particular advocating for women’s water polo, made her one of the true giants of our sport.
“Her passion to see women have the same opportunities in the sport, both here in Australia but significantly at the international level, has left a lasting legacy on our sport.
“Pat was a true pioneer and her legacy we know will live on for many, many decades to come. Our thoughts are with her family,” he said.
WPA sends its condolences to Pat’s family – husband Bill and her children Kerry, Lisa, Sam, Amanda, Murray, and Tracy and their families.
