About

OUR MISSION

Curling Australia is the governing body that leads, develops and promotes the sport of Curling in Australia. We aid and support the individual Member States and their grassroots endeavours to advance Curling whilst providing a pathway for curlers to compete at National and International events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

OUR VISION

To safeguard and enhance Curling’s future in Australia

2019 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, 4th place finish for Team Gill/Hewitt
Photo © WCF

OUR HISTORY

Curling Australia leads, develops, and promotes the sport of curling in Australia. The first curling club in Australia formed in 1933 in Melbourne. Sir Norman Brooks – Wimbledon winner in 1907 and 1914, AFL footballer and Australian Golf Open winner – was the first President. The club was subsequently disbanded in 1939. In 1984, curling reappeared in Australia and the Australian Curling Association formed international links with the International Curling Federation (now the World Curling Federation) in 1986.

In 1990, Australia first competed internationally in Oslo, Norway. The Australian Curling Federation (ACF) was formed in 1993 to be the national governing body for the sport in Australia. James Oastler was the inaugural president of the Federation which had three state members: New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

The initial challenge for the ACF was to host the third Pacific Curling Championships in 1993 for which reconditioned stones were obtained on lease from the World Curling Federation. Competitors from New Zealand, Japan and Australia included men’s and women’s teams from all three countries. Since that time the South Australian member association has closed and two new member associations joined; the Queensland Curling Association was formed in 2005 and Curling WA was formed in 2014.

Thirty years on, history was made in December 2021 when Australian Mixed Doubles Team of Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt qualified Australia for a quota spot at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Gill and Hewitt went on to represent Australia in Beijing and are the first Olympians for Curling in Australia.

On 2 May 2024, members voted to transfer to a company limited by guarantee and change the name of the organisation from The Australian Curling Federation Inc to Curling Australia Ltd. Going forward, the organisation will be known as Curling Australia (CA). Today CA continues with its initial goal of supporting the Member States and liaising with international bodies in an effort to propel the sport towards gaining national and international recognition.

VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS

🥌 Act with INTEGRITY

🥌 Strive for EXCELLENCE

🥌 Demonstrate LEADERSHIP

🥌 Be INCLUSIVE

🥌 Show RESPECT

🥌 Inspire PASSION

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

CURLING AUSTRALIA HAS IDENTIFIED FOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

#1 Good Governance

Strengthen governance processes to achieve best practice

Maintain National Sporting Organisation recognition by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC)
Maintain compliance within Sport Integrity including Sport Integrity Australia’s (SIA) National Integrity Framework (NIF) and the National Sports Tribunal (NST)
Review and strengthen Board Terms of Reference

#2 Operational Sustainability

Ensure operational viability through planning and meeting strategic goals

Develop and implement a business plan to build capacity and capability with the aim of attracting investment (in-kind or financial)
Build a business continuity strategy including a succession plan that identifies key skills and responsibilities at the operational level

#3 Performance Pathways

Establish frameworks to provide clear and objective pathways for athletes, coaches and officials

Develop an athlete categorisation framework with clear indicators and performance trajectory to encourage curlers to be the best they can be and increase the depth and performance of national representatives
Develop and promote a Coaching and Officiating framework to increase numbers and enable national accreditation
Determine feasibility of hiring National Head Coach to develop and implement athlete, coaching and officiating frameworks

#4 Sport Engagement

Advance stakeholder engagement to support increased participation nationally

Conduct branding review of CA and its alignment with Member States
Raise awareness of Curling nationally through the development and implementation of a marketing and communications campaign to cover all stakeholders
Support States and Territories to secure access to facilities and increase participation across Australia

THE BOARD

For information about Curling Australia’s Board, including governance details, meeting dates, key documents, and director roles, visit The Board page. Here, you’ll find insights into how the Board operates, its responsibilities, and the strategic direction guiding the sport’s growth in Australia.