The event was won by 19-year-old Australian Robyn Woodhouse in her first international competition. Woodhouse won by two inches ahead of her fellow countrywomen Helen Frith and Michele Mason, the defending champion. Woodhouse's jump of 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) set four new records. It broke the British Empire and Commonwealth record by one inch, Mason's Games record set in Cardiff by three inches, the Australian open (all-comers) record of American Mildred McDaniel by 3⁄4 of an inch and Mason's Australian national record by one inch. The jump placed Woodhouse only behind the world record holder, Romania's Iolanda Balaș, who had cleared 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).[1]
This was one five events at the 1962 Games where Australia won the clean sweep of medals. The others were the women's long jump, the men's 440 yard freestyle, men's 1650 yard freestyle and the men's 220 yard butterfly.