Australia are turning the Tollcross Swimming Centre into their own Commonwealth Games fortress after Sam Williamson, Sam Short and Mollie O’Callaghan led a parade of five gold medals on day two in Glasgow.

O’Callaghan threw aside “the unlucky stick” to win the 200m freestyle, Alex Perkins earned her first major individual crown in the 50m butterfly and Kyle Chalmers won a ninth gold in the mixed freestyle relay to home in on Games history.

Short led an all Australian podium of 1-2-3 in the 400m freestyle while Williamson downed British great Adam Ramsay-Peaty in a thrilling 100m breaststroke final. The Dolphins have secured 11 gold medals in total after their opening day haul of six golds.

A year ago, Williamson feared for his career after rupturing his patella tendon in training. The 28-year-old Victorian was a picture of emotion after Saturday’s race as he thanked his family, having beating world record holder Ramsay-Peaty who was consigned to turn .

“Mentally it was the toughest challenge I’ve ever had to face,” said Williamson, who forged through with a powerful second length to win in 59.17 seconds.

“Every single day I wanted to throw in the towel but I knew how far I’d come to get to that point.”

Short, who’s shooting for five gold medals in Glasgow, dominated the field by more than four seconds in 3 minutes 41.25 seconds before offering a muscle man celebration.

“It doesn’t come around too often and you’ve got to make the most of it,” said the Queenslander of his flex.

Sam Short dominated the 400m freestyle. Photograph: Mickael Chavet/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Behind the 22-year-old Queenslander there was a fierce battle as Elijah Winnington (3:45.56) pipped teammate Ben Goedemans by one hundredth of a second.

It was a formidable effort from Winnington, who revealed afterwards he’d spent most of the previous night over a toilet bowl after a bout of food poisoning.

Short said the sweep echoed the 400m free 1-2-3 in Birmingham four years ago when Winnington led home Short, with Mack Horton nabbing the bronze.

“It just goes to show the rich history of Australian 400m swimming and it’s super special,” said Winnington.

Mollie O’Callaghan on the podium with Lani Pallister after their gold and silver in the 200m freestyle. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

O’Callaghan, who’d anchored the women’s 4x100m freestyle-winning quartet the night before, picked up her second gold, showing no vestiges of the stress fractures and bone bruising in her back that had cast a cloud over her participation.

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“Dealing with the injury currently is not the best thing ever, but as an athlete you’ve got to find ways to adapt,” said the Queenslander, who stopped the clock at 1:54.66 to Lani Pallister’s 1:55.01, having always been in control.

“That’s the best part about sport – you get hit with an unlucky stick and then you’ve got to pick yourself back up.

“Doing modified training and adapting to that and seeing how I go off that, it’s just incredible.”

It was an emotional evening for Perkins, two days before her 26th birthday, as she took the butterfly dash in 25.37 seconds.

“I don’t even think I really believed that I’d ever be at this level so I’m just taking it all in,” beamed the Queenslander, who’d previously won four major individual medals but never made the top of the podium.

The Australian freestylers made it five golds as Flynn Southam, Chalmers, Shayna Jack and Meg Harris set a new Games record in the mixed relay, clocking 3:19.36 in a procession.

It’s left Chalmers on nine gold career Commonwealth Games medals, and if he can deliver another in the 100m freestyle, he’ll surpass Ian Thorpe as the most successful Australian men’s swimmer in the history of the Games.

Paralympic silver medallist Jack Ireland savoured another second-place finish in the 200m freestyle S14 final for Australia’s sixth medal in the para events in the pool.