While the Melbourne Cricket Ground has played host to countless major sporting events, its most famous role on the world stage is arguably as the main stadium for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Tuesday 22 November marks 60 years since the Games opening ceremony was held at the MCG in front of a then-capacity crowd of 103,000, with millions more watching around the world.
In addition to the Opening and Closing ceremonies, the MCG was used for athletics, soccer finals, hockey finals, an exhibition game of baseball and a demonstration of Australian Rules football.
The history and memories from the 1956 Olympics continue to be celebrated throughout the stadium, and in particular in the National Sports Museum.
Key artefacts on display in the museum include:
- The 1956 Olympic Games Cauldron: lit by Ron Clarke during the Opening Ceremony, the torch sparked and spluttered, showering Clarke with hot magnesium and burning holes in his shirt
- Sprint queen Betty Cuthbert’s three Gold medals won at the 1956 Olympics in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay athletics events
- Shirley Strickland’s two Gold medals won at the 1956 Olympics in the 80m hurdles and the 4 x 100m relay athletics events
- The official participants register containing the signatures of all the torchbearers involved in the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay to Melbourne
- Swimmer Murray Rose’s three Gold medals won at the 1956 Olympics in the 4 x 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle races
Beyond the namesake Olympic Stand, outside Gate 3 at the MCG a commemorative stone plaque lists all the gold medallists from the 1956 games. Nearby Cuthbert and Strickland are immortalised in bronze sculptures.
The 1956 Olympics took place in Melbourne from 22 November until 8 December. Sport, history and Melbourne enthusiasts are encouraged to visit the National Sports Museum and MCG during this time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ‘friendly games’.