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Games of the XVI Olympiad-Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA


GAMES OF THE XVI OLYMPIAD
MELBOURNE

 

THE GAMES
COUNTRY

AUSTRALIA

STATE/TERRITORY/REGION

VICTORIA

CITY COAT OF ARMS

MELBOURNE


GOVERNING BODIES

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC FEDERATION



VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE


VICTORIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION


VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

OFFICIAL MELBOURNE OLYMPIC LOGO


OFFICIAL MELBOURNE & STOCKHOLM OLYMPIC POSTERS
 

OFFICIAL MELBOURNE OLYMPIC TORCH


OFFICIAL MELBOURNE OLYMPIC MEDAL DESIGN
 


YEAR HELD
1956

THE AUSSIE RULES MATCH

           

THE GAME


VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (V.A.F.A.)
vs.
COMBINED VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE and VICTORIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (V.F.L.-V.F.A.)



THE TEAM DETAILS



V.A.F.A.
PLAYING STRIP

(VAFA Captain, Geoff Hibbins, with the jumper he wore in the match)
(JUMPER) WHITE, EMERALD GREEN TRIM AND OLYMPIC RINGS
(SOCKS) WHITE WITH EMERALD GREEN TOP
(SHORTS) WHITE


V.F.L. and V.F.A.
PLAYING STRIP

(Ray 'The Bear' Gabelich models the VFL-VFA Jumper and socks, but wrong shorts outside the MCG on the day of the match)

(JUMPER) EMERALD GREEN, WHITE TRIM AND OLYMPIC RINGS
(SOCKS) EMERALD GREEN WITH WHITE TOP
(SHORTS) BLACK

THE GAME DETAILS
VENUE

MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND
Playing area was 167 yards (152.7 metres) x 140 yards (128 metres)


DATE
Friday 7th December, 1956
Practice game was held on Sunday 2nd December, 1956 and was won by V.A.F.A.


START TIME
Scheduled start time was 4:00pm. Actual start time was 4:10pm.

THE RESULT

                                                  V.A.F.A.                                             V.F.L. and V.F.A.
 

 

 

 

     

 

 
 

Gls.

Bhds.

Pts.

 

Gls.

Bhds.

Pts.

1st Quarter

6

1

37

 

1

0

6

2nd Quarter

9

4

58

 

6

0

36

3rd Quarter

11

8

74

 

6

2

38

FINAL

12

9

81

 

8

7

55


V.A.F.A. won by 26 points.


BEST PLAYERS
V.F.L.-V.F.A.
Allsopp, Collopy, Dunin, Dwyer, Edwards, Gabelich, Plunkett, Sassella, Turner, Westacott & Woolnough.

V.A.F.A.

Anderson, Capes, Collins, Fenton-Smith, Hannan, Harkness, Hibbins, Pettigrove, Rochow & Thomas.

GOALKICKERS
V.F.L.-V.F.A.
Dunin (3), Allsopp, Plunkett, Tobin, Turner, Woolnough (1)

V.A.F.A.

Fenton-Smith, Pettigrove (4), Anderson (3), Rochow (1)

REPORTS
V.F.L.-V.F.A.
NIL

V.A.F.A.

NIL

INJURIES
V.F.L.-V.F.A.
NIL

V.A.F.A.
NIL

UMPIRES
FIELD
L. F. WENKER

EMERGENCY
S. G. BIRTLES


BOUNDARY
W. H. QUINN
J. C. WILSON


GOAL
R. H. COLDREY
O. J. MEEHAN

TIMEKEEPERS
N. W. HECTOR
P. A. MATTHEWS


OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE
21,236

TICKET PRICES

      

(Reserved Seating)
£1 2s. - 11s. - 6s. 7d.

(Un-reserved Section)

6s. 7d.

LIVE TELEVISION BROADCAST
   

ABN-2
(DAILY LIVE TELECAST)

     


OTHER DETAILS FROM THE GAMES
OTHER SPORTS, VENUES & DATES
ATHLETICS (MEN'S & WOMEN'S)
        

MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT
(23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November & 1 December)

BASKETBALL
           

EXHIBITION BUILDINGS ANNEXE, CARLTON
(22, 23, 24, 26, 27 November & 1 December)

BOXING
     

WEST MELBOURNE STADIUM, WEST MELBOURNE
(23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November & 1 December)

CANOEING (MEN'S & WOMEN'S)
               
LAKE WENDOUREE, BALLARAT

(30 November & 1 December)

CYCLING
      

OLYMPIC PARK VELODROME, MELBOURNE
(3, 4 & 6 December)

ROAD COURSE, BROADMEADOWS
(7 December)


DIVING (MEN'S & WOMEN'S)
      
OLYMPIC POOL, MELBOURNE
(1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 December)

EQUESTRIAN
         
STOCKHOLM STADIUM, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Grand Prix de Dressage/DRESSAGE EVENT (15 June)
Olympisk Banhoppning/OLYMPIC GRAND PRIX JUMPING EVENT (16 June)

HUSARBRON, LILLJANSSKOGEN WOOD, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
ULRIKSDAL, NORTH OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Fälttävlan/THREE DAY EVENT (11, 13 & 14 June)


FENCING
           

TOWN HALL, ST.KILDA
(23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 December)

FOOTBALL-ASSOCIATION (SOCCER)
     

OLYMPIC PARK FOOTBALL FIELD, MELBOURNE
(24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November & 1 December)

MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT
(4,5,7 & 8 December)

GYMNASTICS
     

WEST MELBOURNE STADIUM, WEST MELBOURNE
(3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 December)

HOCKEY
      
OLYMPIC PARK HOCKEY FIELD, MELBOURNE
(23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30 November)

MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT
(3 & 6 December)

MODERN PENTATHLON
        
       
OLYMPIC POOL, MELBOURNE (200 METRE SWIM)
(27 December)

UPPER STOREY ROOMS (BALCONY) AT EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, CARLTON (EPEE FENCING)
(24 December)

OAKLANDS HUNT CLUB, BROADMEADOWS (CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING & HORSE RIDING)
(23 & 28 December)


MERRETT RIFLE RANGE, WILLIAMSTOWN (SHOOTING)
(26 December)

ROWING
             
LAKE WENDOUREE, BALLARAT
(23, 24, 26 & 27 November)

SAILING
           
        

PORT PHILLIP BAY
(26, 27, 28, 29 November, 3, 4 & 5 December)

SHOOTING
             
MERRETT RIFLE RANGE, WILLIAMSTOWN
RAPID FIRE PISTOL, SLOW FIRE PISTOL, SMALL BORE RIFLE & RUNNING DEER EVENTS (30 November, 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 December)

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE STATION, LAVERTON
CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING EVENT (29, 30 November & 1 December)


SWIMMING (MEN'S & WOMEN'S)

          
OLYMPIC POOL, MELBOURNE
(29, 30 November, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 December)

WATER POLO
         

OLYMPIC POOL, MELBOURNE
(28, 29, 31 November, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 December)

WEIGHTLIFTING
     

EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, CARLTON
(23, 24 26 November)

WRESTLING
        

EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, CARLTON
FREE STYLE (28, 29, 30 November & 1 December)
GRECO-ROMAN (3, 4, 5 & 6 December)


BASEBALL (DEMONSTRATION SPORT)

MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT
(1 December)


DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE
  

OPENING CEREMONY
NOVEMBER 22, 1956 (MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT)

  

CLOSING CEROMONY
DECEMBER 8, 1956 (MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, JOLIMONT)


STOCKHOLM STADIUM OPENING
JUNE 6TH, 1956

EQUESTRIAN EVENTS OPENING

JUNE 10, 1956 (STOCKHOLM STADIUM, STOCKHOLM)


EQUESTRIAN EVENTS CLOSING
JUNE 17, 1956 (STOCKHOLM STADIUM, STOCKHOLM)

PARTICIPATING NATIONS

MELBOURNE
INVITATIONS TO COMPETE (ABOVE), WRITTEN IN ENGLISH ONLY, WERE SENT TO 91 MEMBER NATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE.
OF THESE NATIONS, 11 DECLINED THE INVITATION. THEY WERE:

 BARBADOS
 BOLIVIA
 CAMBODIA
 COSTA RICA
 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
 DUTCH WEST INDIES
 EL SALVADOR
 LIECHTENSTEIN
 MONACO
 PARAGUAY
 SYRIA


ANOTHER 11 NATIONS ACCEPTED, BUT WITHDREW PRIOR TO THE GAMES FOR VARIOUS REASONS. THEY WERE:
 CHINA (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF)
 EGYPT
 GOLD COAST
 GUATEMALA
 HOLLAND (REPUBLIC OF)
 IRAQ
 LEBANON
 MALTA
 PANAMA
 SPAIN
 SWITZERLAND


THE I.O.C. RECOGNIZED THE 'OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF EAST GERMANY' ON THE CONDITION THAT GERMANY SENT ONE UNITED TEAM WITH WEST GERMANY. THIS WAS AGREED TO.
THE 'OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF SAAR' ALSO ACCEPTED, BUT JUST PRIOR TO THE GAMES, THE COMMITTEE WAS DISOLVED. HOWEVER THE SAAR ATHLETES WERE INCLUDED INTO THE GERMAN TEAM.
THIS MEANT THAT 67 NATIONS ULTIMATELY PARTICIPATED IN MELBOURNE. THEY WERE:

 AFGHANISTAN
 ARGENTINE
 AUSTRALIA
 AUSTRIA
 BAHAMAS
 BELGIUM
 BERMUDA
 BRAZIL
 BRITISH GUIANA
 BULGARIA
 BURMA
 CANADA
 CEYLON
 CHILE
 CHINA (REPUBLIC OF)
 CUBA
 CZECHOSLOVAKIA
 DENMARK
 ETHIOPIA*
 FIJI*
 FINLAND
 FRANCE
 GERMANY (EAST GERMANY, WEST GERMANY & SAAR)
 GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND
 GREECE
 HONG KONG
 HUNGARY
 ICELAND
 INDIA
 INDONESIA
 IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)
 IRELAND
 ISRAEL
 ITALY
 JAMAICA
 JAPAN
 KENYA*
 KOREA
 LIBERIA*
 LUXEMBOURG
 MALAYA*
 MEXICO
 NEW ZEALAND
 NIGERIA
 NORTH BORNEO*
 NORWAY
 PAKISTAN
 PERU
 PHILIPPINES
 POLAND
 PORTUGAL
 PUERTO RICO
 RUMANIA
 SINGAPORE
 SOUTH AFRICA
 SWEDEN
 THAILAND
 TRINIDAD
 TURKEY
 UGANDA*
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 U.S.S.R.
 URUGUAY
 VENEZUELA
 VIET-NAM
 YUGOSLAVIA

(*THESE NATIONS PARTICIPATED IN THEIR FIRST OLYMPIC GAMES AT MELBOURNE)

STOCKHOLM
29 NATIONS
 ARGENTINE
 AUSTRALIA
 AUSTRIA
 BELGIUM
 BRAZIL

 BULGARIA
 CAMBODIA
 CANADA
 DENMARK
 EGYPT
 FINLAND
 FRANCE
 GERMANY (EAST GERMANY, WEST GERMANY & SAAR)
 GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND
  HOLLAND (REPUBLIC OF)
 HUNGARY
 IRELAND
 ITALY
 JAPAN
 NORWAY
 PORTUGAL
 RUMANIA
 SPAIN
 SWITZERLAND

 SWEDEN
 TURKEY
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 U.S.S.R.
 VENEZUELA


NATIONS WHO BOYCOTTED MELBOURNE
EGYPT (PROTESTING THE SUEZ WAR)
IRAQ (PROTESTING THE SUEZ WAR)
LEBANON (PROTESTING THE SUEZ WAR)
NETHERLANDS (PROTESTING THE SOVIET INVASION OF HUNGARY)
SPAIN (PROTESTING THE SOVIET INVASION OF HUNGARY)
SWITZERLAND (PROTESTING THE SOVIET INVASION OF HUNGARY)
PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PROTESTING AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) BEING ALLOWED TO COMPETE UNDER THE NAME OF 'FORMOSA') 


NUMBER OF ATHLETES
MELBOURNE
3,184 ATHLETES
 COMPRISING 2,813 MEN & 371 WOMEN


STOCKHOLM
164 RIDERS
AUSTRALIA HAD FOUR COMPETITORS AT STOCKHOLM. THEY RODE TWO IRISH BORN HORSES, ONE ENGLISH BORN HORSE AND ONE AUSTRALIAN BORN HORSE. THEY WERE:



-Ernest Frederick BARKER, riding 'DANDY', An 11 year-old bay gelding born in Great Britain. They competed in the Three Day event.


-Brian John CRAGO, riding 'RADAR', a 10 year-old brown mare born in Ireland. They also competed in the Three Day event.


-Albert Frank JACOBS, riding 'DUMBELL', a 9 year-old bay mare born in Australia. They competed in the Grand Prix Jumping event.


-Wyatt Weston THOMPSON, riding 'BROWN SUGAR', a 10 year-old brown gelding born in Ireland. They also competed in the Three Day event.
Australia had no entrants in the Grand Prix Dressage event.


NUMBER OF SPORTS
MELBOURNE
19 x OFFICIAL SPORTS

2 x DEMONSTRATION SPORTS

STOCKHOLM
1 x OFFICIAL SPORTS
0 x DEMONSTRATION SPORTS


NUMBER OF EVENTS
MELBOURNE
145 EVENTS
STOCKHOLM
3 EVENTS

OFFICIALLY OPENED BY

MELBOURNE - H.R.H. DUKE OF EDINBURGH (PRINCE PHILLIP)


STOCKHOLM - KING GUSTAV VI ADOLF OF SWEDEN & H.R.H. QUEEN ELIZABETH II

OLYMPIC TORCH LIT BY

MELBOURNERON CLARKE (AUSTRALIAN ATHLETE)


STOCKHOLM - CAPTAIN HANS WIKNE (SWEDISH CAVALRY CAPTAIN)


KARIN LINDBERG (SWEDISH GYMNAST) & HENRY ERIKSSON (SWEDISH ATHLETE)

OLYMPIC OATH READ BY

MELBOURNE -JOHN LANDY (ATHLETE)


STOCKHOLM - HENRI ST.CYR (RIDER)

MEDAL COUNT (MELBOURNE & STOCKHOLM)

 

 

NATION

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

 U.S.S.R.

37

29

32

98

 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

32

25

17

74

 AUSTRALIA

13

8

14

35

 HUNGARY

9

10

7

26

 ITALY

8

8

9

25

 SWEDEN

8

5

6

19

 UNITED TEAM OF GERMANY

6

13

7

26

 GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND

6

7

11

24

 ROMANIA

5

3

5

13

 JAPAN

4

10

5

19

 FRANCE

4

4

6

14

 TURKEY

3

2

2

7

 FINLAND

3

1

11

15

 ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

2

2

1

5

 CANADA

2

1

3

6

 NEW ZEALAND

2

0

0

2

 POLAND

1

4

4

9

 CZECHOSLOVAKIA

1

4

1

6

 BULGARIA

1

3

1

5

 DENMARK

1

2

1

4

 IRELAND

1

1

3

5

 NORWAY

1

0

2

3

 MEXICO

1

0

1

2

 BRAZIL

1

0

0

1

 INDIA

1

0

0

1

 YUGOSLAVIA

0

3

0

3

 CHILE

0

2

2

4

 BELGIUM

0

2

0

2

 ARGENTINE

0

1

1

2

 KOREA

0

1

1

2

 ICELAND

0

1

0

1

 PAKISTAN

0

1

0

1

 SOUTH AFRICA

0

0

4

4

 AUSTRIA

0

0

2

2

 BAHAMAS

0

0

1

1

 GREECE

0

0

1

1

 SWITZERLAND

0

0

1

1

 URUGUAY

0

0

1

1

 

 

     
 

 

     
 

 

     
 

 

     

 



BIDDING RESULTS FOR GAMES
MELBOURNE WAS SELECTED TO HOST THE GAMES AT THE 43RD IOC SESSION IN ROME, ITALY, ON APRIL 28, 1949.
THE ROUND BY ROUND RESULTS ARE LISTED BELOW.

 

 

CITY

COUNTRY

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

ROUND 3

ROUND 4

Melbourne, Victoria

 Australia

14

18

19

21

Buenos Aires

 Argentina

9

12

13

20

Los Angeles, California

 United States

5

4

5

ELIMINATED RD.3

Detroit, Michigan

 United States

2

4

4

ELIMINATED RD.3

Mexico City

 Mexico

9

3

ELIMINATED RD.2

ELIMINATED RD.2

Chicago, Illinois

 United States

1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota

 United States

1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 United States

1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

San Francisco, California

 United States

0

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

ELIMINATED RD.1

 
TORCH RELAY DATES & HIGHLIGHTS
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

JUNE 2, 1956
FLAME FOR STOCKHOLM EQUESTRIAN EVENTS LIT AT OLYMPIA, GREECE.
LENGTH OF STOCKHOLM TORCH RELAY IS 325 KM.

JUNE 6, 1956
OLMPIC FURNACE IN STOCKHOLM STADIUM IS LIT ON HORSEBACK BY SWEDISH CAVALRY CAPTAIN, HANS WIKNE.
TWO TORCHES ARE LIT FROM FURNACE. THESE ARE CARRIED BY KARIN LINDBERG (SWEDISH GOLD MEDALLIST GYMNAST) & HENRY ERIKSSON (SWEDISH GOLD MEDALLIST ATHLETE),TO TWO TORCHES ON BOTH TOWERS AT THE END OF THE STADIUM, AND LIT BY THEM.


MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA



NOVEMBER 2, 1956
FLAME LIT AT OLYMPIA, GREECE.
FLAME RELAYED TO ATHENS BY GREEK RUNNERS.



NOVEMBER 3, 1956
FLAME TRANSFERRED TO A MINERS LAMP AT ATHENS AIRPORT, AND FLOWN TO DARWIN (NORTHERN TERRITORY) ABOARD A QANTAS 'SUPER CONSTELLATION' AIRCRAFT NAMED "SOUTHERN HORIZON". PILOTING THE PLANE IS CAPTAIN YOUNG.


FLAME WAS THEN PLACED ABOARD A R.A.A.F. (ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE) 'ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA' JET BOMBER, AND FLOWN TO CAIRNS (QUEENSLAND).

NOVEMBER 9, 1956
FLAME ARRIVED AT CAIRNS, AND THE FIRST TORCH WAS LIT BY THE MAYOR OF CAIRNS, ALDERMAN W.J.FULTON.

THE FLAME WAS THEN RELAYED DOWN THE EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA, THE FIRST RUNNER BEING A LOCAL AUSTRALIAN-BORN GREEK, WHO HANDED IT TO A LOCAL ABORIGINE MAN. THE FIRST RUNNER BEGAN HIS RUN AT EXACTLY 1:40 PM.


THE FLAME WAS RELAYED BY 2,380 RUNNERS IN 1 MILE STAGES, USING DIECAST ALUMINIUM TORCHES WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 1.8 KGS (3 LBS.).
THE RELAY TRAVELLED ALL DAY AND NIGHT FOR 13 DAYS, 1 HOUR AND 53 MINUTES.


NOVEMBER 22, 1956
           

THE FLAME ARRIVED IN MELBOURNE AND THE OLMPIC TORCH, AT THE M.C.G., WAS LIT BY LOCAL ATHLETE & JUNIOR MILE RECORD HOLDER RON CLARKE, USING A SPECIAL CEREMONIAL TORCH. THIS TORCH IS NOW HOUSED IN THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MUSEUM AT LAUSANNE IN SWITZERLAND.

WEBSITE 
I.O.C. 1956 SUMMER OLYMPICS SITE

    
     

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PHOTOS, MEMORABILIA & DATA PROVIDED BY
THE HERALD & WEEKLY TIMES
THE SUN NEWS PICTORIAL
THE AGE
THE ARGUS
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC FEDERATION
MR. G.A. LANSDOWN PRIVATE COLLECTION
MR. K.R.J. KRIEGER PRIVATE COLLECTION

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