Historical information
This beret was worn by Marlene Austin, nee Trenberth in 1956 as part of the uniform of an official driver for the Melbourne Olympic Games. Marlene, who was living with her parents in Brighton at the time, took leave from her job as a stenographer to work as a driver at the Olympics. She drove officials and dignitaries from a variety of nations (including Thailand, Italy, Cuba and Sweden) to and from events, collecting a number of souvenirs, including a Venezuelan pennant and a pair of earrings gifted by the Thai delegation.
Marlene's family have lived in Brighton since 1941, when her parents moved into a house at 15 Moffat Street. The house remained in the family for more than 75 years, before it was sold in 2018.
Physical description
Green wool beret featuring an oval-shaped white patch embroidered with the five Olympic rings. Grey lining.
Inscriptions & markings
Label in lining, cream with yellow text: "COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT CLOTHING FACTORY / MELBOURNE"
Stamped on top of this text in black: "7⅛"
Subjects
References
- Museums Victoria - Photo of Marlene Trenberth Photo of Marlene in her driver's uniform (including beret), outside her family's Brighton home. Museums Victoria holds digital copies of a number of photos from the Trenberth family, including several photos taken of and by Marlene during the 1956 Olympics.
