Historical information

This torch was donated to the Wodonga & District Historical Society by John Flower. John was a torch bearer in the Torch Relay for the Melbourne Olympic Games of 1956. In order to be selected for the Torch Relay the participants had to be able to run 1 mile (1.61 km) in 7.5 minutes. John was a talented distance runner, winning many distance events in the Wodonga area. He ran his mile of the relay about six miles south of Wodonga on the Hume Highway at 3.00 am on Wednesday 21st November 1956.

The relay spanned approximately 20,470 km (including air travel) and involved 3,181 torchbearers across Greece and Australia. The actual Olympic torch left Olympia in Greece on 2nd November 1956 with the first torchbearer being Dionyssios Papathanassopoulos. The relay then covered approximately 20,470 kilometres including air travel and involved 3,181 torchbearers across Greece and Australia. The flame travelled by air to Australia, with stopovers along the way in Istanbul, Basra, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta arriving in Darwin on 6thNovember 1956.

The flame was the transported by Royal Australian Air Force jet bomber to Cairns. The first Australian Torchbearer was Con Verevis, of Greek-born parents, followed by indigenous athlete Anthony Mark. It was carried by 3,181 torchbearer before the Olympic Flame in Melbourne was lit by a 19-year-old middle-distance runner, who lit the cauldron at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 22nd November 1956.

Significance

This item is significant because it donated by a Wodonga resident who participated in the Melbourne Olympics Torch Relay near Wodonga.

Physical description

A small replica torch given to participants in the torch relay for the Melbourne Olympic Games of 1956