ABSTRACT
Ten cities bid for the 1956 Summer Games. Melbourne was seen as a rank outsider, as its location in the Southern Hemisphere would mean the Games being held in the Northern Hemisphere winter.
Nevertheless, Melbourne triumphed in the fourth round of voting. Its victory triggered major political arguments in Australia, over both funding and the location of the main stadium. Although the funding issues were eventually resolved, the delays meant there would be no time to build a new stadium, so the only option was to refurbish and modernize the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
This dated back to 1854, and had been steadily evolving ever since. For the Olympics it was decided to replace an 1884 grandstand with a new three-tiered 40,000-seat concrete framed stand that would increase spectator capacity to a nominal 120,000. A more serious challenge was the arena’s 2.4m fall from north to south, which exceeded the IOC’s official limit. A total regrade was needed.
Since the Games the stadium has been in constant use, hosting cricket in the summer and Australian rules football in the winter. Many other events and concerts are held, including Papal visits.
