VPRS 15162 Photographs and Presentation Documents [1956 Melbourne Olympics Photograph Collection]

This series consists of photographs of the venues to be used, architectural drawings and photographs of the Olympic Village to be constructed in Heidelberg, Melbourne, and a copy of the original presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Rome in 1949 on behalf of and in preparation for Melbourne hosting the 1956 Games. The records were collated by the Organising Committee for the XVIth Olympiad, Melbourne [1956] (VA 4153) in order to compile an archive of the preparation for the 1956 Olympic Games. Photographs were mostly labelled with a caption, at least one number, and were usually stamped as being an Australian Official Photograph. Photographers included Neil Murray, Jack Gallagher, and C. Bottomley.Once Melbourne was awarded the honour of hosting the games of the XVIth Olympiad in 1956, it was necessary to ensure that the venues to be used were able to cater for the expected number of spectators, as well as meeting Olympic Standards for the sports involved. Venues included Olympic Stadium (Melbourne Cricket Ground), Olympic Park (including the Olympic Swimming Pool), Velodrome, St Kilda Beach and Port Phillip Bay, the Glaciarium, the Exhibition Building, and the West Melbourne Stadium. It was also necessary to ensure that competitors and officials had access to appropriate housing during their stay in Melbourne. For this purpose, the Victorian Housing Commission constructed the Olympic Village in Heidelberg with a view to use the Village for permanent housing after the Games were finished.The Melbourne Cricket Ground was proposed to be the Olympic Stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, which involved the wrecking of an existing stand and the creation of a new, triple deck steel and concrete stand in its place. This extended the crowd capacity from 90,000 to at least 110,000, making it the largest Olympic arena built (in 1956). The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was to hold the opening and closing ceremonies, eight days of athletics, hockey and soccer finals, and the start and finish of the marathon and 50 kilometre walk events. The MCG's oval was one of the largest ever provided for an Olympiad being 4.9 acres in area. The stadium's lap track was to be 400 metres long with a 110 metre sprint on the north side. The track was to be 9.75 metres wide with 8 lanes on the straight and 7 lanes in the remainder of the track. Jumping and throwing runways, pits and throwing circles for field events, and soccer and hockey fields, were to be marked on the inside of the track. There were to be two circles each for hammer, discus and shot-put, and four runways for long jump and hop step and jump. The high jump was to be placed at the west end of the stadium to avoid jumping into the sun.Olympic Park was a modern sports centre, newly created for the 1956 Olympic Games. It contained the new Olympic Swimming Stadium, which was designed by four young architects and an engineer who were graduates of Melbourne University and winners of a nation-wide architectural competition conducted by the local Olympic authorities. Olympic Park was to hold the swimming, diving, water polo, cycling, and soccer and hockey events. The Olympic Swimming Stadium could accommodate 5,500 spectators, and was both heated and air conditioned.The Olympic Village was constructed in Heidelberg. It consisted of 788 houses and was intended to accommodate 6,000 athletes and officials. Facilities included three sports ovals, post offices, medial and dental centres, barber shop, and mending and shoe repair centres. Temporary dining rooms and kitchens were constructed to accommodate the athletes and officials during their stay as no cooking stoves or clothes boilers were installed in the houses at this time. Fences separating housing was also to be constructed after completion of the Games. All houses and flats contained electric lighting, power, modern bathrooms with a shower, bath and basin, and hot and cold running water. The Village was to be fully landscaped, and contain a feature at the entrance that would remain as a reminder of its connection to the 1956 Olympic Games. Plans for the Village were prepared by the Architect's Panel of the Victorian Housing Commission.Unit One contains a series of black and white photographs covering the use of Melbourne Cricket Ground as the main Olympic Stadium, aerial views showing the proximity of the city venues to each other, and an internal view of West Melbourne Stadium's boxing arena. It also contains some black and white photographs of the plan for the Olympic Village, photographs of the illustrations of the types of houses to be constructed, as well as photographs of construction taking place, and the finished housing.Unit Two contains a series of black and white photographs covering venues such as the Williamstown Riffle Range, Melbourne Town Hall, the Exhibition Building and Port Phillip Bay, with a particular focus on the Olympic Swimming Stadium. It also contains a series of photographs of people who would appear to be members of the Organising Committee, such as the Chairman of the Committee, Mr WS Kent Hughes, and the Organising Secretary Mr PW Nette. Most photographs depicting possible Organising Committee members are uncaptioned.Unit Three contains 3 separate items - a book of full colour architectural drawings and miniature plans called 'The Olympic Village, Melbourne; a bound copy of Melbourne's presentation to the Olympic Committee in Rome, 1949; and a series of documents related to the presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Rome in 1949 on behalf of Melbourne in order to be awarded the honour of hosting the games of the XVIth Olympiad. These consist of copies of the statements by Councillor the Honourable James S. Disney, Lord Mayor of Melbourne; H. G. Alderson, M.B.E, President, Australian Olympic Federation; Sir Norman Martin, Agent General for Victoria in London; and Sir Frank Beaurepaire, as well as correspondence relating to the Organising Committee obtaining a copy of the original presentation booklet, containing photographs of Melbourne and illustrating the benefits of hosting the games in Melbourne.

本数据集收录了墨尔本1956年夏季奥林匹克运动会筹备期间的全套资料，包括待使用赛事场馆的实拍照片、将在墨尔本海德堡兴建的奥运村建筑图纸与实景照片，以及1949年墨尔本代表申办该届赛事时向罗马国际奥林匹克委员会（International Olympic Committee）提交的原始申办文稿副本。该批档案由第十六届奥林匹克运动会墨尔本组委会（1956年）（档案编号VA 4153）整理归档，旨在构建1956年奥运会筹备工作的完整档案库。绝大多数照片均配有说明文字与至少一个编号，且通常加盖“澳大利亚官方照片”印章，拍摄者包括尼尔·默里（Neil Murray）、杰克·加拉格尔（Jack Gallagher）与C·博特利（C. Bottomley）。

1956年墨尔本获得第十六届奥林匹克运动会主办权后，组委会需确保所有待使用场馆能够满足预期观赛人数需求，并符合对应体育项目的奥林匹克赛事标准。本次筹备涉及的场馆包括：墨尔本板球场（Melbourne Cricket Ground，MCG，奥林匹克主体育场）、奥林匹克公园（含奥林匹克游泳馆）、自行车馆、圣基尔达海滩与菲利普港湾、冰上运动馆、展览大楼以及西墨尔本体育场。同时，组委会还需为参赛运动员与赛事官员提供墨尔本境内的合规住宿保障，为此维多利亚州住房委员会在海德堡兴建了奥运村，赛后该区域将转为永久性住宅社区。

墨尔本板球场被选定为1956年奥运会主体育场，改造工程包括拆除原有看台，在原址新建三层钢结构与混凝土混合结构看台。改造后观众容量从9万人提升至至少11万人，成为1956年规模最大的奥林匹克赛事场馆。该球场将承办开闭幕式、为期8天的田径、曲棍球与足球决赛，以及马拉松与50公里竞走项目的起点与终点。墨尔本板球场的椭圆形场地面积达4.9英亩，为历届奥运会之最。体育场环形跑道总长400米，北侧设有110米短跑赛道，跑道宽度9.75米，直道区域设8条赛道，其余区域设7条赛道。跑道内侧将划定跳远、三级跳远的助跑区与沙坑，掷类项目的投掷圈，以及足球与曲棍球场。其中链球、铁饼、铅球项目各设两个投掷圈，跳远与三级跳远共设4条助跑跑道。跳高场地设于体育场西端，以避免选手受阳光直射影响发挥。

奥林匹克公园为1956年奥运会新建的现代化体育中心，内含新建的奥林匹克游泳体育场。该场馆由墨尔本大学毕业的四名青年建筑师与一名工程师联合设计，他们凭借方案赢得了澳大利亚奥林匹克主管部门举办的全国建筑设计竞赛。奥林匹克公园将承办游泳、跳水、水球、自行车赛事以及足球与曲棍球项目。奥林匹克游泳体育场可容纳5500名观众，配备供暖与空调系统。

海德堡奥运村共建有788栋住宅，可容纳6000名运动员与赛事官员。村内配套设施包括三座体育椭圆形场地、邮局、医疗与牙科诊疗中心、理发店以及衣物修补与修鞋服务点。由于住宅初期未安装炉灶与衣物烘干机，赛事期间临时搭建了餐厅与厨房供人员使用。赛事结束后，还将加装住宅区域间的分隔围栏。所有住宅与公寓均配备电气照明、电力供应、带淋浴、浴缸与洗手台的现代化浴室，以及冷热水供应系统。奥运村整体进行了景观绿化设计，并在入口处设置纪念性标识，以留存其与1956年奥运会的历史关联。该村庄的规划方案由维多利亚州住房委员会建筑师小组编制。

第一单元收录了一系列黑白照片，内容涵盖作为主体育场的墨尔本板球场使用场景、展示城市场馆空间布局的航拍视角照片，以及西墨尔本体育场拳击馆内部实景。本单元还包含部分奥运村规划平面图黑白照片、待建住宅类型示意图照片，以及奥运村建设过程与竣工后的实景照片。

第二单元收录了一系列黑白照片，涵盖威廉斯敦步枪射击场、墨尔本市政厅、展览大楼与菲利普港湾等场馆，重点聚焦奥林匹克游泳体育场。本单元还包含一批疑似组委会成员的人物照片，包括组委会主席WS·肯特·休斯（WS Kent Hughes）先生与组委会秘书长PW·内特（PW Nette）先生。绝大多数展示组委会成员的照片未附说明文字。

第三单元包含三类独立藏品：其一为《墨尔本奥运村》全彩建筑图纸与微型规划图集；其二为1949年墨尔本向罗马奥林匹克委员会提交的申办文稿装订副本；其三为1949年墨尔本代表申办第十六届奥林匹克运动会主办权时，向国际奥林匹克委员会提交的系列相关文件。文件内容包括墨尔本市市长詹姆斯·S·迪斯尼阁下议员、澳大利亚奥林匹克联合会主席H·G·奥尔德森（H. G. Alderson，MBE勋衔）、维多利亚州驻伦敦代理总督诺曼·马丁爵士以及弗兰克·博雷帕尔爵士的陈述文稿副本，同时包含组委会获取原始申办手册副本的相关往来信函——该手册收录了墨尔本城市照片，阐释了在墨尔本举办奥运会的各项优势。