Melbourne 1956

Olympic Games Melbourne 1956 Official Torch

Silver-toned, aluminum alloy torch with long handle capped by cylindrical bowl with Olympic rings three cutout three times. "XVI Olympiad 1956, Olympia Melbourne" encircles base of bowl. 18.5 inches high.

Designer: Ralph Lavers
Manufacturer: Waco Ltd.

Flame: Hexamine tablets with naphthalene and magnesium as a special igniting material. Combustion duration approximately 15 minutes.

The Olympic flame crossed the southern hemisphere for the first time on Nov. 6, 1956, on the flight between Singapore and Jakarta during the Melbourne 1956 torch relay.

Another torch was designed for the final leg of the relay to enhance the ability to see the Olympic flame as it was carried into the stadium.

Start date: November 2, 1956, Olympia, Greece
End date: November 22, 1956, Main Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
First torchbearer: Dionyssios Papathanassopoulos
Last torchbearer: Ron Clarke
Number of torchbearers: 3,181
Relay length: approximately 12,720 miles