Melbourne 1956 - Westpac Centre, Melbourne Australia
Posted by: 
themd
S 37° 49.417 E 144° 58.782
55H E 322189 N 5811831
Site of the swimming and water events for the Melbourne 1956 Modern Olympics.
Waymark Code: WM9AE3
Location: Victoria, Australia
Date Posted: 07/22/2010
Views: 26
The Olympic Pool is now known as Westpac Centre and is home to Australian Rules Football Team Collingwood Football Club as a training centre and The Victorian Institute of Sport.
It was built to cater for the water sports of the 1956 Summer Olympics and seated 5,500.
The swimming pool is long gone being replaced by flooring in 1983 but the building itself is World Heritage Listed and was designed by architects Borland, Murphy and McIntyre.
The most known piece of Controversy that occcurred was during the semi-final for the water polo between Hungary and the former USSR. As Hungary was in the middle of a Revolution tension caused the police to intervene in the bloody proceedings when the crowd became involved.
Hungary eventually won 4-0.
It has been used as a multiple option venue including performances by Elton John and UK group Queen. The building has held court to the National Basketball League.
It is now home to the most famous AFL team in Australia.
Olympic Games: Melbourne Summer 1956
Sport held at venue: Aquatics - Multiple
Start and/or Finish: Start and Finish
Web Address with Additional Details: [Web Link]
Reference Supporting Olympic Use: Plaque at Location
Details of Reference Supporting Olympic Use:
A number of websites and a plaque at the property.
http://www.mopt.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-178/149_read-131/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Summer_Olympics
Current Use: Sports Training
Parking Area: N 37° 49.416 W 144° 58.678
Olympic Games No 2: Not listed
Olympic Games No 3: Not listed
Sport held at venue No 2: Not listed
Additional sport(s) held at venue: Not listed
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