1.
Melbourne
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Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in Australia and Oceania. The name Melbourne refers to an urban agglomeration spanning 9,900 km2, the metropolis is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of 4,641,636 as of 2016, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians. Founded by free settlers from the British Crown colony of Van Diemens Land on 30 August 1835, in what was then the colony of New South Wales, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named Melbourne by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria, to whom Lord Melbourne was close, in 1847, during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the worlds largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the interim seat of government until 1927. It is a financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a centre for street art, music. It was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport, the second busiest in Australia. The Port of Melbourne is Australias busiest seaport for containerised and general cargo, Melbourne has an extensive transport network. The main metropolitan train terminus is Flinders Street Station, and the regional train. Melbourne is also home to Australias most extensive network and has the worlds largest urban tram network. Before the arrival of settlers, humans had occupied the area for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years. At the time of European settlement, it was inhabited by under 2000 hunter-gatherers from three indigenous tribes, the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong. The area was an important meeting place for the clans of the Kulin nation alliance and it would be 30 years before another settlement was attempted. Batman selected a site on the bank of the Yarra River. Batman then returned to Launceston in Tasmania, in early August 1835 a different group of settlers, including John Pascoe Fawkner, left Launceston on the ship Enterprize
2.
Victoria (Australia)
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Victoria is a state in southeast Australia. Victoria is Australias most densely populated state and its second-most populous state overall, most of its population is concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australias second-largest city. Prior to British European settlement, the area now constituting Victoria was inhabited by a number of Aboriginal peoples. With Great Britain having claimed the entire Australian continent east of the 135th meridian east in 1788, Victoria was included in the wider colony of New South Wales. The first settlement in the area occurred in 1803 at Sullivan Bay, and much of what is now Victoria was included in the Port Phillip District in 1836, Victoria was officially created as a separate colony in 1851, and achieved self-government in 1855. Politically, Victoria has 37 seats in the Australian House of Representatives and 12 seats in the Australian Senate, at state level, the Parliament of Victoria consists of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. Victoria is currently governed by the Labor Party, with Daniel Andrews the current Premier, the personal representative of the Queen of Australia in the state is the Governor of Victoria, currently Linda Dessau. Local government is concentrated in 79 municipal districts, including 33 cities, although a number of unincorporated areas still exist, Victorias total gross state product is ranked second in Australia, although Victoria is ranked fourth in terms of GSP per capita because of its limited mining activity. Culturally, Melbourne is home to a number of museums, art galleries and theatres and is described as the sporting capital of Australia. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is the largest stadium in Australia, and the host of the 1956 Summer Olympics, Victoria has eight public universities, with the oldest, the University of Melbourne, having been founded in 1853. Victoria, like Queensland, was named after Queen Victoria, who had been on the British throne for 14 years when the colony was established in 1851. The first British settlement in the later known as Victoria was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay on Port Phillip. In the year 1826 Colonel Stewart, Captain S. Wright, fly and the brigs Dragon and Amity, took a number of convicts and a small force composed of detachments of the 3rd and 93rd regiments. Victorias next settlement was at Portland, on the south west coast of what is now Victoria, edward Henty settled Portland Bay in 1834. Melbourne was founded in 1835 by John Batman, who set up a base in Indented Head, from settlement the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, a separately administered part of New South Wales. Shortly after the now known as Geelong was surveyed by Assistant Surveyor W. H. Smythe. And in 1838 Geelong was officially declared a town, despite earlier white settlements dating back to 1826, days later, still in 1851 gold was discovered near Ballarat, and subsequently at Bendigo. Later discoveries occurred at sites across Victoria
3.
Opening ceremony
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A grand opening is a publicized event at which a new establishment announces its official opening to the public. Depending on the nature of the establishment, a party atmosphere may be promoted by use of food, music, prizes, balloons, giveaways, festive signs, searchlights, a ribbon cutting ceremony is a common ritual, symbolically opening the facility to the public. Before the grand opening there are usually media previews, such openings may be by invitation only, or may welcome visitors made aware of it by word of mouth. Broadcast News Writing, Reporting, and Producing, fans Not Customers, How to create growth companies in a no growth world
4.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession
5.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
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Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC is the youngest of four children and the third son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his birth, he was third in line to succeed his mother, as of 2017, he is ninth in line. Prince Edward was born on 10 March 1964, at Buckingham Palace, as the son and fourth and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He was baptised on 2 May 1964 in the chapel at Windsor Castle by the then-Dean of Windsor. As with his siblings, a governess was appointed to look after Edward and was responsible for his early education at Buckingham Palace. At the age of seven, Edward was then sent to Gibbs School before attending, in September 1972, Heatherdown School, near Ascot in Berkshire. He then, as his father and elder brothers had done him, moved to Gordonstoun, in northern Scotland. Upon his return to Britain, Edward matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge and his admission to Cambridge caused some controversy at the time, since his A-level grades were far below the standard normally required, straight As, for Oxbridge entrance. Edward graduated in 1986 as BA and proceeded Master of Arts in 1991, Prince Edward made two very public attempts to pursue a career. However, in January 1987 he dropped out of the commando course after completing just one third of the 12-month training. Media reported, at the time, that the move prompted a berating from Prince Philip who reduced his son to prolonged tears, after leaving the Marines, Edward opted for a career in entertainment. His duties reportedly involved making tea for the artistic staff, while there he met actress Ruthie Henshall, whom he dated for three years. The media attacked the programme, it was reported that the Queen was not in favour of the event. In 1993, Edward formed the production company Ardent Productions. Commercial breaks are filled with army recruiting advertisements, ardents productions were somewhat better received in the United States and a documentary Edward made about his great-uncle, Edward VIII in 1996, sold well worldwide. Nonetheless, the reported losses every year it operated save one when Edward did not draw a salary. The Prince of Wales was reportedly angered by the incident, Ardent Productions was voluntarily dissolved in June 2009, with assets reduced to just £40. Edwards original backers in the venture are said to have lost every penny, Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones, then a public relations executive with her own firm, in 1994
6.
Queen's Baton Relay
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The Queens Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, the Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London as a part of the citys Commonwealth Day festivities. The Queen entrusts the baton to the first relay runner, at the Opening Ceremony of the Games, the final relay runner hands the baton back to the Queen or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open the Games. The Relay was introduced at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, up until, and including, the 1994 Games, the Relay only went through England and the host nation. The Relay for the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was the first to travel to other nations of the Commonwealth, the 2002 Commonwealth Games Relay covered over 100,000 kilometres and went through 23 nations. For the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the baton was a two-piece affair, each piece went on its own individual relay run in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, only being joined back together in the final week before the Games began. For the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Malaysia placed their own flavour on the Games, the baton was presented to Prince Edward by Malaysias first ever Commonwealth medal winner Koh Eng Tong, a gold medallist in weightlifting in 1950. The Baton design was inspired by a traditional Malay artifact, the Gobek, the Queens Baton Relay started, as it traditionally does, at Buckingham Palace and ended in Melbourne, Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It carried a message from the Queen to the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, Fremantle Dockers Captain Matthew Pavlich carried the baton through Fremantle, he received the baton from community nominee and local businessman Peter Taliangis. The baton contained 71 lights on the front, representing the 71 member nations of the Commonwealth Games Federation, the baton was designed by Michael Foley, a graduate of the National Institute of Design. Made from aluminium twisted into a helix, it was coated with soils from the regions of India. When the baton relay began at Buckingham Palace, the then-President of India, the Final Baton Runner Sushil Kumar handed over the baton to Prince Charles, who with President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the games. The baton also incorporated a video camera and microphone, LED lighting, the Queens Baton Relay began its 190,000 km journey on 9 October 2013. The baton travelled via 70 nations and territories over 288 days before opening the games on the 23 July 2014. At the ceremony,32 inspiring volunteers from across Scotland carried the baton around Celtic Park Stadium after being nominated for giving their time to developing the youth through sport. The baton was passed to Sir Chris Hoy, who delivered it to President of the Commonwealth Games Federation HRH Prince Imran. The BBC provided coverage of the relay, adventurer Mark Beaumont presented a series of documentaries filmed on the relay for BBC One Scotland, there were also weekly updates for BBC News and a BBC News website and blog written by Mark. The product design consultancy awarded the contract to the design of the 2014 Queens Baton is a local Glasgow company called 4c Design
7.
John Landy
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John Michael Landy AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and held the world records for the 1500 metre run. He was also the 26th Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006, born in Melbourne, John Landy attended Malvern Memorial Grammar School and Geelong Grammar School. He graduated from Melbourne University in 1954, receiving a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, during his school years, Landy enjoyed watching middle distance track events. He became a serious runner during his years, joining the Geelong Guild Athletic Club in 1949. He was a member of the Australian Olympic team at both the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and he took the Olympic Oath at the 1956 Olympics. That record held for more than three years, worldwide, Landy is probably best known for his part in a mile race in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held at Vancouver, British Columbia. Landy ran his second sub-4-minute mile in the race, but lost to Roger Bannister, on the final turn of the last lap, as Landy looked over his left shoulder, Bannister passed him on the right. In 2015 it returned to the site of the stadium, regarding this sculpture, Landy quipped that While Lots wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, I am probably the only one ever turned into bronze for looking back. In Australia, Landy is remembered for his performance in the one final at the 1956 Australian National Championships prior to the Melbourne Olympic Games. In the race, Landy stopped and doubled back to check on fellow runner Ron Clarke after another runner clipped Clarkes heel, Clarke, the then-junior mile world record holder, who had been leading the race, got back to his feet and started running again, Landy followed. Incredibly, in the two laps Landy made up a large deficit to win the race, something considered one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history. Said the National Centre for History and Education in Australia, It was a gesture of sportsmanship. Sculptor Mitch Mitchell created a sculpture of the moment when Landy helps Clarke to his feet. It has recently moved from the north west corner of Punt Road. On 1 January 2001, Landy was sworn in as the 26th Governor of Victoria and he was appointed by Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks, who remained premier throughout his term. He retired as governor on 7 April 2006, being succeeded by Professor David De Kretser, John Landy worked as senior manager at ICI Australia, and had a successful public speaking career. For eight years Landy served on the Victorian Land Conservation Council, contributing to debates, an avid naturalist, Landy has written two books on natural history
8.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
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The Melbourne Cricket Ground, also known simply as The G, is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. The MCG is within walking distance of the city centre and is served by the Richmond railway station, Richmond, and it is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Since it was built in 1853, the MCG has been in a state of almost constant renewal and it served as the centrepiece stadium of the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and two Cricket World Cups,1992 and 2015. The annual Boxing Day Test is one of the MCGs most popular events, the stadium fills to capacity for the AFL Grand Final. Concerts and other events are also held at the venue. The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was included on the Australian National Heritage List in 2005, journalist Greg Baum called it a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem that symbolises Melbourne to the world. Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne, the club’s first game was against a military team at the Old Mint site, at the corner of William and Latrobe Streets. The area was subject to flooding, forcing the club to move again and it was not long before the club was forced out again, this time because of the expansion of the railway. The South Melbourne ground was in the path of Victoria’s first steam railway line from Melbourne to Sandridge and this last option, which is now Yarra Park, had been used by Aborigines until 1835. Between 1835 and 1853 it was an agistment area for colonial troopers’ horses, in 1850 it was part of a 200-acre stretch set aside for public recreation extending from Governor La Trobe’s Jolimont Estate to the Yarra River. By 1853 it had become a busy promenade for Melbourne residents, an MCC sub-committee chose the Richmond Park option because it was level enough for cricket but sloped enough to prevent inundation. That ground was located where the Richmond, or outer, end of the current MCG is now, at the same time the Richmond Cricket Club was given occupancy rights to six acres for another cricket ground on the eastern side of the Government Paddock. At the time of the grant the Government stipulated that the ground was to be used for cricket and cricket only. This condition remained until 1933 when the State Government allowed the MCG’s uses to be broadened to other purposes when not being used for cricket. In 1863 a corridor of land running diagonally across Yarra Park was granted to the Hobson’s Bay Railway, the area closest to the river was also developed for sporting purposes in later years including Olympic venues in 1956. The first grandstand at the MCG was the original wooden stand built in 1854. It was during this tour that the MCG hosted the worlds first Test match, in 1881 the original members stand was sold to the Richmond Cricket Club for £55. A new brick stand, considered at the time to be the world’s finest cricket facility, was built in its place, the foundation stone was laid by Prince George of Wales and Prince Albert Victor on 4 July and the stand opened in December that year
9.
2002 Commonwealth Games
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The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVII Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England, from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The 2002 Games were to be hosted in the United Kingdom to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, head of the Commonwealth, in terms of sports and events, the 2002 Games were the largest Commonwealth Games in history featuring 281 events across 17 sports. The Games were considered a success for the host city, providing an event to display how Manchester has changed following the 1996 bombing, the Games formed the catalyst for the widespread regeneration and heavy development of Manchester, and bolstered its reputation as a European and global city internationally. The opening and closing ceremonies, the athletic and the rugby sevens events were held at the City of Manchester Stadium, seventy-two nations competed in 14 individual sports and 3 team sports events. Manchester City F. C. inherited the City of Manchester Stadium, the club was taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group led by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, without the stadium, a takeover would have been far less certain. The Games were a moment for Manchester and Britain with then-IOC president Jacques Rogge viewing the games as an important litmus test as to whether Britain could host the Summer Olympics. The relay culminated in the arrival of the baton at the City of Manchester Stadium, the speech was then removed electronically from the baton, and read by Her Majesty to open the Games. The 2002 Baton itself was designed by a company called IDEO and it weighed 1.69 kg, reached over 710 mm, and was 42.5 mm to 85 mm in diameter. The Queens message itself was held in an aluminium capsule inserted into the top of the Baton, on either side of the Baton were two sterling silver coins, designed by Mappin and Webb, which celebrated the City of Manchester as host of the XVII Commonwealth Games. The Baton was also equipped with sensors that detected and monitored the Runners pulse rate and this information was then conveyed to a series of light-emitting diodes, via a light behaviour module. The lens then transformed the LEDs into a shaft of bright blue pulsating light which synchronised with each new Runner, the hearts of the Runner and the Baton then beat as one until it was passed on, symbolising the journey of humanity and the essence of life. The UK Baton Runners were made up of people from all walks of life including athletes, celebrities, around 2500 Jubilee Runners were nominated by the community to carry the Baton, because they made a special contribution to their community or achieved a personal goal against the odds. The judging of the Jubilee Runners was conducted by a panel of judges under the supervision of The Duke of Edinburghs Award in January 2002, the relay was sponsored by Cadbury Schweppes, a major UK confectionery and soft drinks manufacturer. Cultureshock was the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme which ran alongside the Games themselves, the events ranged from images of the athlete as hero in sculpture and photography to a Zulu performance at The Lowry. There was an exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery called Tales of Power, West African Textiles, the geographical range was from Cheshire in the south to Blackburn and Cumbria in the north, and included that year the various Melas that take place around the region. It also coincided with the BBCs 2002 Festival Live series of concerts and celebrations around the country. Many of the events were covered by the BBC2002 radio station covering the games. There were the maximum of 17 sports included in the schedule for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the medals were added to the final tally for each nation
10.
2010 Commonwealth Games
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The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events and it was also the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and it was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in India and the second time they were held in Asia after Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. It was also the time a Commonwealth Republic hosted the games. The official mascot of the Games was Shera and the song of the Games. The President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, said that India had made a foundation for a future Olympics bid. Commonwealth games Federation chief Mike Fennell stated that Delhi delivered a fantastic Games, some observers accused sections of the media of bias, unfair expectations, and negative reporting. The final medal tally was led by Australia, the host nation India achieved its best performance ever at the Games, finishing second overall. This was Indias first successful bid for the Games, the bid was Canadas attempt to hold the games for the fifth time. Indias bid motto was New Frontiers and Friendships, the successful 2003 Afro-Asian Games held in Hyderabad was also seen as having shown that India has the resources, infrastructure and technical know-how to stage a big sporting event. Such actions are worthy of emulation by all concerned in Pakistan, I have no doubt that if both sides continue to live by such ideals, one day, sooner than later our generations to come will reap the benefits of and be grateful to those making such contributions. You would certainly be such person, the Indian government stated that it would underwrite the total cost of the Games. In spite of delays and the corruption cases levied on the organisors, commentators stated that they were confident that India will successfully host the games, the BCI was formed to both market the Games and promote Indian business interests internationally. The initial total budget estimated by the Indian Olympic Association in 2003 for hosting the Games was ₹16.2 billion, in 2010, however, the official total budget soon escalated to an estimated ₹115 billion, a figure which excluded non-sports-related infrastructure development. Business Today magazine estimated that the Games cost ₹700 billion, the 2010 Commonwealth Games are reportedly the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever. In response to concerns over the number of trains that pass by the Delhi metropolitan region daily. To expand road infrastructure, flyovers, cloverleaf flyovers, and bridges were built to improve links for the Games, road-widening projects were finished with an emphasis being placed on expanding national highways. To improve traffic flow on existing roads, plans were made to both the inner and outer Ring roads signal free
11.
2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
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The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held on 15 March 2006 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ceremony was conceived and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide, which produced the ceremonies for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. The ceremony began with the stage on the playing ground of the Melbourne Cricket Ground lighting up with previous host cities. The flags of Australia, England and India were raised, surf boats which represented each of the past 18 host cities were on the Yarra River as were flags of the participating countries. A W-class Melbourne tram with wings attached was lowered into the stadium, a performance followed based on a poem by Michael Leunig, involving a boy with a duck which was an artificial one at first, and koalas. At the end of the display, the boy came into the Stadium with a white duck. The opening ceremony had many themes, including Melbournes Wurundjeri Indigenous heritage, the role of the boy was performed by 12-year-old Sean Whitford, who had been selected from thousands of candidates. Australian rock band The Church played Under The Milky Way to accompany a performance by the Australian Ballet, contrary to tradition, the nations did not enter the stadium in alphabetical order, but by regions of the Commonwealth. European nations entered the stadium first, followed by those from Africa, Asia, the Americas, english athletes and officials entered the stadium first while the host nation, Australia entered last. The athletes entered with The Cat Empire playing a written musical set. The final leg of the Queens Baton Relay included the baton being handed to the 16 captains of the Australian Football League across the floating flags and fish along the Yarra River. After each of the captains had carried the baton, the last of the captains handed the baton to Ron Barassi, Barassi then handed the baton to Herb Elliott. The Commonwealth Games Federation flag was brought into the stadium by eight Young Australian of the Year recipients. The athletes oath was taken by Adam Pine, harry White, a 13-year-old boy, who was youth ambassador, presented a message to Queen Elizabeth II. Michael Fennel, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation then spoke, the final bearers of the Queens Baton were all former elite world-class athletes who had successfully competed at both the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. The Queen then read the message of greeting which she had placed in the baton, the ceremonies were conceived and produced by Executive Producer and Creative Director Andrew Walsh with Producers David Proctor, Adam Charles and Keith Tucker. In a break of tradition the teams entered the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games by regions. First into the arena was England as hosts of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England Then followed the European countries
12.
2006 Commonwealth Games highlights
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The following article outlines the highlights of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Both the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Yarra River were centrepieces for the ceremony, which included many fireworks, the Games were opened by Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen is also Head of State of a number of Commonwealth countries, cycling England managed a clean sweep of the 4,000 m individual pursuit gold medal on the cycle track. Paul Manning beat teammate Rob Hayles in the final, steve Cummings won the bronze medal race. Australian Ben Kersten manages to beat the World and Olympic champions in the 1 km time trial, swimming Scotlands Caitlin McClatchey beat Australias Libby Lenton in the Womens 200 m freestyle final, setting a new Games record of 1,57.25. Englands Melanie Marshall came in third, David Carry of Scotland has won the 400 m freestyle final, winning the second swimming gold for his country. Canadian Andrew Hurd picked up the silver in 3,49.08, moss Burmester from New Zealand won gold in the 200 m butterfly in a new New Zealand and Commonwealth record time of 1,56.64. Weightlifting The Games first gold medal was awarded in the Womens Weightlifting to Nameirakpam Kunjarani from India, marilou Dozois-Prevost from Canada won the silver, and Erika Yamasaki of Australia picked up the bronze. Cycling Australians Katherine Bates and Rochelle Gilmore get gold and silver respectively in the Womens 25 km Points Race, repeating their Manchester Games results. Their teammate Alexis Rhodes took ninth place after being injured in Germany in an accident that took the life of Amy Gillett. Rugby Sevens New Zealand won the medal at the Telstra Dome with a convincing 29–21 win over England. Fiji win the medal with a 24–17 win over Australia in a game marred by a serious injury to Australian player Scott Fava. Swimming Australia gets all three medals in both the womens 50 m butterfly and womens 50 m breaststroke, swimming Australia swept gold, silver, and bronze in both the womens 50 m breaststroke and the 50 m butterfly. Leisel Jones and Danni Miatke, respectively, won the golds, triathlon Day 3 saw the Australians and New Zealanders completely dominate the triathlon event. After missing out on qualification for the 2004 Athens Olympics, Emma Snowsill took the medal with a time of 1,58,02.59. New Zealand secured silver, bronze and fourth place for the Womens event, continuing Australias dominance in the triathlon, Brad Kahlefeldt won gold in the mens triathlon event with a time of 1,49,16. Australian Peter Robertson was just beaten by New Zealander, Bevan Docherty for silver, cycling Australian cyclist Ryan Bayley won the mens sprint, his second gold medal for these Games. Weightlifting Australian weightlifter Ben Turner won the mens 69 kg Division, athletics Australian Kerryn McCann successfully defends her 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medal title by winning the womens marathon event with a time of 2,30,50
13.
Karak (mascot)
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Karak was the mascot for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He was modelled on a red-tailed black cockatoo, a species within the host country. His biography, according to Commonwealth Games organisers, Comes from a line of squawkers. His Mum nested at an age and foraged for the family. His Gran was famous in the area for her seed cakes and he has two brothers who were well-known badminton shuttlecocks, and a sister who passed her school exams with flying colours. Four years at Treetops College studying Australian Endangered Species, apparently egged the principals car during Orientation Week but nothings ever been proven
14.
Commonwealth Games Federation
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The Commonwealth Games Federation is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and is the foremost authority in matters relating to the games. Following the 1932 Summer Olympics, it was decided to form the British Empire Games Federation who would be responsible for the organising of the games. It consists of 3 or more representatives of a Commonwealth Games Association of each member countries and territories, the Vice-Patron, Life Vice-Presidents, sessions of the General Assembly are chaired by the CGF President, with each CGA and the President having one vote. The Executive Board are representative of the Commonwealth Games Associations which form the General Assembly, the board consists of the ex officio Vice-Patron, the President, six officers of CGF and six Vice-Presidents representing, and being responsible for the CGAs in the 6 regions of the CGF. The Vice-Patron is elected at the General Assembly and usually remains in office for life, the honour is awarded on the recommendation of the Executive Board at the General Assembly. Former Chairmen and Presidents automatically become a Life Vice-President, the selection process is made in accordance with the Candidate City Manual, as drafted by the Executive Board and made available to candidates 18 months before a decision is made. The President of the Commonwealth Games Federation is responsible for chairing the Executive Board, a candidate is elected to the position by the General Assembly the year following the Commonwealth Games. Other duties include inviting the Head of the Commonwealth for the opening and closing declaration of the games, previously before the XVI Commonwealth Games in 1998, the President was a ceremonial role, taking on the duties of the now Vice-Patron. The Chairman was elected by the General Assembly as head of the Commonwealth Games Federation
15.
Multi-sport event
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A multi-sport event is an organized sports event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of significance is the modern Olympic Games. Many regional multi-sport events have since founded and modeled after the Olympics. Most have the basic structure. Games are held over the course of days in and around a host city. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes, athletes or teams are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. The games are held every four years, though some are annual competitions. Instead, the Greek sports of racing and wrestling, as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at events were almost exclusively male. As international womens sport began to develop, events such as the Womens World Games, though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century. Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences, after some celebrations, the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing, the Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities, and is organised by the International Paralympic Committee. Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome, Italy, the number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago, the most recent Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, United States, involved 25 sports and approximately 6,500 athletes from 177 countries. At the beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event and these Games were held in Scandinavia, and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating. The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games, in the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for a group of athletes, rather than everybody. Regional games were another kind of event that was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games
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Commonwealth of Nations
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The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth dates back to the century with the decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which established the states as free. The symbol of free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen is also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, the other Commonwealth members have different heads of state,31 members are republics and five are monarchies with a different monarch. Member states have no obligation to one another. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture and their values of democracy, free speech, human rights. These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2, 20% of the worlds land area, and spans all six inhabited continents. She declared, So, it marks the beginning of that free association of independent states which is now known as the Commonwealth of Nations. As long ago as 1884, however, Lord Rosebery, while visiting Australia, had described the changing British Empire—as some of its colonies became more independent—as a Commonwealth of Nations. Conferences of British and colonial prime ministers occurred periodically from the first one in 1887, the Commonwealth developed from the imperial conferences. Newfoundland never did, as on 16 February 1934, with the consent of its parliament, Newfoundland later joined Canada as its 10th province in 1949. Australia and New Zealand ratified the Statute in 1942 and 1947 respectively, after World War II ended, the British Empire was gradually dismantled. Most of its components have become independent countries, whether Commonwealth realms or republics, there remain the 14 British overseas territories still held by the United Kingdom. In April 1949, following the London Declaration, the word British was dropped from the title of the Commonwealth to reflect its changing nature, burma and Aden are the only states that were British colonies at the time of the war not to have joined the Commonwealth upon independence. Hoped for success was reinforced by such achievements as climbing Mount Everest in 1953, breaking the four minute mile in 1954, however, the humiliation of the Suez Crisis of 1956 badly hurt morale of Britain and the Commonwealth as a whole. More broadly, there was the loss of a role of the British Empire. That role was no longer militarily or financially feasible, as Britains withdrawal from Greece in 1947 painfully demonstrated, Britain itself was now just one part of the NATO military alliance in which the Commonwealth had no role apart from Canada
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1956 Summer Olympics
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The 1956 Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America. Melbourne is the southernmost city to host the games, equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. This was the second Olympics not to be entirely in one country, the first being the 1920 Summer Olympics. Melbourne was selected as the host city over bids from Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montreal and six American cities on 28 April 1949, at the 43rd IOC Session in Rome, many members of the IOC were sceptical about Melbourne as an appropriate site. Its location in the Southern Hemisphere was a concern, since the reversal of seasons would mean the Games were held during the northern winter. This was thought likely to inconvenience athletes from the Northern Hemisphere, notwithstanding these concerns, the field of candidates eventually narrowed to two Southern Hemisphere cities, these being Melbourne and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Melbourne was selected, in 1949, to host the 1956 Olympics by a one-vote margin, the above problems of the Melbourne Games were compounded by bickering over financing among Australian politicians. Faced with a shortage, the Premier of Victoria refused to allocate money for the Olympic Village. At one point, IOC President Avery Brundage suggested that Rome, as late as April 1955, Brundage was still doubtful about Melbourne, and was not satisfied by an inspection trip to the city. Construction was well under way by then, thanks to a $4.5 million federal loan to Victoria and he still held out the possibility that Rome might have to step in. By the beginning of 1956, though, it was obvious that Melbourne would be ready for the Olympics. Meanwhile, in 1956 the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian Revolution, and the Soviet presence at the Games led to the withdrawal of the Netherlands, Cambodia, Spain, and Switzerland. Less than two weeks before the 22 November opening ceremony, the Peoples Republic of China chose to boycott the event because the Republic of China had been allowed to compete. Although the number of participating was almost the same as in 1952. Once underway, the Games unfolded smoothly, and became known as the Friendly Games. Betty Cuthbert, an 18-year-old from Sydney, won the 100- and 200-metre dashes and ran a final leg in the 4 x 100-metre relay to overcome Great Britains lead. The veteran Shirley Strickland repeated in the 80-metre hurdles and also ran on the team, running her career total to seven. Australia also did well in swimming and they won all of the freestyle races, mens and womens, and collected a total of eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals
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Athlete
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An athlete or sportsman is a person who is good at a sport and competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed or endurance. The terms application to those who participate in activities, such as horse riding or driving, is somewhat controversial. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs, most professional athletes have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise accompanied by a strict dietary regimen. The word athlete is a romanization of the Greek, άθλητὴς, athlētēs, one who participates in a contest, from ἄθλος, áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, athletes involved in isotonic exercises have an increased mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume and are less likely to be depressed. Due to their strenuous physical activities, athletes are far more likely than the population to visit massage salons and pay for services from massage therapists. An all-around athlete is a person who competes in sports at a high level. Examples of people who played numerous sports professionally include Jim Thorpe, Lionel Conacher, Deion Sanders, Danny Ainge and Babe Zaharias. Others include Ricky Williams, Bo Jackson, and Damon Allen, japanese athletes such as Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuyuki Fujita, Masakatsu Funaki and Naoya Ogawa have successfully competed in both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. The title of Worlds Greatest Athlete traditionally belongs to the worlds top competitor in the decathlon and heptathlon in track and field. The decathlon consists of 10 events,100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump,400 meters,110 m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m. The heptathlon consists of seven events, the 100 m hurdles, high jump, shot put,200 meters, long jump, javelin, and 800 meters. These competitions require an athlete to possess the whole spectrum of ability in order to be successful including speed, strength, coordination, jumping ability. Although the title Worlds Greatest Athlete seems a natural fit for these two events, its association with the decathlon/heptathlon officially began with Jim Thorpe. During the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe won the medal in the Decathlon. Thorpe notably also competed professionally in soccer, baseball, American Football, and basketball, and competed collegiately in track and field, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and did ballroom dancing. King Gustav V of Sweden, while awarding Thorpe the decathlon gold said, You and that title has become associated with the decathlon event ever since. Outdoor enthusiast Jock Athlete of the Year Suresh Joachim Multiple Guinness World Record holder
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Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west and southwest, Zambia to the northwest, although it does not border Namibia, less than 200 metres of the Zambezi River separates it from that country. The capital and largest city is Harare, a country of roughly 13 million people, Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most commonly used. Since the 11th century, present-day Zimbabwe has been the site of several organised states and kingdoms as well as a route for migration. The British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes first demarcated the present territory during the 1890s, in 1965, the conservative white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. Zimbabwe then rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations—which it withdrew from in 2003 and it is a member of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980, when his ZANU-PF party won the following the end of white minority rule. Under Mugabes authoritarian regime, the security apparatus has dominated the country. Mugabe has maintained the revolutionary socialist rhetoric from the Cold War era, the name Zimbabwe stems from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, an ancient ruined city in the countrys south-east whose remains are now a protected site. Two different theories address the origin of the word, many sources hold that Zimbabwe derives from dzimba-dza-mabwe, translated from the Karanga dialect of Shona as large houses of stone. The Karanga-speaking Shona people live around Great Zimbabwe in the province of Masvingo. Zimbabwe was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, and Zimbabwe Rhodesia, a further alternative, put forward by nationalists in Matabeleland, had been Matopos, referring to the Matopos Hills to the south of Bulawayo. In a 2001 interview, black nationalist Edson Zvobgo recalled that Mawema mentioned the name during a rally, and it caught hold. The black nationalist factions subsequently used the name the during the Second Chimurenga campaigns against the Rhodesian government during the Rhodesian Bush War of 1964-1979, major factions in this camp included the Zimbabwe African National Union, and the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union. Proto-Shona-speaking societies first emerged in the middle Limpopo valley in the 9th century before moving on to the Zimbabwean highlands, the Zimbabwean plateau eventually became the centre of subsequent Shona states, beginning around the 10th century. Around the early 10th century, trade developed with Arab merchants on the Indian Ocean coast, the main archaeological site uses a unique dry stone architecture. The Kingdom of Mapungubwe was the first in a series of sophisticated trade states developed in Zimbabwe by the time of the first European explorers from Portugal and they traded in gold, ivory, and copper for cloth and glass. From about 1300 until 1600, Mapungubwe was eclipsed by the Kingdom of Zimbabwe and this Shona state further refined and expanded upon Mapungubwes stone architecture, which survives to this day at the ruins of the kingdoms capital of Great Zimbabwe
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Commonwealth Games sports
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The Commonwealth Games sports comprise all the sports officially recognised and approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation. There are a total of 31 approved sports, two sports, and a further 7 para-sports. Not all sports are competed at each edition of the Games as programmes must be limited to a maximum of 17 sports and a maximum 15 para-sports events. At the 1930 British Empire Games, the precursor to the modern Games, there were six sports, athletics, aquatics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing and wrestling. If a number of activities are controlled by the international federation then the Commonwealth Games Federation recognises each activity as a discipline. Furthermore, the sport cycling also contains three separate disciplines, track, road, and mountain biking, sports and disciplines often feature separate events for which athletes can receive medals. For example, boxing has a number of divisions, gymnastics and diving have a number of styles. The Commonwealth Games sports are divided into three types, core sports, optional sports, and recognised sports. All ten core sports must be included in the Games programme, recognised sports are sports which have been approved by the CGF but are deemed to need further growth before their inclusion. The host nation may also apply for the inclusion of a maximum of four team sports to the CGF General Assembly, there is also a requirement to include some events for Elite Athletes with a Disability, there are four core para-sports and three optional para-sports. Some optional sports, like billiards and sailing, have not yet included in a Games programme. There have also been a number of exhibition sports, in 1958 there were exhibitions of polo and show jumping, and in 1978 lacrosse appeared as an exhibition sport. Cricket was included at the 1998 Commonwealth Games although it is not currently a recognised sport, the CGF recognises Commonwealth Games records for a number of sports. In 2002, the CGF introduced the David Dixon Award for the athlete of the Games. On 18 November 2006, tennis and archery were added to the list of disciplines for the 2010 Games in New Delhi, billiards and snooker were considered but not accepted. In 2010, rowing was upgraded back from recognised to optional, the following sports made up the most recent Commonwealth Games official program and are listed alphabetically according to the name used by the CGF. The figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport contested at the respective Games
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Bendigo
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Bendigo /ˈbɛndᵻɡoʊ/ is a city in Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne. As of June 2015, Bendigo had an population of 92,888, making it the fourth largest inland city in Australia. The discovery of gold in the soils of Bendigo during the 1850s made it one of the most significant Victorian era boomtowns in Australia, once the alluvial gold had been mined out, mining companies were formed to exploit the rich underground quartz reef gold. It is also notable for its Victorian architectural heritage, the city took its name from the Bendigo Creek and its residents from the earliest days of the goldrush have been called Bendigonians. Although the town flourished in its beginnings as a result of the discovery of gold, however, its growth accelerated in the post-war years and has continued to increase steadily since. Bendigo is the largest finance centre in Victoria outside Melbourne as home to Australias only provincially headquartered retail bank, the original inhabitants of the Mount Alexander area that includes Greater Bendigo were the Dja Dja Wurrung people, who exploited the rich local hunting grounds. These grounds were eventually noticed by white settlers, who established the first of many vast sheep-runs in 1837, the Mount Alexander North sheep-run was bordered by a creek that came to be known as Bendigo, after a local shepherd nicknamed for the English bare-knuckle prizefighter William Abednego Thompson. In 1853, there was a massive protest over the cost of the fee for prospectors, though it passed off peacefully, thanks to good diplomacy by police. From being a tent-city, the boomtown grew rapidly into an urban centre with many grand public buildings. The municipality became a borough in 1863, officially known as Sandhurst until 1891, when the alluvial gold ran out, the goldfields evolved into major mines with deep shafts to mine the quartz-based gold. Bendigo was declared a city in 1871, rapid population growth brought a water shortage, partially solved with a new viaduct that harnessed the Coliban River. The architect William Charles Vahland left an important mark on Bendigo during this period and he is credited with the popular cottage design with verandahs decorated in iron lace, a style that was soon adopted right across the state of Victoria. Vahland also designed more than 80 buildings, including the Alexandra Fountain, arguably the most prominent monument in Bendigo, with its granite dolphins, unicorns, nymphs, a tram network was in use by 1890. After a temporary drop in population, there was renewed growth from the 1930s, as the city consolidated as a manufacturing and regional service centre, recent growth has been most heavily concentrated in areas such as Epsom, Kangaroo Flat, Strathdale and Strathfieldsaye. In 1994 the City of Bendigo was abolished and merged with the Borough of Eaglehawk, the Huntly and Strathfieldsaye shires, the population of the city increased from around 78,000 in 1991 to about 100,617 in 2012. Bendigo is currently one of the fastest growing regional centres in Victoria, the City of Greater Bendigo includes Victorias fourth largest city in Bendigo, as well as a significant rural hinterland. Smaller townships are located at Axedale, Elmore, Goornong, Heathcote, Marong, the city encompasses a total land area of 3,000 square kilometres, of which a significant proportion is national park, regional park, reserve or bushland. Much of the land is used for agricultural purposes, including poultry and pig farming, sheep and cattle grazing
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Ballarat
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Ballarat /ˈbæləræt/ is a city located on the Yarrowee River in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The city is approximately 105 kilometres west-north-west of the capital, Melbourne. It is the third largest population for a city in Australia. Ballarat is arguably the most significant Victorian era gold rush boomtown in Australia, just months after Victoria was granted separation from the state of New South Wales, the Victorian gold rush transformed Ballarat from a small sheep station to a major settlement. Gold was discovered at Poverty Point on 18 August 1851, within months, migrants from across the world had rushed to the district in search of gold. Unlike many other boom towns, the Ballarat fields experienced sustained high gold yields for many decades. The Eureka Rebellion began in Ballarat, and the armed rebellion in Australian history. In response to the event the first male suffrage in Australia was instituted, the gold rush and boom gave birth to many other significant cultural legacies. The rebellions symbol, the Eureka Flag, has become a symbol and is held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka in Ballarat. It has endured as a regional centre hosting the rowing and kayaking events from the 1956 Summer Olympics. It is the capital of the Central Highlands and the largest city in the Goldfields region of Victoria. Ballarat is known for its history, culture and its well-preserved Victorian era heritage, after a narrow popular vote the city merged with the town of Ballarat East in 1921, ending a long standing rivalry. Prior to the European settlement of Australia, the Ballarat region was populated by the Wathaurong people, the Boro gundidj tribes territory was based along the Yarrowee River. The Yuille family, Scottish settlers Archibald Buchanan Yuille and his brother William Cross Yuille, arrived in 1837 and squatted a 10, the first houses were built near Woolshed Creek by William Yuille and Anderson, while Yuille erected a hut at Black Swamp in 1838. Outsiders originally knew of the settlement as Yuilles Station and Yuilles Swamp, Archibald Yuille named the area Ballaarat Some claim the name is derived from a local Wathaurong Aboriginal word for the area, balla arat. The meaning of word is not certain, however, several translations have been made. In some dialects, balla means bent elbow, which is translated to mean reclining or resting, another claim is that the name derives from Yuilles native Gaelic Baile Ararat, alluding to the resting place of Noahs ark. The present spelling was adopted by the City of Ballarat in 1996
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Geelong
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Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia,75 kilometres south-west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is the second largest Victorian city, with an urban population of 191,440 as at June 2016. Geelong runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with Corio Bay to the east. Geelong is the centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality. Geelong was named in 1827, with the derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong. The area was first surveyed in 1838, three weeks after Melbourne, the post office was open by June 1840. The first woolstore was erected in this period and it became the port for the industry of the Western District. During the gold rush, Geelong experienced a boom as the main port to the rich goldfields of the Ballarat district. The city then diversified into manufacturing, and during the 1860s, it one of the largest manufacturing centres in Australia with its wool mills, ropeworks. Population increases over the last decade were due to growth in service industries, redevelopment of the inner city has occurred since the 1990s, as well as gentrification of inner suburbs, and currently has a population growth rate higher than the national average. It is known for being home to the Geelong Football Club, today, Geelong stands as an emerging health, education and advanced manufacturing hub. The area of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula was originally occupied by the Wathaurong Indigenous Australian tribe, the first nonindigenous person recorded as visiting the region was Lt. John Murray, who commanded the brig HMS Lady Nelson. After anchoring outside Port Phillip Heads, on 1 February 1802, led by John Bowen, they explored the immediate area, returning to the Lady Nelson on 4 February. On reporting favourable findings, the Lady Nelson entered Port Phillip on 14 February, during this time, Murray explored the Geelong area and, whilst on the far side of the bay, claimed the entire area for Britain. He named the bay Port King, after Philip Gidley King, Governor King later renamed the bay Port Phillip after the first governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. Arriving not long after Murray was Matthew Flinders, who entered Port Phillip on 27 April 1802, in October of the same year, the HMS Calcutta led by Lieutenant Colonel David Collins arrived in the bay to establish the Sullivan Bay penal colony. Collins was dissatisfied with the chosen, and sent a small party led by First Lieutenant J. H. Tuckey to investigate alternate sites. The party spent 22 October to 27 October on the shore of Corio Bay
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Lysterfield Park
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The Lysterfield Park is a public park located in the Greater Melbourne region of Victoria, Australia. The 1, 398-hectare park is situated approximately 30 kilometres southeast of the Melbourne central business district, Lysterfield Park was created following the decommissioning of the Lysterfield Reservoir and placement of its catchment under the management of the then National Park Service in 1979. Gazetted on 19 May 1981 with 1,151 hectares, extensions to the park were made in 1984,1988,1995 and 1997, Lysterfield Park was the venue for mountain biking events of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It features an array of trails suitable for XC and trail MTB riding. The trails are signposted and give clear indication of the level of difficulty they present to the rider. Trail management over recent years 2012 -2015 has led to improved drainage, usage of natural and man-made features. Lysterfields location, range and variety of trails and natural beauty make it one of the better MTB locations in Melbourne, in 2008, several emergency markers were installed in the park to allow callers to emergency services to give their location more precisely. Protected areas of Victoria Parks Victorias Lysterfield Park page Commonwealth Games Lysterfield Park page Mountain Bike Trail Map
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Traralgon
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Traralgon is a city located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The urban population of Traralgon at the 2011 Census was 24,590 and it is the largest and fastest growing city in the greater Latrobe Valley urban area, which has a population of more than 75,000 and is administered by the City of Latrobe. The origin of the name Traralgon is uncertain and it is popularly believed to be derived from words from the Gunai language, tarra meaning river and algon meaning little fish. However, these words are not reflected in modern knowledge of the Gunai language, where, for example. The Gippsland region was inhabited by the indigenous Gunai people for a period in excess of 2,000 years. Due to the Latrobe Valley having relatively high rainfall, the land is very fertile, as with much of central and western Gippsland, this was mainly dairy farming. The township was established in the early 1860s, the first Post Office opening on 1 January 1861, in 1877 the railway line from Melbourne was completed with a railway station at Traralgon giving the town a major economic boost. Traralgon was part of the area administered by the Rosedale Roads Board, in the latter part of the 19th century the Shire grew strongly. It was not until the 1930s however that Traralgon began to move away from a farming based economy, in 1936 Australian Paper Manufacturers established a paper mill at Maryvale, around 8 kilometres from Traralgon. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited on 3 March 1954, the president of the Shire of Traralgon, Cr Clem Little met and welcomed the Queen, who was flown by the RAAF from Sale. She returned to Melbourne by train, in 1960 Traralgons most famous son Sir Macfarlane Burnet jointly won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine. In 1961 Traralgon formed its own borough, the Borough of Traralgon following a decade of lobbying to separate the areas of Traralgon from the Shire. Traralgon was proclaimed a city in 1964, the old town hall and mechanics institute was finally demolished in 1973. Further development resulted from the expansion of the power generation industry following World War II and this included large expansions at Yallourn and Hazelwood Power Stations and the construction of the massive Loy Yang Power Station in the 1970s and 1980s. The first Loy Yang power station was completed in 1985, an Australian Securities and Investments Commission information processing centre was established in the early 1990s, at the time employing around 400 people. The City of Traralgon and Shire of Traralgon continued a separate existence until they were amalgamated into the Shire of Latrobe in 1994, Traralgon grew strongly in the mid 2000s, with a figure of 2. 7% making it the largest and fastest growing city in the Latrobe Valley. Traralgon is situated on flat land in the Traralgon Creek valley catchment between the Great Dividing Range in the north and the Strzelecki Ranges in the south. The Traralgon Creek runs through the centre and its green belt separates its eastern and western suburban areas
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Mascot
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Mascots are also used as fictional, representative spokespeople for consumer products, such as the rabbit used in advertising and marketing for the General Mills brand of breakfast cereal, Trix. In the world of sports, mascots are used for merchandising. Team mascots are often confused with team nicknames, while the two can be interchangeable, they are not always the same. For example, the teams of the Auburn University are nicknamed the Auburn Tigers. Costumed mascots are commonplace, and are used as goodwill ambassadors in the community for their team, company. It was originally sporting organisations that first thought of using animals as a form of mascot to bring entertainment and excitement for their spectators, before mascots were fictional icons or people in suits. Animals were mostly used in order to bring a different feel to the game. The event that prompted these changes was the invention of the Muppets in the late 1960s, the puppets offered something different to what everyone was used too. It allowed to people to not only have visual enjoyment but also allowed them to interact physically with the mascots, marketers quickly realized the great potential in three-dimensional mascot and took on board the Muppet-like idea. This change encouraged other companies to start creating their own mascots, resulting in mascots being a necessity amongst not only the sporting industry, the word mascot originates from the French term mascotte which means lucky charm. This was used to describe anything that brought luck to a household, the word was first recorded in 1867 and popularised by a French composer Edmond Audran who wrote the opera La Mascotte, performed in December 1880. But didnt enter into the English language until the year after in 1881, however, before this, the terms were familiar to the people of France as a slang word used by gamblers. The term is a derivative of the word masco meaning sorceress or witch, before the 19th century, the word mascot was associated with inanimate objects that would be commonly seen such as a lock of hair or a figurehead on a sailing ship. But from then on until the present day, the term was seen to be associated with good luck animals. Often the choice of mascot reflects a desired quality, an example of this is the fighting spirit. In the United States, controversy surrounds some mascot choices, especially those using human likenesses, Mascots based on Native American tribes are particularly contentious, as many argue that they constitute offensive exploitations of an oppressed culture. However several Indian tribes have come out in support of keeping the names. For example, the Utah Utes and the Central Michigan Chippewas are sanctioned by local tribes, similarly, the Florida State Seminoles are supported by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in their use of Osceola and Renegade as symbols
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Red-tailed black cockatoo
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The red-tailed black cockatoo also known as Banksian- or Banks black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. Adult males have a pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives the species its name. It is more common in the parts of the continent. Five subspecies are recognised, differing most significantly in beak size, although the more northerly subspecies are widespread, the two southern subspecies, the forest red-tailed black cockatoo and the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo are under threat. The species is found in eucalyptus woodlands, or along water courses. In the more parts of the country, these cockatoos are commonly seen in large flocks. They are seed eaters and cavity nesters, and as such depend on trees with large diameters. Populations in southeastern Australia are threatened by deforestation and other habitat alterations, of the black cockatoos, the red-tailed is the most adaptable to aviculture, although black cockatoos are much rarer and much more expensive in aviculture outside Australia. The species complex was first described by the ornithologist John Latham in 1790 as Psittacus banksii, narrowly predating Latham, English naturalist George Shaw described Psittacus magnificus from a specimen collected somewhere in the Port Jackson region. For many years, the species was referred to as Calyptorhynchus magnificus, in 1994, an application to conserve Calyptorhynchus banksii as the scientific name was accepted by the ICZN. The red-tailed black cockatoo is the species of the genus Calyptorhynchus. The change was first made by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1826, in 1827, Jennings proposed the name Psittacus niger for the bird. Alternate common names include Banks black cockatoo, Banksian black cockatoo, indigenous people of the central Cape York Peninsula have several names for the bird, pachang in Pakanh, inhulg in Uw Oykangand, and anhulg in Uw Olkola. Ngarnarrh or KarnamarrTo are terms used by the Gunwinggu of Arnhem Land, in Central Australia, southwest of Alice Springs, the Pitjantjatjara term for the subspecies C. b. samueli is iranti. Karrak is a Noongar term derived from the call for the southwestern race C. b. naso, in the language of the Bungandidj of south-eastern South Australia and western Victoria this bird was called treen. The red-tailed black cockatoos closest relative is the black cockatoo. It concluded that the first extant cockatoo to diverge from the ancestral cockatoos was the palm cockatoo and it merges with subspecies macrorhynchus around the Gulf of Carpentaria. It has disappeared from much of its range in northern New South Wales
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Threatened species
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Threatened species are any species which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of critical depensation and this quantitative metric is one method of evaluating the degree of endangerment. Species which have not been evaluated, or do not have sufficient data also are not considered threatened by the IUCN, Threatened species are also referred to as a red-listed species, as they are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Subspecies, populations and stocks may also be classified as threatened and it is the less protected of the two protected categories. The Bay checkerspot butterfly is an example of a threatened subspecies protected under the ESA, for example, the trumpeter swan is threatened in the state of Minnesota, while large populations still remain in Canada and Alaska. The EPBC Act also recognises and protects threatened ecosystems such as plant communities, some species, such as Lewins rail, are not listed as threatened species under the EPBC Act, but they may be recognised as threatened by individual states or territories. Biodiversity Action Plan IUCN Red List Illegal logging Rare species Red and blue-listed Slash-and-burn Threatened fauna of Australia Sharrock, S. and Jones, conserving Europes threatened plants Botanic Gardens Conservation International
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Together We Are One
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Due to the positive response that Goodrem received when performing the song live for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, she was then asked to record the song as a commercial single. She states the song is for the athletes and all of us to come together and reach for our dreams and it was released as a CD single and digital download in Australia on 1 April 2006 and had success on the charts peaking at number two. Goodrem states she was honoured when she was asked to write a song for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and to take part in the event itself was such an amazing experience. She states that it is her favourite kind of song to write, with the inspiring lyrics and she performed the song live at the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on 15 March 2006 which was watched by over four million viewers in Australia. The music video for the single is a montage of Goodrems performance at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony as well as some sporting highlights of the Games, Together We Are One had commercial success in Australia. In early April 2006, it debuted at two on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, being held off the top spot by Flaunt It by TV Rock. The single spent seventeen weeks in the top fifty and spent twenty-three weeks in the top one hundred, the Australian Recording Industry Association awarded the single a gold certification for shipping 35,000 copies and went to become the forty-first highest selling single in Australia for 2006. The song has appeared on the 2006 version of American Idol as a song for the top five finalists. These are the formats and track listings of single releases of Together We Are One
30.
ARIA Music Awards
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The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association. For 2010, ARIA introduced public voted awards for the first time,31 to No.5 in the ARIA Charts, its highest position. It later included smaller record companies representing independent acts/labels and has over 100 members, ARIA provided peer voting for some awards, while Countdown provided coupons in the related Countdown Magazine for viewers to vote for populist awards. At the 1985 Countdown awards ceremony, held on 14 April 1986, fans of INXS and Uncanny X-Men scuffled during the broadcast, the ARIA Hall of Fame honours Australian musicians achievements have had a significant impact in Australia or around the world. The first ceremony, in 1987, featured Elton John as the compere and was held at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel, there were no live performances at the early ARIAs, music for both walk on/walk off was supplied by a nightclub dj, Rick Powell. All subsequent ceremonies were held in Sydney except the 1992 event at World Congress Centre, for 2010, ARIA introduced public voted awards for the first time. 31 to No.5 in the ARIA Charts, its highest position, the first televised ARIA Awards ceremony occurred in 1992, all subsequent ceremonies were televised. They were broadcast on Network Ten from 2002 to 2008 and returned in 2010, nine Network aired the ceremony on 26 November 2009, its digital channel, GO. aired the 2011 ARIA Music Awards on 27 November 2011. At the 1988 ceremony a fracas developed between band manager, Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere, Ian Molly Meldrum and they conflicted over visiting United Kingdom artist, Bryan Ferry, who had also presented an award. Morris objected to Ferrys presence and insulted him, Meldrum defended Ferry, in 1995 electronic music group, Itch-E and Scratch-E, won the inaugural award for Best Dance Release for their single, Sweetness and Light. Band member, Paul Mac thanked Sydneys ecstasy dealers for their help, one of the sponsors of the awards, that year, was the National Drug Offensive. In 2005 Mac explained that he did not expect to win and his speech was bleeped for the TV broadcast. Network Ten disputed the finding, however their basis for defence was criticised by Media Watch, there never seems to be enough reference or homage paid to great Aussie pop and rock trailblazers who made and continue to make Australian music what it is today. To be eligible, a release must be available within the specified period for a given year. Material must be previously unrecorded, thus ruling out most live albums, a recording can be nominated within multiple categories, but only one genre category. Re-released recordings are not eligible and compilations are not eligible, Artists must either be Australian citizens, or have applied for or attained permanent resident status and have resided in Australia for at least six months within the specified period. For bands, at least half the members of the group must meet this requirement, if a recording refers to both an individual and a band, it must be nominated only the basis of the individual or the band, not mixed or both. Some categories have further requirements as specified below, Album/Single of the Year, Best Rock Album, Recording must be directed toward Contemporary Rock, Modern Rock and Active Rock formats
31.
Delta Goodrem
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Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Sydney, New South Wales, she enrolled in dancing, acting, singing and she began her career as a child actress, starring in various television shows and rose to prominence in 2002 in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. This made Goodrem the first and only artist to have five singles from a debut album. Innocent Eyes is the album of the 2000s decade in Australia. Her second studio album, Mistaken Identity, was created while she was suffering from cancer and it became her second number-one album and brought her two more number-one singles, including Out of the Blue. In 2007, Goodrem released Delta, her third number-one album and her fourth studio album, Child of the Universe, produced the successful single Sitting on Top of the World. In 2016, her album, Wings of the Wild, became her fourth number-one album on the ARIA Albums Chart, while giving her another number-one single. Goodrem has a total of nine singles and 17 top-ten hits on the ARIA Singles Chart. She has sold eight million albums globally and won three World Music Awards,9 ARIA Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and several other awards. From 2012 to 2013, she served as a coach on The Voice Australia and she returned to The Voice Australia in 2015. Goodrem was born on 9 November 1984, to Denis and Lea and she has a younger brother, Trent, who is an Australian rules football player with the Central District Football Club in the South Australian National Football League. Goodrems parents named her Delta after Joe Cockers song Delta Lady and she appeared in numerous commercials for companies such as Optus and Nesquik, and had several minor roles in episodes of successful Australian television shows including Hey Dad. A Country Practice, and Police Rescue, while residing at Glenhaven, a suburb of Sydney, Goodrem attended the Hills Grammar School in neighbouring Kenthurst, from kindergarten until Year 11. She is known to return to her alma mater for visits, at the age of thirteen, Goodrem recorded a five-song demo CD, financed through her television work. It was sent to the Sydney Swans and they passed it onto Glenn Wheatley, interested in Goodrems potential as a recording artist, Wheatley signed Goodrem to an artist development deal with independent label, Empire Records. The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004, the album and proposed second single A Year Ago Today were pushed aside as a result, allowing Goodrem and Sony to re-evaluate her future musical direction. In 2002, Goodrem took up the role as shy school girl and aspiring singer Nina Tucker in the popular soap Neighbours, which helped re-launch Goodrems music career. The piano-based ballad Born to Try, co-written by Audius Mtawarira, premiered on the show and reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart, Born to Try was certified triple Platinum in Australia for sales of over 210,000 copies
32.
Commonwealth Games
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The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, the games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation, which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. A host city is selected for each edition,18 cities in seven countries have hosted the event. Apart from many Olympic sports, the also include some sports that are played predominantly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls. Although there are 52 members of the Commonwealth of Nations,70 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games, the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—also send separate teams. Only six countries have attended every Commonwealth Games, Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, Australia has been the highest achieving team for twelve games, England for seven, and Canada for one. The John Astley Cooper Committees worldwide helped Pierre de Coubertin to get his international Olympic Games off the ground, in 1911, the Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London to celebrate the coronation of George V. In 1928, Melville Marks Robinson of Canada was asked to organise the first British Empire Games, eleven national teams and four hundred competitors took part in six sports. Women competed in the events only. The opening and closing ceremonies as well as took place at Civic Stadium. The 1934 Games had originally been awarded to Johannesburg, but were given to London instead because of the potential for prejudiced treatment of black, seventeen national teams took part, including the Irish Free State. Once again, only six sports were featured in these particular Games, athletics took place at White City and three sports took place at Wembley, at the well established venue of the Empire Pool in Wembley Park, which later became Wembley Arena. The Empire Games flag was donated in 1931 by the British Empire Games Association of Canada, the year and location of subsequent games were added until the 1950 games. The name of the event was changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The first edition of the event was the 1930 British Empire Games in which 11 nations participated, the quadrennial schedule of the games was interrupted by the Second World War and the 1942 Games and the 1946 Games were abandoned. The games were revived in 1950 and underwent a name change four years later with the first British Empire, over 1,000 athletes participated in the 1958 Games as over thirty teams took part for the first time. The 1978 Games in Edmonton marked a new high as almost 1,500 athletes from 46 countries took part, the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia saw the sporting programme grow from 10 to 15 sports as team sports were allowed for the first time. Participation also reached new levels as over 3500 athletes represented 70 teams at the event, at the Games in Melbourne in 2006, over 4000 athletes took part in sporting competitions
33.
Australia
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Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the worlds sixth-largest country by total area, the neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australias capital is Canberra, and its largest urban area is Sydney, for about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored, on 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states. The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, Australia has the worlds 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income. With the second-highest human development index globally, the country highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom. The name Australia is derived from the Latin Terra Australis a name used for putative lands in the southern hemisphere since ancient times, the Dutch adjectival form Australische was used in a Dutch book in Batavia in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south. On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted, in 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia. The first official published use of the term Australia came with the 1830 publication of The Australia Directory and these first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, were originally horticulturists, the northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from Maritime Southeast Asia. The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch. The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent New Holland during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement. William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688, in 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration, a British settlement was established in Van Diemens Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803, and it became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the part of Western Australia in 1828. Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, the Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia
34.
Canada
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Canada is a country in the northern half of North America. Canadas border with the United States is the worlds longest binational land border, the majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer. Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its territory being dominated by forest and tundra. It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, One third of the population lives in the three largest cities, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Its capital is Ottawa, and other urban areas include Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg. Various aboriginal peoples had inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1,1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick and this began an accretion of provinces and territories to the mostly self-governing Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming modern Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada took over authority, removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level and it is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources, Canadas long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture. Canada is a country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, Canada is an influential nation in the world, primarily due to its inclusive values, years of prosperity and stability, stable economy, and efficient military. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the origins of Canada. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona, from the 16th to the early 18th century Canada referred to the part of New France that lay along the St. Lawrence River. In 1791, the area became two British colonies called Upper Canada and Lower Canada collectively named The Canadas, until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, Canada was adopted as the name for the new country at the London Conference. The transition away from the use of Dominion was formally reflected in 1982 with the passage of the Canada Act, later that year, the name of national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day
35.
1998 Commonwealth Games
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The 1998 games were the first held in an Asian country and the last Commonwealth Games of the 20th century. This was also the first time the games place in a nation with a head of state other than the Head of the Commonwealth. 3638 athletes from 69 Commonwealth member nations participated at the games with 34 of them collected medals, for the first time ever, the games included team sports. The other bid from the 1998 games came from Adelaide in Australia, Malaysia is the eighth nation to host the Commonwealth Games after Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Wales, Jamaica and Scotland. The final medal tally was led by Australia, followed by Canada, England, several games records were broken during the games. With little or no controversy at all, the games were deemed generally successful,69 teams were represented at the 1998 Games. The 16th Commonwealth Games opening ceremony took place on 11 September 1998 at 17,30 MST. Contrary to tradition, the games were not officially opened by the Malaysian head of state, instead, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, opened the games. The venue for the opening and closing ceremonies was the newly built National Stadium Bukit Jalil, the games featured 15 sports with 3638 athletes as 69 teams were represented. The theme of the ceremony was Unity towards Progress, which was conveyed through dance, music. Malaysian schoolgirls unfurled hundreds of umbrellas, and brightly attired performers danced. Approximately 5,000 volunteers displayed coloured cards which depicted sporting images, flags and they created pictures of flags of the Commonwealth nations, scenes of Malaysian lifestyle, and depictions of Malaysian achievements just by changing the colour of their hand-held cards. The Singaporean delegation was jeered by the crowd during the parade of nations, the end of the ceremony featured fireworks of various colours and shapes—forming hoops, flowers, and fountains. The opening ceremonys broadcast concluded at 00,00 MST, later than the originally planned at 23,00 MST. The Commonwealth Gamess official theme, Bersama-sama Gemilangkannya, was composed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, raihan was official theme song of the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The logo of the 1998 Commonwealth Games is an image of the flower of Malaysia, the hibiscus. The red, blue, white and yellow represents the colours of the Malaysian national flag and Malaysia as a confident, young. The yellow pollens represent the six regions of the world includes the 68 Commonwealth member nations
36.
Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, or more commonly called KL is the national capital of Malaysia as well as its largest city. Being rated as an Alpha world city, Kuala Lumpur is the global city in Malaysia which covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.73 million as of 2016. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an agglomeration of 7.25 million people as of 2017. It is among the fastest growing regions in South-East Asia, in terms of population. Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia, the city was once home to the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999. Some sections of the judiciary still remain in the city of Kuala Lumpur. The official residence of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is situated in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia due to its position as the capital as well as being a key city. Kuala Lumpur is one of three Federal Territories of Malaysia, enclaved within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Since the 1990s, the city has played host to international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and it is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysias futuristic development. Kuala Lumpur means muddy confluence, kuala is the point where two rivers join together or an estuary, and lumpur means mud. One suggestion is that it was named after Sungai Lumpur, it was recorded in 1824 that Sungei Lumpoor was the most important tin-producing settlement up the Klang River. It has also proposed that Kuala Lumpur was originally named Pengkalan Lumpur in the same way that Klang was once called Pengkalan Batu. Another suggestion is that it was initially a Cantonese word lam-pa meaning flooded jungle or decayed jungle, there is however no firm contemporary evidence for these suggestions other than anecdotes. It is also possible that the name is a form of an earlier. It is unknown who founded or named the settlement called Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur was originally a small hamlet of just a few houses and shops at the confluence of Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang before it grew into a town. The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued their journey on foot to Ampang where the first mine was opened
37.
Malaysia
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Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government, with a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia, located in the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth, with large numbers of endemic species. Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, the first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946, Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which plays a role in politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indians. The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims, the government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and he is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years. The head of government is the prime minister, since its independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with its GDP growing at an average of 6. 5% per annum for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce. Today, Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia, the name Malaysia is a combination of the word Malay and the Latin-Greek suffix -sia/-σία. The word melayu in Malay may derive from the Tamil words malai and ur meaning mountain and city, land, malayadvipa was the word used by ancient Indian traders when referring to the Malay Peninsula. Whether or not it originated from these roots, the word melayu or mlayu may have used in early Malay/Javanese to mean to steadily accelerate or run. This term was applied to describe the current of the river Melayu in Sumatra. The name was adopted by the Melayu Kingdom that existed in the seventh century on Sumatra
38.
Wellington
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Wellington is the capital and second most populous urban area of New Zealand, with 405,000 residents. It is at the tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. Wellington is the population centre of the southern North Island and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the worlds windiest city, with a wind speed of over 26 km/h. Situated near the centre of the country, Wellington was well placed for trade. In 1839 it was chosen as the first major planned settlement for British immigrants coming to New Zealand, the settlement was named in honour of the Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. As the nations capital since 1865, the New Zealand Government and Parliament, Supreme Court, despite being much smaller than Auckland, Wellington is also referred to as New Zealands cultural capital. The city is home to the National Archives, the National Library, architectural sights include the Government Building—one of the largest wooden buildings in the world—as well as the iconic Beehive. Wellington plays host to artistic and cultural organisations, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It has an urban culture, with many cafés, restaurants. One of the worlds most liveable cities, the 2014 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Wellington 12th in the world, Wellingtons economy is primarily service-based, with an emphasis on finance, business services, and government. It is the centre of New Zealands film and special effects industries, Wellington ranks as one of New Zealands chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The city is served by Wellington International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, Wellingtons transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa, and ferries connect the city to the South Island. Wellington takes its name from Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo, his title comes from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset. One of the founders of the settlement, Edward Jerningham Wakefield, reported that the settlers took up the views of the directors with great cordiality, in Māori, Wellington has three names. In New Zealand Sign Language, the name is signed by raising the index, middle and ring fingers of one hand, palm forward, to form a W, and shaking it slightly from side to side twice. The citys location close to the mouth of the narrow Cook Strait leads to its vulnerability to strong gales, legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the 10th century. The earliest date with hard evidence for Maori living in New Zealand is about 1280, European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora on 22 January 1840
39.
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
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Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on 24 July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million, the cost was funded by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Port Phillip. The center has hosted events including the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The centre has several swimming pools and international standard diving facilities, there is a large multi-purpose sports hall used for sports such as badminton, basketball, table tennis and volleyball, and also squash courts and a gym. The centre is accessible by tram routes 12 and 96 which both pass near Southern Cross railway station and the Melbourne City Centre, the first part of MSACs construction was completed in 1997. This included the majority of the facilities currently at MSAC including the indoor pools, in 2002, it was announced that the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre would be expanded in time for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. A new hydrotherapy pool, a new 50 metre outdoor pool, work began on the Stage 2 project in September 2003. The expansion opened in early 2006, since then, a movable floor was installed in the 50m outdoor pool which allows the water depth to be varied. She returned to the MSAC on a visit to Melbourne in March 2012. MSAC official website Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre at Austadiums Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre at Austadiums
40.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
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The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is the name given to two adjacent buildings next to the Yarra River in South Wharf, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The venues are owned and operated by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Trust was created in August 1994 with the responsibility of overseeing the construction and development of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. In August 1997, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust became owner, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is also responsible for managing and promoting the use of the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens. As a government-owned trust, The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is responsible to the Minister for Tourism, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre was opened on 14 February 1996 and is known colloquially as Jeffs Shed after the then Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett. In 1998 a covered footbridge was erected between the Exhibition and Convention centres, parallel to the Spencer Street Bridge, the building resembles a long shed with separated operable walls. This allows the space to be split from a maximum of 30,000 square metres of 360 metres long by 84 metres wide into a minimum of 3,000 square metre spaces. The single volume with a proportion of length to width of approximately 2.5,1 was chosen, other than the exhibition space, the building also has a basement that is able to hold 1,000 cars. From the main entrance, visitors would be able to see the 450 metres southward vista of the concourse as well as the mezzanine balconies. On the first floor of the pavilion and extending along the mezzanine platform, there are meeting and function rooms which separates the double-height hall. Some have large windows overlooking the exhibition, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre was to be built larger than the Sydney Exhibition Building while still costing the same. The site for the Exhibition Centre was previously the site for Daryl Jackson’s Museum of Victoria, the brief required DCM to work with the partially built concrete structure. Another relation to the Russian Constructivist is the cantilevered structure supported by yellow steel props as well as the metal letters arranged over the top of the entrance. The building consists of two different roof designs which are angled at different directions and this was due to the intention to create two different successful spaces which is the exhibition space and the public space. By this method, the architects manage to create two different environments, one which is an exhibition space and another is the concourse which is open to the public. Due to the brief that required the building to be constructed in an amount of time and save cost. On top of that, the trusses have to be solid in order to provide isolation from one hall to the next. At the same time, in order to reduce the span, and to stiffen them laterally, the two rows of columns that are located in the verandah are intended to give a subtle separation of the interior and exterior of the building. The blades which are located along the concourse are coloured in a series of Francis-Bacon-inspired colours and this serves as a double purpose of punctuating the linear volume and labelling the halls
41.
Melbourne Park Multi-Purpose Venue
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Construction of the arena commenced in the late 1990s, and was completed in 2000. It was originally called the Multi-Purpose Venue, until the rights were sold to Vodafone. The arena features a track, which is covered over with seating for court events. The tennis court is a Plexicushion surface and the roof is retractable, the arena is able to hold a maximum spectator capacity of 11,000 for events such as music concerts where general floor seating or standing room is available. For basketball and netball, capacity is 10,500 while for tennis, the arena has been used for netball for Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels games in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. New SSN team the Collingwood Magpies have also played games at Hisense Arena since 2017. The largest netball attendance at the arena was on 20 November 2004 when 10,300 saw the Australian national team defeat New Zealand 53 to 51. On 12 May 2008, it was announced that as of 1 July 2008, in 2014 this was extended for a further three years. Every year, the venue hosts many matches as part of the Australian Open tennis tournament and it has usually only been used for day matches in the 10 days of the tournament. In 2012, however, the venue began having night matches in the first week of the tournament as well, the first match completed on the court was Tim Henmans first round win over Hicham Arazi. Hisense Arena is the home court of National Basketball League team Melbourne United. Formerly, the Victoria Titans and South Dragons used it as their home, until this move the venue was largely devoid of sporting events outside of the two weeks of the Australian Open tennis tournament held each January. The Dragons, founded in 2006 until they withdrew from the competition winning the championship in 2009. For the 2012–13 NBL season, the Tigers returned to the venue, the largest basketball crowd was on 4 December 2016 during the 2016–17 NBL season when 10,300 fans saw Melbourne United defeat the New Zealand Breakers 98–74. This broke the previous attendance record of 9,308 set in 2008 in a local derby game between the South Dragons and Melbourne Tigers. In 2004 and 2012, the UCI Track Cycling World Championships were held at the venue, from 2011 to 2013 the venue hosted the Melbourne judges audition stages of the Seven Network singer search program The X Factor. On 14 and 15 June 2013, the venue played host to an ice hockey series between teams representing the United States and Canada. Netball is played regularly at the venue and it is the home court to Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies in the Suncorp Super Netball competition
Australia
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Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Boxing
Cycling
Diving
Gymnastics
Field hockey
Netball
Rugby sevens
Shooting
Squash
Swimming
Synchronised swimming
Table tennis
Weightlifting
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England
Canada
India
South Africa
Scotland
Jamaica
Malaysia
New Zealand
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