1.
Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct
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The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct is a series of sports stadiums and venues, located in Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia. The precinct is situated around 3 km east of the Melbourne city centre, located in suburbs of Melbourne and Jolimont, near East Melbourne, the venues have also previously hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games. For the 1956 Games, the hosted the track cycling, field hockey, soccer. The precinct comprises three areas, Olympic Park, Melbourne Park and Yarra Park, Olympic and Melbourne Parks are jointly managed, and Yarra Park is managed separately. The precinct is bordered to the north by Wellington Parade, to the east by Punt Road, to the south by the Yarra River, and to the west by Batman Avenue. This zone was known as Olympic Park long before the Olympics were awarded to Melbourne, AAMI Park, the premier purpose-built venue for rectangular field sports, and used for large outdoor stadium concerts. Holden Centre, a facility used by the Collingwood Football Club. Olympic Park Oval, a playing field & running track. Eastern Sportsground - Stadium that hosted the preliminary rounds of the field hockey competition of the 1956 Summer Olympics, afterwards was used for greyhound racing then demolished for the first Collingwood training ground in the precinct and at the end the site was used for the new rectangular stadium. Motordrome -a former speedway and Australian rules football ground, demolished 1951 and replaced by Olympic Park Stadium. Olympic Park Stadium, formerly the venue for track and field. The stadium was superseded for rectangular field sports by AAMI Park in 2011, also used in the past for basketball. Hisense Arena, the venue for basketball and netball, the second largest court for tennis in Melbourne Park. Can be converted to a velodrome for track cycling events. Margaret Court Arena, the third-largest tennis court in Melbourne Park, Melbourne Park Function Centre Melbourne Cricket Ground, the premier venue for cricket and Australian rules football, and occasionally for other high-drawing field sports events. Punt Road Oval, training facility for the Richmond Football Club, demolished 1922 to make way for the Jolimont railyards. The precinct is located adjacent to both the Richmond and Jolimont railway stations, every train servicing the eastern side of Melbourne passes through one of two stations. The precinct is also serviced by three routes from the city centre
2.
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
3.
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
4.
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
5.
Seating capacity
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Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats hundreds of thousands of people. The International Fire Code, portions of which have adopted by many jurisdictions, is directed more towards the use of a facility than the construction. It specifies, For areas having fixed seating without dividing arms and it also requires that every public venue submit a detailed site plan to the local fire code official, including details of the means of egress, seating capacity, arrangement of the seating. Once safety considerations have been satisfied, determinations of seating capacity turn on the size of the venue. For sports venues, the decision on maximum seating capacity is determined by several factors, chief among these are the primary sports program and the size of the market area. Seating capacity of venues also plays a role in what media they are able to provide, in contracting to permit performers to use a theatre or other performing space, the seating capacity of the performance facility must be disclosed. Seating capacity may influence the kind of contract to be used, the seating capacity must also be disclosed to the copyright owner in seeking a license for the copyrighted work to be performed in that venue. Venues that may be leased for private functions such as ballrooms and auditoriums generally advertise their seating capacity, seating capacity is also an important consideration in the construction and use of sports venues such as stadiums and arenas. The seating capacity for restaurants is reported as covers, a restaurant that can seat 99 is said to have 99 covers, seating capacity differs from total capacity, which describes the total number of people who can fit in a venue or in a vehicle either sitting or standing. Use of the term public capacity indicates that a venue is allowed to more people than it can actually seat. Again, the total number of people can refer to either the physical space available or limitations set by law
6.
Australian pound
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The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence, the history of currency in Australia could be said to begin in 1800, when Governor Philip Gidley King issued a proclamation setting the value of a variety of foreign coins in New South Wales. However, because of the shortage of any sort of money, the currency during the first twenty-five years of settlement was rum, leading to terms such as the Rum Corps. Australias first coinage was issued in 1813 by the colony of New South Wales by punching the middle out of Spanish dollars and this process created two parts, a small coin, which was called the dump in Australia, and a ring, which was called a holey dollar. One holey dollar was worth five shillings, and one dump was worth one shilling and this was done in order to keep the coins in New South Wales, as they would be valueless elsewhere. In 1825, an Imperial order-in-council was issued with the purpose of introducing sterling coinage to all the British colonies and this was due to the introduction of the gold standard in the UK in 1816, and a decline in the supply of Spanish dollars. Most of the dollars used had been minted in Lima, Mexico City, and Potosí, from 1817, when the first bank, the Bank of New South Wales, was established, private banks issued paper money denominated in pounds. Acceptance of private bank notes was not made compulsory by legal tender laws, in 1852, the Government Assay Office in Adelaide issued gold pound coins. These weighed slightly more than sovereigns, from 1855, the Sydney mint issued half sovereigns and sovereigns, with the Melbourne mint beginning production in 1872. Many of the sovereigns minted in Australia were for use in India as part of a plan that the sovereign should become the imperial coin. As it turned out, India was already too entrenched in the Rupee system, in addition, the Queensland government issued treasury notes and banknotes which were legal tender in Queensland, and the New South Wales government issued a limited series of treasury notes in 1893. In 1910 the federal government passed the Australian Notes Act which prohibited the circulation of State notes, both these acts remain on the statute books and perpetuate the de facto end of private currencies in Australia. In 1910 a national currency was introduced by the Labor Government of Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, the new national currency was called the Australian pound, consisting of 20 shillings, each consisting of 12 pence. Monetary policy ensured that the Australian pound was fixed in value to the pound sterling, as such Australia was on the gold standard so long as Britain was. In 1914, the sterling was removed from the gold standard. When it was returned to the standard in 1925, the sudden increase in its value unleashed crushing deflationary pressures. Both the initial 1914 inflation and the subsequent 1926 deflation had far-reaching economic effects throughout the British Empire, Australia, in 1929, as an emergency measure during the Great Depression, Australia left the gold standard, resulting in a devaluation relative to sterling. A variety of pegs to sterling applied until December 1931, when the government set a rate of £1 Australian =16 shillings sterling
7.
Australian dollar
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Within Australia, it is almost always abbreviated with the dollar sign, with A$ or AU$ sometimes used to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents, in 2011, the Australian dollar was the fifth most traded currency in the world, accounting for 7. 6% of the worlds daily share. It trades in the foreign exchange markets behind the US dollar, the euro, the yen. The currency is referred to by foreign-exchange traders as the Aussie dollar. With pounds, shillings and pence to be replaced by decimal currency on 14 February 1966, in 1963, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, a monarchist, wished to name the currency the royal. Other proposed names included more exotic suggestions such as the austral, the oz, the boomer, the roo, the kanga, the emu, the digger, the quid, the dinkum and the ming. Menzies influence resulted in the selection of the royal, and trial designs were prepared and printed by the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Treasurer, Harold Holt, announced the decision in Parliament on 5 June 1963. The royal would be subdivided into 100 cents, but the existing names shilling, florin, the name royal for the currency proved very unpopular, with Holt and his wife even receiving death threats. On 24 July Holt told the Cabinet the decision had been a terrible mistake, on 18 September Holt advised Parliament that the name was to be the dollar, of 100 cents. The Australian pound, introduced in 1910 and officially distinct in value from the pound sterling since devaluation in 1931, was replaced by the dollar on 14 February 1966. The rate of conversion for the new currency was two dollars per Australian pound, or ten Australian shillings per dollar. The exchange rate was pegged to the pound sterling at a rate of $1 =8 shillings, in 1967, Australia effectively left the sterling area, when the pound sterling was devalued against the US dollar and the Australian dollar did not follow. It maintained its peg to the US dollar at the rate of A$1 = US$1.12, on 27 September 2012, the Reserve Bank of Australia stated that they had ordered work on a project to upgrade the current banknotes. The upgraded banknotes will incorporate a number of new features so that they remain secure into the future, the first new banknotes were issued from the 1st of September 2016, with the remaining denominations to be issued in the coming years. In 1966, coins were introduced in denominations of 1,2,5,10,20 and 50 cents. The initial 50-cent coins contained high silver content and were withdrawn after a year after the value of the silver content was found to exceed the face value of the coins. One-dollar coins were introduced in 1984, followed by two-dollar coins in 1988, the one- and two-cent coins were discontinued in 1991 and withdrawn from circulation. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of decimal currency, the 2006 mint proof and uncirculated sets included one-, in early 2013, Australias first triangular coin was introduced, to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of Parliament House
8.
Kevin Borland
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Kevin Borland was an influential Australian post-war Architect. His career saw works evolve from an International Modernist stance into a Regionalist aesthetic for which he became most recognized, much of his significant works were composed of raw materials and considered ‘Brutalist’ typifying Borland’s renowned motto ‘architecture is not for the faint-hearted’. Borland died in 2000 leaving a legacy of work throughout Victoria, New South Wales, from 1938 to 1941 Borland attended University High School and at age 15 was offered a job as office hand at the studio of Best Overend, a pioneer of modernist architecture in Melbourne. That same year he began part-time tuition at the Melbourne Technical College studying Building Construction, upon return Borland recommenced studies under the newly appointed tutors Roy Grounds and Robin Boyd. During these years Borland was an member of the University branch of the CPA. Borland’s belief in a society of economic, educative and social equality was intensified by his experiences at war and remained prevalent throughout his career. Borland received the Illuminating Engineers Society Student Award for Light in Architecture in 1949, during 1951 and 1952 Borland worked for ‘the Age’ Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Small Homes Service under former tutors Robin Boyd and Neil Clerehan. The service aimed to supply the public with modest affordable architect-designed homes. Through the service Borland obtained his first two major domestic commissions, the second of these was the Rice House, which used an innovative method of chicken wire reinforced concrete shells in a lightweight form of slender vaulting roofs. The design reflects Borland’s improvisation of medium, and a sense of Humanism. The scheme’s expression of primary structure reveals an idea of the interdependency of all building components,1957 saw the beginning of the Borland & Trewenack practice which received recognition for works such as Mcarthy House, Stein House, and Preshil Hall. After 8 years Borland established an independent practice, and over the decade became widely recognized. RAIA Victorian Architectural Medal for Outstanding Building,1972, RAIA Victorian Chapter, Citation in the Public Buildings category,1969. Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre, Glen Iris, RAIA Victorian Chapter House of the Year,1972. RAIA Victorian Chapter, Bronze Medal in category ‘House of the Year’,1974, RAIA Tasmanian Chapter declared among the ten notable Tasmanian buildings of 1980. Fitzgerald House, Hobart, Tasmania RAIA Victorian Chapter House of the Year,1984, RAIA Victorian Chapter award for Outstanding Architecture in residential alterations,1991. Borland Residence, Newport Dulux Colour Award for Residential Building and ‘Belle’ magazine COLORBOND Steel Award,1994,10 x 1 bedroom housing units for Ministry of Housing, Collingwood. By Design, changing Australian Housing, Melbourne Baird, John, p44 RMIT research page Kevin Borland and the Two Strands of Modernism E Melbourne
9.
John and Phyllis Murphy
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John and Phyllis Murphy were architects in Australia. Phyllis was also known for her work with wallpaper design and restoration, the Murphys completed a number of conservation projects through the National Trust in the 1960s and 1970s. Their most notable work was created during the 1950s, some examples of which are in their home city, Melbourne. John Murphy was born in 1920, son of prominent Melbourne architect Gordon Murphy, Phyllis née Slater, was born in 1924, the daughter of Arthur Slater. Of their early work, Phyllis Murphy has written, we started our architectural practice when there were severe shortages of building materials, manpower. Despite these restraints, the immediate post-war period was marked by optimism, the houses we designed were influenced by a. visit to Sweden where living spaces were small but the buildings had a simplicity that we found fresh and elegant. Their houses, like those of Kevin Borland and others, were all vivid and improvisatory in structure, coloration, architect and friend Neil Clerehan has described their houses as modest, but their version of contemporary design was elegant and timeless. In the 1960s they became involved in the preservation of historic buildings. Of their conservation work, Phyllis Murphy has written, This work is thought to be dull and staid. This was a new approach for Melbourne many years after such movements gained importance in the United States, the pool was built to house the aquatic events for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Built by Captain Henry Bacchus at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, circa 1838-1840, the VIctorian Housing Commission, needing land to build houses for Bacchus Marshs growing population, began negotiating with for the six acres on which the manor house stood. Local MP Vance Dickie matched the Housing Commissions offer and the process of restoration began in 1959. The 1839 timber cottage, built for Port Phillip Districts first superintendent Charles La Trobe was moved to its current location, the 1836 stone farmhouse and buildings near Sunbury, originally built for settler George Evans, were restored under the Murphys guidance in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Collingwood Town Hall, built in 1885-90 by George Johnson, had suffered severe deterioration in certain areas when in 1975 the Collingwood Council initiated a program of external restoration. “No particular effort of research was required…except locating on the old Hotham Town Hall in North Melbourne urns of pattern which were missing at Collingwood. ”John, one of the biggest problems they faced was the matching of the repaired and unrepaired surfaces to avoid patchy effect. Their reputation of being one of Melbourne’s best practices for restoration didn’t fail them, VASS prize -1944 Light in Architecture Competition, third prize -1947 Olympic Swimming Pool Competition 1952 joint winners
10.
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
11.
North Melbourne Giants
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The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League. The team was formed in 1980 as the Coburg Giants and were renamed in 1987 as the North Melbourne Giants. After a successful run in the league, with two championships and four final appearances, the club merged with a cross-town rival, the South East Melbourne Magic. North Melbourne hold the record for the biggest win in an NBL Semi-final following their 165–110 win over the Perth Wildcats at The Glass House on 8 October 1989. The 55 point win beat the record of 48 held by the Adelaide 36ers for their 151–103 Semi-final win over the Newcastle Falcons in 1985. As of the 2016 NBL Finals, the Giants score of 165 also remains the highest points scored in an NBL finals game, the Giants also had a junior team known as the North-East Melbourne Arrows that played in the Australian Basketball Association from the mid-1980s to 2001. The team spirit lives on today through representative and domestic leagues from under 10s through to the senior level. The Coburg Basketball Association also has a stadium situated in North Coburg, the club continues to be successful both on and off the court
12.
National Basketball League (Australia)
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The National Basketball League is the pre-eminent professional mens basketball league in Australia and New Zealand. The league was founded in 1979 and is contested by eight teams, seven from Australia. In August 1979, the season of the NBL commenced, playing in the winter season which it did so until the completion of the 1998 season. The 1998–99 season, which began only months later, was the first to be played during the summer season, the shift, which is currently used by the league, was an attempt to avoid competing directly against Australias various winter season football codes. The NBL experienced its golden age in the 1990s, but its popularity, media attention, attendance, Australian NBA player Andrew Bogut suggested the NBL try to adopt a model similar to the Australian Football League whereby there are the same 10 or 15 teams over a 10-year period. At the start of the 2004–05 season, the league struck a new deal with Fox Sports in Australia. Though in 2007, Philips announced they would not continuing their naming rights sponsorship in response to the NBL wishing to increase the sponsorship deal, on 18 September 2007, the NBL announced Hummer as their naming rights sponsor for the 2007–08 season. A second Melbourne club, the South Dragons, entered the league in the 2006–07 season, in the 2006–07 season, the NBL became the first Australasian sporting league to field a team from Asia with the Singapore Slingers playing. The Gold Coast Blaze also joined the competition in the 2007–08 season, a turbulent period during 2008 and 2009 saw the league lose teams from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Singapore. The 2009–10 season earmarked as the season in which the NBL would begin its revamping, the NBL returned to free-to-air television in Australia for the first time in three years with One broadcasting 2–3 games a week. The 2010–11 season saw the return of the Sydney Kings after the club was purchased for A$20,000 on 31 July 2008, in 2013, the NBL had a de-merger from Basketball Australia. Crowds improved for the 2013–14 NBL season, recording the highest cumulative crowd attendance figures for the past five years, after numerous teams folding and a decreasing public profile property developer Larry Kestelman purchased a 51% share of the league. Since then game attendance, TV viewership, website visitors and app downloads have been consistently on the increase, in April 2016 the Townsville Crocodiles folded as they had become too financially unsustainable to continue. Larry Kestelman has stated on the Aussie Hoopla podcast that no NBL will ever again as long as he is in control of the league. Since the 2009–10 NBL season, each team has played 28 games during the season,14 home and 14 away. The regular season starts in early October and ends in late March, the top four teams at the end of the regular season advances to the Finals. The winner of each of the three matches advances to the Grand Final, the winner of Series 1 plays the winner of Series 2 in the best-of-five Grand Final series, with home advantage being awarded to the highest remaining seed. The winner of series is crowned as NBL champion
13.
Melbourne United
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Melbourne United is an Australian professional mens basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. United are the team in the league representing Victoria and is based in the state capital. As of the 2015–16 season, the team splits its games between the 10, 500-seat Hisense Arena and the 3, 500-seat State Netball and Hockey Centre. Melbourne Uniteds history stems back to 1931 with the beginning of Victorian Basketball, the NBL franchise entered into private ownership in 2002, ending the clubs relation with the MBA. The change was not well received, as it created an uproar amongst Tigers fans, Melbourne United are the equal second most successful club in the NBL alongside the Adelaide 36ers and New Zealand Breakers, with all three clubs having won four NBL championships. Only the Perth Wildcats, who have eight NBL championships, have won more, Melbourne United, then known as the Tigers, joined the National Basketball League in 1984. Throughout the majority of the 1980s, they saw limited success, despite the number of records which superstar Andrew Gaze, son of coach Lindsay, racked up. 1987 saw Andrew average 44.1 points per game, and set the single game scoring record of 60 points against the Newcastle Falcons, however. In fact, despite Gazes point scoring the Tigers finished with a 3–23 record with all wins coming at their home court, the Albert Park Basketball Stadium. Once imports David Colbert and Dave Simmons were recruited in 1989, Colbert however, left the club to move to Brisbane in 1991, leaving the Tigers looking for a new import. New recruit Lanard Copeland signalled the good times ahead with a dunk for his first points in the NBL and he went on to team up with Andrew Gaze in a decade long backcourt partnership, which many observers cite as the greatest backcourt duo in Australian basketball history. Dubbed the dynamic duo, the pair were noted for their signature alley-oop, with this potent backcourt leading the way, the Tigers made the Finals in 1992, against the newly formed South East Melbourne Magic. Despite the Magic losing point guard Darren Perry to an achilles tendon in game one. The Tigers filled their biggest need in the off-season, by recruiting one of the best big men in the country in Mark Bradtke, teaming up with Gaze, Copeland, Simmons, and the newly recruited Robert Sibley from Brisbane, the Tigers boasted a formidable starting lineup. They defeated the arch rival Magic in the round of the playoffs. Having split the first two games, the Tigers faced the task of the deciding game in the hostile environment of the Perth Entertainment Centre. The Tigers controlled much of the game, but in the minutes had to withstand a furious comeback from Perth. Andrew Gaze iced the game with a pair of free throws in the final seconds
14.
Collingwood Football Club
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The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or less formally the Pies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. This spike in membership registration can mainly be attributed to the winning of the 2010 AFL Premiership and this record was again broken in 2013, with club reaching a new high of 80,000 members. Collingwood is regarded as one of Australias most popular clubs, being the highest attended, Collingwoods home guernsey consists of black and white stripes, matching the colours of an Australian magpie. Throughout its history, the club has developed rivalries with cross-town Melbourne based clubs Carlton, Richmond, Essendon, historically one of the most successful clubs in the league, Collingwood has won 15 VFL/AFL premierships, the third-most of any team. Collingwood has played in a record 43 grand finals, winning 15, the club fields a seconds team in the Victorian Football League and a womens team in the AFL Womens competition. It also owns and operates a team in the National Netball League. The Collingwood Football Club was established on 12 February 1892, Collingwood played its first game in the Victorian Football Association against Carlton on 7 May 1892. The club won the VFA Premiership in 1896, in 1897, Collingwood, along with fellow VFA clubs Fitzroy, Melbourne, St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, South Melbourne and Geelong split from the VFA and formed the Victorian Football League. Collingwood won its first premiership in 1902, defeating Essendon by 33 points, Collingwood was the most successful club of the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in 13 out of a possible 20 Grand Finals during the period. Collingwood were premiers six times during this time, including four consecutive premierships between 1927 and 1930, a VFL/AFL record, and two premierships in 1935 and 1936. The clubs coach during this period was Jock McHale, who served as coach from 1912 to 1949, Collingwood lost two Grand Finals to Melbourne in this decade, but bounced back to win premierships in 1953 and 1958. Collingwoods 1958 premiership is much cherished by the club as it prevented Melbourne from equalling Collingwoods record four premierships in a row, the 1958 premiership was however to be Collingwoods last for 32 years, as the club was to suffer a string of Grand Final defeats in coming decades. A string of eight Grand Final losses, often by narrow margins, between 1960 and 1981 gave rise to a perception that the club was prone to choking, a phenomenon wittily dubbed Colliwobbles. Whether this perception is accurate remains a subject of debate, however, Lou Richards ceremoniously buried the Colliwobbles at Victoria Park after the clubs 1990 premiership. Collingwood made a return to the finals in 2006, but were defeated by the Western Bulldogs by 41 points, having earned a preliminary final against Geelong, the Pies challenged the eventual premiers, only to fall short by five points. Nathan Buckley would announce his retirement at seasons end after playing just five games in 2007 due to injury, Collingwood finished eighth in 2008 and were assigned an away final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. After at one point trailing in the match, the Pies went on to end Adelaides season, having defeated the Saints in both their regular season meetings, the Pies lost convincingly, ending their 2008 season. The 2009 season saw Collingwood finish inside the top-four for the first time since 2003, but the season ended abruptly for the Magpies, with an 73-point loss to the Cats
15.
Rod Laver Arena
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Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the venue for the Australian Open, a tennis Grand Slam event since 1988. Replacing the aging Kooyong Stadium, construction on the began in 1985 and was completed in 1987 at a cost of AU$94 million. It opened on 11 January 1988 for the 1988 Australian Open. The arena has a capacity of 14,820, with a capacity of 15,400 for sports such as basketball, when extra seats are added around the court. The arena currently attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year, originally known in 1988 as the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, the arena has officially changed its name twice. First in 1996, when it was known as the Centre Court, and again in January 2000 to honour Rod Laver, Rod Laver Arena was Australias first retractable roof venue, and it is the largest indoor arena in Australia without a permanent roof. It is also the second largest indoor arena in Australia behind the 21,032 capacity Sydney Super Dome, the arena features a retractable roof allowing competitors to continue play during rain or extreme heat. Other than for tennis, during sporting events or concerts, a section of the southern the lower seating bowl is retracted to allow space for a stage or special floor level seating. Rod Laver Arena was the centrepiece of the 12th FINA World Aquatics Championships, a temporary swimming pool, named the Susie ONeill Pool after Australian swimming champion Susie ONeill, was built to allow this to happen. Rod Laver Arena is equipped with the Hawk-Eye electronic system which allows players to challenge the umpires decision on calls made throughout championships. The Tennis Centre saw its first basketball game in 1991 when the Australian Boomers played host to a touring All-Star team headlined by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, on 3 April 1992, the arena became the home of Melbourne basketball when the Melbourne Tigers defeated the Canberra Cannons 112-104. The venue was criticised in its early days as a basketball venue due to the poor quality of the backboards. However, these concerns were addressed and the arena became known as one of the best in the country. The arena was home to the South East Melbourne Magic with both teams attracting some of the largest crowds in the history of the NBL. Rod Laver Arena was also the site of the first ever outdoor pro basketball game in Australia when the Magic hosted the Adelaide 36ers on 31 December 1997 with the roof open. The largest basketball crowd at Rod Laver Arena was set in 1996 when 15,366 attended a derby game between the Magic and Tigers. Game two of the 1996 NBL Grand Final series, also between the Magic and Tigers, saw the NBLs largest ever single game Grand Final crowd when 15,064 watched the Magic defeat the Tigers 88-84
16.
Diving
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Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, usually while performing acrobatics. Diving is a recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime, Diving is one of the most popular Olympic sports with spectators. Competitors possess many of the characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment. Some professional divers were originally gymnasts or dancers as both the sports have similar characteristics to diving, dmitri Sautin holds the record for most Olympic diving medals won, by winning eight medals in total between 1992 and 2008. Although diving has been a popular pastime across the world since ancient times, the exact origins of the sport are unclear, though it likely derives from the act of diving at the start of swimming races. The 1904 book Swimming by Ralph Thomas notes English reports of plunging records dating back to at least 1865. The 1877 edition to British Rural Sports by John Henry Walsh makes note of a Mr. Young plunging 56 feet in 1870, and also states that 25 years prior, the English Amateur Swimming Association first started a plunging championship in 1883. The Plunging Championship was discontinued in 1937, Diving into a body of water had also been a method used by gymnasts in Germany and Sweden since the early 19th century. The soft landing allowed for more elaborate gymnastic feats in midair as the jump could be made at a greater distance and this tradition evolved into fancy diving, while diving as a preliminary to swimming became known as Plain diving. The event consisted of standing and running dives from either 15 or 30 feet and it was at this event that the Swedish tradition of fancy diving was introduced to the sport by the athletes Otto Hagborg and C F Mauritzi. Fancy diving was introduced into the championship in 1903. Plain diving was first introduced into the Olympics at the 1904 event, the 1908 Olympics in London added fancy diving and introduced elastic boards rather than fixed platforms. Women were first allowed to participate in the events for the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. In the 1928 Olympics, plain and fancy diving was amalgamated into one event – Highboard Diving, the diving event was first held indoors in the Empire Pool for the 1934 British Empire Games and 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Most diving competitions consist of three disciplines,1 m and 3 m springboards, and the platform, competitive athletes are divided by gender, and often by age group. In platform events, competitors are allowed to perform their dives on either the five, seven, in major diving meets, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships, platform diving is from the 10 meter height. Divers have to perform a set number of dives according to established requirements, a possible score out of ten is broken down into three points for the takeoff, three for the flight, and three for the entry, with one more available to give the judges flexibility
17.
Swimming (sport)
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Swimming is an individual or team sport that involves using arms and legs to move the body through water. Typically, the takes place in pools or in open-water. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports, with events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, in addition to these individual events, swimmers also take part in relays. Swimming each stroke requires specific techniques, and in competition, there are specific regulations concerning the form for different strokes. There are also put in place to regulate what types of swimsuits are allowed at competitions. Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport, evidence of recreational swimming in prehistoric times has been found, with the earliest evidence dating to Stone Age paintings from around 10000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC, with some of the earliest references to swimming including the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible, Beowulf, the Quran and others. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, Swimming emerged as a competitive recreational activity in the 1830s in England. In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool, St Georges Baths was opened to the public, by 1837, the National Swimming Society was holding regular swimming competitions in six artificial swimming pools, built around London. In 1844 two Native American participants at a competition in London introduced the front crawl to a European audience. Sir John Arthur Trudgen picked up the stroke from some South American natives and successfully debuted the new stroke in 1873. His stroke is still regarded as the most powerful to use today, captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English Channel, in 1875. Using the breaststroke technique, he swam the channel 21.26 miles in 21 hours and 45 minutes and his feat was not replicated or surpassed for the next 36 years, until T. W. Burgess made the crossing in 1911. Other European countries also established swimming federations, Germany in 1882, France in 1890, the first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna. The worlds first womens swimming championship was held in Scotland in 1892, mens swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902, the Australian Richmond Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world, in 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation, was formed. Womens swimming was introduced into the Olympics in 1912, the first international tournament for women outside the Olympics was the 1922 Womens Olympiad, Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. Competitive swimming became popular in the 19th century, the goal of competitive swimming is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in any given event
18.
Water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics
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Ten nations competed in water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The event was only to mens teams. For the team rosters see, Water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics - Mens team squads, the preliminary round consisted of a round-robin tournament held in three groups. Each team played the teams in its group once. 28 November 14,00 - Romania def, australia, 4-219,30 - Yugoslavia def. Soviet Union, 3-229 November 21,15 - Soviet Union def, Romania, 4-322,15 - Yugoslavia def. Australia, 9-130 November 10,30 - Yugoslavia def, Romania, 3-216,00 - Soviet Union def. Australia, 3-028 November 20,30 - United States def, great Britain, 5-329 November 15,45 - Hungary def. Great Britain, 6-130 November 11,30 - Hungary def, United States, 6-228 November 15,00 - Germany def. Singapore, 5-129 November 16,45 - Italy def, singapore, 7-130 November 22,10 - Italy def. Germany, 4-2 The top two teams in each group advanced to the championship, in which they played each of the four other championship teams they had not previously faced. The results of the preliminary game against the team from their group carried over into the final round. The teams that did not advance to the played in a consolation tournament. The most famous water polo match in history is the semi-finals round match between Hungary and the Soviet Union, as the athletes left for the games, the Hungarian Revolution started and was crushed by the Soviet army. Many of the Hungarian athletes vowed never to return home and felt their only means of fighting back was in the pool, with only two games left for each team, the Hungarians were leading in the standings,1 point ahead of Yugoslavia and 2 ahead of the Soviets. A Hungarian victory would ensure at least a medal for the team. The Hungary-Soviet Union confrontation was extremely bloody and violent, riddled with penalties, the Hungarians went on to win the gold medal by defeating Yugoslavia 2-1 in the final. Half of the Hungarian Olympic delegation defected after the Games,1 December 14,40 - Soviet Union def
19.
Olympic Games
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The Olympic Games are considered the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in changes to the Olympic Games. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, as a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship, World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916,1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games, the Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations, National Olympic Committees, and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, the IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals, gold, silver, the Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to themselves to the world. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat such as wrestling. It has been written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce and this idea is a modern myth because the Greeks never suspended their wars. The truce did allow those religious pilgrims who were travelling to Olympia to pass through warring territories unmolested because they were protected by Zeus
20.
Stadium
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Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event at the ancient Greek Olympic festival was the race that comprised one length of the stade at Olympia, where the word stadium originated. In modern times, a stadium is officially a stadium when at least 50% of the capacity is an actual building. If the majority of the capacity is formed by grasshills, the venue is not officially considered a stadium. Most of the stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are used for football, or soccer. A large amount of sports venues are also used for concerts. Stadium is the Latin form of the Greek word stadion, a measure of length equalling the length of 600 human feet, as feet are of variable length the exact length of a stadion depends on the exact length adopted for 1 foot at a given place and time. Although in modern terms 1 stadion =600 ft, in a historical context it may actually signify a length up to 15% larger or smaller. The equivalent Roman measure, the stadium, had a similar length — about 185 m -, the English use of stadium comes from the tiered infrastructure surrounding a Roman track of such length. Most dictionaries provide for both stadiums and stadia as valid English plurals, although etymological purists sometimes apply stadia only to measures of length in excess of 1 stadium. The oldest known stadium is the one in Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, Greece, initially the Games consisted of a single event, a sprint along the length of the stadium. The stadion, a measure of length, may be related to the Stadium, Greek and Roman stadiums have been found in numerous ancient cities, perhaps the most famous being the Stadium of Domitian, in Rome. The excavated and refurbished ancient Panathenaic stadium hosted a version of the Olympic Games in 1870,1875,1896 and 1906. The excavation and refurbishment of the stadium was part of the legacy of the Greek national benefactor Evangelos Zappas, the first stadiums to be built in the modern era were basic facilities, designed for the single purpose of fitting as many spectators in as possible. One such early stadium was the Lansdowne Road Stadium, the brainchild of Henry Dunlop, banned from locating sporting events at Trinity College, Dunlop built the stadium in 1872. Some 300 cartloads of soil from a trench beneath the railway were used to raise the ground, other early stadiums from this period in the UK include the Stamford Bridge stadium and Anfield stadium. In the U. S. However, many of these caught fire. All of the 19th-century wooden parks were replaced, some only a few years. Goodison Park was the first purpose-built football stadium in the world, walton-based building firm Kelly brothers were instructed to erect two uncovered stands that could each accommodate 4,000 spectators
21.
Facade
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A façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. It is a loan word from the French façade, which means frontage or face. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, from the engineering perspective of a building, the façade is also of great importance due to its impact on energy efficiency. For historical façades, many local zoning regulations or other laws restrict or even forbid their alteration. The word comes from the French foreign loan word façade, which in turn comes from the Italian facciata, from faccia meaning face, the earliest usage recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is 1656. It was quite common in the Georgian period for existing houses in English towns to be given a fashionable new façade, in modern highrise building, the exterior walls are often suspended from the concrete floor slabs. Examples include curtain walls and precast concrete walls, the façade can at times be required to have a fire-resistance rating, for instance, if two buildings are very close together, to lower the likelihood of fire spreading from one building to another. In general, the systems that are suspended or attached to the precast concrete slabs will be made from aluminium or stainless steel. In recent years more lavish materials such as titanium have sometimes been used, whether rated or not, fire protection is always a design consideration. The melting point of aluminium,660 °C, is reached within minutes of the start of a fire. Firestops for such building joints can be qualified, too, putting fire sprinkler systems on each floor has a profoundly positive effect on the fire safety of buildings with curtain walls. Some building codes also limit the percentage of area in exterior walls. When the exterior wall is not rated, the slab edge becomes a junction where rated slabs are abutting an unrated wall. For rated walls, one may also choose rated windows and fire doors, on a film set and within most themed attractions, many of the buildings are only façades, which are far cheaper than actual buildings, and not subject to building codes. In film sets, they are held up with supports from behind. Within theme parks, they are usually decoration for the interior ride/attraction/restaurant, by Ulrich Knaack, Tillmann Klein, Marcel Bilow and Thomas Auer. ISBN 978-3-7643-7961-2 ISBN 978-3-7643-7962-9 Giving buildings an illusion of grandeur Poole, the article outlines the development of the façade in ecclesiastical architecture from the early Christian period to the Renaissance
22.
Victorian Heritage Register
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The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority, Heritage Victoria is part of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, a department of the Government of Victoria, Australia. Heritage Victoria reports to the Heritage Council who assess nominations to the register, the Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister for Heritage Victoria and the Heritage Act 1995. As of 2013, there were over 2,200 places, delisting of a site requires the intervention of the relevant government minister. All places and objects listed on the register are entitled to a Blue plaque
23.
Australia men's national basketball team
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The Australian mens national basketball team is the mens basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for a male kangaroo, Australia is currently ranked 10th in the FIBA World Rankings, and finished 4th at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Australia is a power in all forms of basketball. After the formation of the NBL, players began to be selected almost exclusively from that competition during the 1980s and 1990s. This has changed in recent years, with many Australian players heading to the stronger Euroleague to play, and several heading to the National Basketball Association in North America. Two other players who were ruled out of the World Cup due to play in the NBA, namely Andrew Bogut of the Golden State Warriors. Further, several players on national teams are student athletes at the AIS or in the US college basketball system. By the early 21st century, close to half of the squad were playing outside of Australia, the trend of Boomers based outside of Australia has accelerated in the 2010s. The development of the Australian Institute of Sport has helped the establishment of Australia on the international stage, Australia has participated in the most Olympic mens basketball tournaments without winning a medal. Australia debuted on the stage at the 1956 Summer Olympic Games held in Melbourne. Australia did not fare well in the competition, defeating only two sides, and finishing 12th, the seeds were sown for Australia to become a regular team in international events. After not qualifying for the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome, Italy, the Australians improved on their position in Melbourne, to be ranked ninth at the completion of the games. After failing in their bid to qualify for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and they did not play again in a major international tournament until 1970, when the team qualified for the FIBA World Championship for the first time. The team finished in 12th place, with their victory coming over the United Arab Republic. The 1972 Munich Olympic Games was a changing of the guard for the Australians, Lindsay Gaze made his coaching debut, after playing at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Australia again finished ninth, but close defeats to Czechoslovakia and Spain left the close to advancing to the second round. Eddie Palubinskas was the holder of the second highest scoring average of the tournament. The Boomers defeated Mexico, 120–117, in an overtime game, in 1978, the Boomers headed to the Philippines for the 1978 FIBA World Championship
24.
Soviet Union national basketball team
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The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the countries all set up their own national teams. Based on the number of titles, the program of the former Soviet Union remains one of the most successful in the history of international basketball competitions. The Soviets first competed in the European championship at EuroBasket 1947, the Soviets outscored their opponents by an aggregate 126 points over their 6 wins, an average margin of victory of 21 points. After refusing to host EuroBasket 1949 as was FIBA Europes expectation of the Soviet Union and skipping the tournament entirely and they dominated the early portions of the tournament, outscoring opponents 312-117 in their four preliminary round wins. The three games of the round also posed little problem for the Soviet team, as the closest any opponent came was the Czechoslovak team losing by only 16. In the first game of the round, which was essentially a semifinal game, the Soviets defeated Bulgaria 72-54 to advance to the championship game. In that match, the Soviet team faced its first true close test in European play, a 44-44 tie was broken by Soviet Ilmar Kullam from the free throw line with 1 second left on the clock to give the Soviets a 45-44 win. Even that was called into question, however, as one of the referees initially signaled that Kullam had stepped on the throw line during the shot. After consultation with another referee, however, the throw was upheld. The Soviets maintained their domination at EuroBasket 1953, which hosted in Moscow. They had no trouble in a 3-0 preliminary round that included a 104-point slaughter of Denmark, through four preliminary round games and the first three final round games, the Soviets extended their winning streak to 31 games. With four games left in the round robin of EuroBasket 1955, the Soviets were facing the pesky Czechoslovakia team. Czechoslovakia, however, had already lost twice in the round, in a shocking result, the 81-74 final score did not favor the Soviet Union. The undefeatable titan had been beaten and they did so once more before the tournament was over, losing to Hungary in a game that essentially determined the gold medal despite being only the 6th of 7 matches each team played. The Soviets 5-2 record in the round matched that of Czechoslovakia, two years later, at EuroBasket 1957 in Sofia, the Soviets returned to form. They won their three preliminary games and then their seven final round games, including an exciting final match of the round robin against similarly undefeated hosts Bulgaria. The Soviets trailed 23-19 at halftime, but battled back to a 60-57 victory to take their 4th European championship, the EuroBasket 1957 followed seven consecutive EuroBasket Championships
25.
Melbourne Park
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Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Australians bicentenary, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January. The venue was the home of the Melbourne Tigers basketball team and it is owned by Melbourne & Olympic Parks, which also runs the adjacent Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. The Yarra Park section of the Sports and Entertainment Precinct is run separately, Melbourne Park was built in 1988 beside the Jolimont Yard as a new venue to host the Australian Open, as Kooyong, the previous venue, had become too small. It was originally known as Flinders Park until 1996, when then-Premier, Jeff Kennett decided to rename it Melbourne Park, the decision was met with strong opposition, and was compared by some to renaming Stade Roland Garros Paris Park. However, over the years, it has become accepted by the Melbourne community, while it is best known for being a tennis venue, Melbourne Park also plays host to a number of other sports and musical events throughout the year. The Two Tribes dance festival was held there annually, Rod Laver Arena was the venue for The Eagles Emmy Award-winning 2005 Farewell 1 Tour, Live from Melbourne double-DVD recording. Pearl Jams concert of 17 March 1995 at the Flinders Park Tennis Centre was broadcast live on Australian radio, formerly known as Centre Court, Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of nearly 15,000, and has a retractable roof. The second largest court is Hisense Arena, which was opened in 2000 and it has a capacity of 10,500, and also has a retractable roof. There are also three courts, with the former Show Court 1 now named the Margaret Court Arena. Margaret Court Arena has recently had a roof added and its capacity expanded to 7,500. This now leaves Melbourne Park with three courts available for wet and extreme weather play during the Australian Open, Melbourne Park is adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Yarra Park, and there are several pedestrian bridges linking the two across the separating railway lines. The park is five minutes walk from Richmond and Jolimont railway stations, in June 2015, it was announced that the Rod Laver Arena would undergo a redevopment of its exterior facade and interior customer features, such as bars and other facilities. Overall, more than million is being spent on the multi-year redevelopment of the Melbourne Park precinct. Construction will begin in February 2016 though completion of all works at the precinct is not expected to finish until 2020, Melbourne & Olympic Parks official website Australian Open official website Melbourne Park at Austadiums
26.
Brisbane Bullets
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The Brisbane Bullets are an Australian professional mens basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League from 1979 to 2008, and returned to the league in 2016. The Bullets won three NBL championships during their first run in the league, being successful in the 1985 and 1987 seasons and they also competed in the 1984,1986 and 1990 grand finals. The team reached the playoffs 21 times in their illustrious 30-year history, for the 2014–15 season, the NBL hoped for the return of a Brisbane-based franchise, bringing up the possibility of a Bullets resurrection. These hopes finally came to fruition on 17 September 2015, with the Bullets being revived for a return to the NBL in 2016–17. The Bullets were established in 1979 for the season of the National Basketball League, under the captaincy of Bruce Fitzgerald. Of the 18 games played during the inaugural NBL season, Brisbane won 13 and lost five, brisbanes Cal Bruton finished as the leagues highest points per game scorer of the season. The Bullets made it to the finals in the second NBL season of 1980, dave Claxton took over as head coach as well. Finishing in third place, winning 17 of their 22-season games, Brian Banks made the All-NBL first team that season. Banks became the Bullets captain the following season, after making the finals in the second season, Brisbane did so again in 1981. Brisbane finished in place, but first-placed St. Kilda did not attend the finals. The Bullets lost to Launceston Casino City 71–69 in the first semi-final, in 1982, with new coach Rick Harden, the Bullets missed out on qualifying for the finals, finishing eighth. In the following season, they finished fifth, still outside of finals contention, import guard Ron The Rat Radliff, known for his long curly hair and brilliant outside shooting, played his first season for the Bullets and in the NBL in 1983. After defeating the Coburg Giants and the Geelong Supercats in the finals, unfortunately, they were not successful in capturing their first championship, losing to the defending champion Canberra Cannons 84–82 who were led by the Australian Boomers point guard Phil Smyth. Indeed, the Entertainment Centre was not only the NBLs but also Australias then largest indoor arena. In the first ever NBL grand final series to be played three games, the Bullets went down to the Ken Cole coached Adelaide 36ers 2–1, losing Game 3 of the series 113–91 in Adelaide. Leroy Loggins was again voted the leagues MVP in 1986, giving himself, crucially though, Loggins fouled out of both Game 1 and 3 of the Grand Final series which limited his on court impact. 1987 saw the Bullets back to second on the ladder with a 20–6 season, Perth were player/coached by former Bullets favourite Cal Bruton, who had left the club at the end of 1986 after a public falling out with Brian Kerle. Bruton had successfully turned the Wildcats into a contender with the addition of forwards Kendall Tiny Pinder
27.
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
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The Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose arena located in the Brisbane suburb of Boondall, Queensland, Australia. The centre is managed by AEG Ogden, the arena has an array of seating plans which facilitate the comfort of its users, subject to performance. Specific seating plans are usually allocated, depending on the performance, the general seating arrangements are end stage mode, in the round and intimate mode, which only uses half of the arena. The centre also houses a complex and small function rooms which are available to hire for wedding reception. It cost $71 million to construct and it has also staged ice-skating shows, including Disney on Ice. The Entertainment Centre was also the venue for the original Australian series of Gladiators from 1995 to 1997. Located in Boondall, just off the Gateway Motorway, patrons can catch a Queensland Rail City network service to Boondall railway station, on the Shorncliffe railway line, there are 4,000 car parking spaces. Buses do not run to the centre even on event nights, from 1986–1997 the BEC was home to former NBL team the Brisbane Bullets. In 1987, the Brisbane Bullets won their second NBL championship, in 2007, the Brisbane Bullets won their third and last NBL championship when they defeated the Melbourne Tigers 3-1 in their best of five game series. The Entertainment Centre was used due to a clash with the Bullets then home. The Brisbane Bullets returned to the NBL in 2016–17 and will play some games at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The opening event for the centre was on Thursday 20 February 1986, featuring World Champion, British ice skaters, Torvill and Dean. Ticket Prices were Adults $22.90 and Juniors $15.90 In 1987, on the 28th, Stevie Wonder appeared on stage and sang with Jackson. On November 19 later that year, Eric Clapton played a concert at the venue during his Journeyman World Tour in front of 14,500 people. On 16 and 17 March 2016, Madonna performed at the arena as part of her Rebel Heart Tour, the incident caused controversy though several publications, where members of the public took to social media to label the incident as an assault. Despite this, the 17-year old woman, who was identified as Josephine Georgiou, in spite of having been approached by lawyers offering to represent her, Georgiou also refused to launch legal action against the singer
28.
Perth Wildcats
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The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League and play their games at Perth Arena. Their sister team, the Perth Lynx, play in the Womens National Basketball League, after three years of strong lobbying to the NBL, the creation of a national basketball team in Perth finally occurred in 1982. The Westate Wildcats were established and played out of the 800-seat Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium, interest in basketball steadily grew throughout the community and in 1984 the Westate Wildcats became the Perth Wildcats. Since 1987, the Wildcats have featured in 31-straight NBL Finals, the Wildcats are the citys only major professional basketball team and are one of Western Australias three major summer sport teams, along with the Western Warriors and Perth Glory. The public support for the Wildcats has been deemed remarkable, particularly the way fans have bought into the brand to create the Red Army, the Wildcats sturdy culture has long been built on a history of winning. The Wildcats have consistently enjoyed large crowds since moving into Perth Arena in 2012. In January 2017, the Wildcats became the first NBL franchise to break the 10, as a result of their large fan base, known as the Red Army, the Wildcats have set numerous record sell-out crowds at Perth Arena. A capacity crowd of 13,611 later attended Game 3 of the 2017 Grand Final series on 5 March 2017, matching the Wildcats highest-attendance record. Since 2012, the team has been forced on a road trip for much of December due to Perths annual hosting of the Hopman Cup at Perth Arena in early January. When the Wildcats have won the NBL title, the victory celebration. In 1979, the National Basketball League in Australia was formed and it took another three years of lobbying by the Perth basketball community, led by personalities like Gordon Ellis, before a team in Western Australia became a reality. Formed in 1982 as the Westate Wildcats, the Wildcats became the first, the team was initially coached by Henry Daigle and captained by Mike Ellis, and they played out of Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium. They struggled to make an impact in their first season, finishing 10th with a 10–16 win/loss record, Gordon Ellis took over as coach in 1983, but a 6–16 record ensued, with the Wildcats finishing well out of the finals race in 13th position. In 1984, the team was renamed the Perth Wildcats, but with coach Lynn Massey at the helm, a fourth coach in Jay Brehmer came into the team for the 1985 season. The Wildcats suffered a setback in 1986 with the loss of the high-scoring Roland Brooks. Without their star import, the Wildcats struggled to be competitive as they finished the season in 12th place with an 8–18 record, most significantly, the team moved from the small confines of Perry Lakes Stadium to what was known in those days as the Perth Superdrome. The Superdrome was capable of housing 5,000 people, compared to the 800-seat Perry Lakes Stadium, the new talent paid off immediately for the Wildcats as the team made the finals for the first time
29.
Adelaide 36ers
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The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian professional mens basketball team that competes in the National Basketball League. The 36ers are the team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in the state capital. The club was called the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the NBL in 1982. The 36ers nickname comes from the fact that the Colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed on 28 December 1836 and they play their home games at the Titanium Security Arena in the suburb of Findon, known as the Brett Maher Court within the NBL. The 36ers tally of four championships is equal with Melbourne United and the New Zealand Breakers and this team was known as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the NBL in 1982. Mike Osborne was appointed as coach, Chris Stirling was captain. The Eagles performed well in their first season but missed the playoffs finishing in 7th place on the ladder with a 15–11 record. The championship was won that year by the West Adelaide Bearcats who featured future 36ers in 1982 NBL MVP Al Green, Moscow Olympian Peter Ali and veteran guard Ray Wood. The Adelaide City Eagles changed their name after the 1982 season to the Adelaide 36ers to reflect on the history of South Australias proclamation in 1836, Mike Osborne continued as head coach while David Winslow was named team captain. The 36ers once again missed the NBL playoffs in 1983 finishing 6th on the ladder with an 11–11 record, the 1984 NBL season saw the first time the 36ers would reach the NBL finals, finishing the regular season in 3rd place in the Western Division with a 16–7 record. The team lost their Elimination Final to the Nunawading Spectres 108–101, following the season, Mike Osborne was not retained as coach. With the West Adelaide Bearcats facing financial difficulties, the club pulled out of the NBL after 1984 with a number of their players joining the 36ers. From 1985 the Adelaide 36ers would be the sole South Australian team in the NBL, former Australian Boomer and 1964 Olympic representative Ken Cole was signed as coach of the Adelaide 36ers for the 1985 NBL season. Under Cole, the 36ers became one of the premier teams. In the last single game NBL grand final played, Adelaide were up against the Brisbane Bullets on the Bullets home court. 1985 would see Al Green set a season points per game record for the 36ers when he scored 31.0 ppg in 28 games played.1 per game. His form saw him selected to his second All-NBL First Team after also winning selection in 1981 while with West Adelaide, for his efforts during the season, 19-year-old guard Mike McKay was awarded the NBLs Rookie of the Year award. McKay played all 28 games, averaging 12.9 points,3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game,1986 would see the Adelaide 36ers win the first of their four NBL championships
30.
Lexus
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Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese car maker Toyota. The Lexus marque is marketed in more than 70 countries and territories worldwide and has become Japans largest-selling make of premium cars and it has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese global brands in market value. Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium and the U. S. in Torrance, California. Lexus originated from a project to develop a new premium sedan, code-named F1. Subsequently, the division added sedan, coupé, convertible and SUV models, in 2005, a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted and additional hybrid models later joined the divisions lineup. Lexus launched its own F marque performance division in 2007 with the debut of the IS F sport sedan, followed by the LFA supercar in 2009. Lexus vehicles are produced in Japan, with manufacturing centered in the Chūbu and Kyūshū regions. Assembly of the first Lexus built outside the country, the Ontario, Canada–produced RX330, following a corporate reorganization from 2001 to 2005, Lexus began operation of its own design, engineering and manufacturing centers. Since the 2000s, Lexus has increased sales outside its largest market, the division inaugurated dealerships in Japans domestic market in 2005, becoming the first Japanese premium car marque to launch in its country of origin. The brand was introduced in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, the divisions lineup also reflects regional differences for model and powertrain configurations. In 1983, Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda issued a challenge to build the worlds best car, the project, code-named F1 developed the Lexus LS400 to expand Toyota’s product line in the premium segment. The F1 project followed the Toyota Supra sports car and the premium Toyota Mark II models, both the Supra and Mark II were rear-wheel drive cars with a powerful 7M-GE or 7M-GTE inline-six engine. The Century was conservatively styled for the Japanese market and along with the Crown not slated for export after a restyle in 1982, the F1 designers targeted their new sedan at international markets and began development on a new V8 engine. In 1986, Honda launched its Acura marque in the U. S. influencing Toyotas plans for a luxury division. The initial Acura model was a version of the Honda Legend, itself launched in Japan in 1985 as a rival to the Toyota Crown, Nissan Cedric/Gloria. In 1987, Nissan unveiled its plans for a brand, Infiniti, and revised its Nissan President sedan in standard wheelbase form for export as the Infiniti Q45. Mazda began selling the Luce as the Mazda 929 in North America in 1988 and later plans to develop an upscale marque to be called Amati. Toyota researchers visited the U. S. in May 1985 to conduct focus groups, during that time, several F1 designers rented a home in Laguna Beach, California to observe the lifestyles and tastes of American upper class consumers
31.
Naming rights
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For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three to 20 years. Longer terms are common for higher profile venues such as a professional sports facility. The distinctive characteristic for this type of naming rights is that the buyer gets a marketing property to promote products and services, there are several forms of corporate sponsored names. A presenting sponsor attaches the name of the corporation or brand at the end of a generic, usually traditional, a title sponsor replaces the original name of the property with a corporate-sponsored one, with no reference to the previous name. In a few cases, naming rights contracts have been terminated prematurely, such terminations may be the result of contractual options, sponsor bankruptcy, or scandals. Stadium naming may have shifted in recent years to promoting corporate trade names, the record for the highest amount paid for naming rights belongs to Citi Field and Barclays Center, both located in New York City, US. Each garnered deals of $20 million per year for at least 20 years and it ultimately fell short of that benchmark, with MetLife Stadium earning $17 million annually from its naming rights deal with MetLife. Naming rights in United States may have traced back to 1912 with the opening of Fenway Park in Boston. The stadiums owner had owned a realty company called Fenway Realty, despite this, it is more widely believed to have begun in 1926 when William Wrigley, the chewing gum magnate and owner of the Chicago Cubs, named his teams stadium Wrigley Field. In 1953, Anheuser-Busch head and St. Louis Cardinals owner August Busch, Jr. proposed renaming Sportsmans Park, occupied by the Cardinals, Budweiser Stadium. When this idea was rejected by Ford Frick, the Commissioner of Baseball at that time, the name was readily approved, and Anheuser-Busch subsequently released a new product called Busch Bavarian Beer. The name would later be shifted to the Busch Memorial Stadium in 1966, shortened in the 1970s to Busch Stadium, the public reaction to this practice is mixed. Selling the naming rights to a venue has been notably less successful. The general public continued to call the facility what it had known as for over three decades–i. e. After the agreement with 3Com expired, the rights were resold to Monster Cable, the initiative proved largely ceremonial, however, and it was overturned by the passage of Proposition C in 2009 in response to desperate economic times. The naming rights to the park were never resold and the closed in 2014. Sports stadiums with naming rights deals are not limited to the United States, in cricket, the most famous example is The Oval, home of Surrey County Cricket Club. It has had several sponsors over the years, and is known as The Kia Oval, having originally been known as the Kennington Oval
32.
Westpac
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Westpac Banking Corporation, more commonly known as Westpac, is an Australian bank and financial-services provider headquartered in Westpac Place, Sydney. It is one of Australias big four banks and its name is a portmanteau of Western-Pacific. As of November 2015, Westpac has 13.1 million customers, and is Australias largest branch network, with 1429 branches, the bank is Australias second-largest bank by assets. It is also the second-largest bank in New Zealand, established in Sydney in 1817, the Bank of New South Wales was the first bank in Australia. Edward Smith Hall was its first cashier and secretary,1927, BNSW acquired the Western Australian Bank. 1931, BNSW acquired the Australian Bank of Commerce, which had branches in both New South Wales and Queensland,1942, BNSW suspended operations in Papua New Guinea as the Japanese Army captured many of the towns in which it had branches and agencies, and bombed Port Moresby. 1968, BNSW joins Databank Systems Limited consortium to provide joint data processing services,1970, BNSW established a branch on Tarawa in Kiribati, which also took over the government savings bank. Also, the company first became listed on 18 July 1970,1971, It established a branch in the New Hebrides. The next year HSBC and Commercial Bank of Australia also established branches,1973, BNSW became the corporate sponsor of the Rescue Helicopter service started by Surf Life Saving Australia. 1975, BNSW incorporated its local business in Papua New Guinea as Bank of New South Wales,1982, BNSW merged with the Commercial Bank of Australia and changed their name to Westpac Banking Corporation. WBC was framed with the mission to become a significant Western-Pacific bank from which the Westpac portmanteau is derived, the brandname incorporated the W which had been the logo of the Bank of New South Wales. 1984, The original agreement between BNSW and the government in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands expired and WBC and the government of Kiribati formed Bank of Kiribati as a 51–49% joint venture, Bank of Kiribati also fulfilled the functions of a reserve or central bank. 1985, WBC replaced Barclays Bank in the National Bank of Tuvalu in Tuvalu,1988, WBC acquired the European Pacific Banking Corporation in the Cook Islands and a HSBC subsidiary, the Solomon Islands Banking Corporation, which HSBC had established as a branch in 1973. WBC also acquired HSBCs operations in Fiji and the New Hebrides,1990, Bank of New Zealand sold half its shares in Bank of Tonga to WBC and half to Bank of Hawaii, giving each of them 30%. WBC bought Banque Indosuezs operations in New Caledonia and Tahiti,1992, WBC recorded a 1.6 billion dollar loss, which at the time, was the largest loss for an Australian corporation. In this environment, the Bank dismissed staff and raided the superannuation to sustain its viability, in the process WBC came close to insolvency, and slipped from being Australias largest to third largest bank. 1995, WBC sold its shares in National Bank of Tuvalu to that countrys government,1995, WBC acquired Challenge Bank in Western Australia. 1996, WBC Holdings NZ bought Trust Bank, a chain of banks owned by Community Trusts, for NZD1.2 billion to form NZ largest bank
33.
Holden
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General Motors Holden, generally known as Holden, has been an Australian automobile manufacturer that operated in Australia with its headquarters in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a manufacturer in South Australia. In 1908 it moved into the field, before becoming a subsidiary of the United States-based General Motors in 1931. After becoming a subsidiary of GM, the company was named General Motors-Holdens Ltd, becoming Holden Ltd in 1998, by 2018 it will have ceased manufacturing vehicles in Australia. Holden has offered the locally produced range of Commodore vehicles, supplemented by imported GM models, Holden has offered badge engineered models in sharing arrangements with Chevrolet, Isuzu, Nissan, Opel, Suzuki, Toyota and Vauxhall Motors. In 2013 the vehicle lineup consisted of models from GM Korea, GM Thailand, GM in the US, and self-developed Commodore, Caprice, Holden also distributed the European Opel brand in Australia in 2012 until the Opel brands Australian demise in mid-2013. Since 1994, all Australian-built Holden vehicles were manufactured at Elizabeth, South Australia, historically, production or assembly plants were operated in all mainland states of Australia, with GMs New Zealand subsidiary Holden New Zealand operating a plant until 1990. The consolidation of car production at Elizabeth was completed in 1988, although Holdens involvement in exports has fluctuated since the 1950s, the declining sales of large cars in Australia led the company to look to international markets to increase profitability. Holden will retain their design centre, but with reduced staffing, since 2010 Holden has incurred losses due to the strong Australian dollar, and government grants have been reduced. In May 2014 GM reversed their decision to abandon the Lang Lang Proving Ground, in 1852, James Alexander Holden emigrated to South Australia from Walsall, England and in 1856 established J. A. Holden & Co, a business in Adelaide. Frost joined the business as a partner and J. A. Holden & Co became Holden & Frost Ltd. Edward Holden, James grandson, from there, the firm evolved through various partnerships and, in 1908, Holden & Frost moved into the business of minor repairs to car upholstery. The company began to produce complete motorcycle sidecar bodies in 1913, after 1917, wartime trade restrictions led the company to start full-scale production of vehicle body shells. Holden founded a new company in 1919, Holdens Motor Body Builders Ltd specialising in car bodies, by 1923, HMBB were producing 12,000 units per year. During this time, HMBB was the first company to assemble bodies for Ford Australia until their Geelong plant was completed, from 1924, HMBB became the exclusive supplier of car bodies for GM in Australia, with manufacturing taking place at the new Woodville, South Australia, plant. These bodies were made to suit a number of imported from manufacturers such as Chevrolet. In 1930 alone, the still independent Woodville plant built bodies for Austin, Chrysler, DeSoto, Morris, Hillman, Humber, Hupmobile, the last of this line of business was the assembly of Hillman Minx sedans in 1948
34.
Australian Football League
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The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the governing body. The league was founded as the Victorian Football League as a breakaway from the previous Victorian Football Association, the league currently consists of 18 teams spread over five of Australias six states. Matches have been played in all states and territories of Australia. The AFL season currently consists of a competition, followed by a 23-round regular season. The top eight teams play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final. The winning team in the Grand Final is termed the premiers, the current premiers are the Western Bulldogs. The six clubs invited two more VFA clubs – Carlton and St Kilda – to join the league for its season in 1897. In 1908, the league expanded to ten teams, with Richmond crossing from the VFA, Port Adelaide was the most successful club of the competition winning three titles during the period along with an earlier victory. In 1925, the VFL expanded from nine teams to twelve, with Footscray, Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Hawthorn remained very weak in the VFL for a very long period. Between the years of 1927 and 1930, Collingwood became the first, in 1952, the VFL hosted National Day, when all six matches were played outside of Melbourne. Matches were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Brisbane Exhibition Ground, North Hobart Oval, Albury Sports Ground and Victorian country towns Yallourn, Footscray became the first of the 1925 expansion teams to win the premiership in 1954. Melbourne became a powerhouse during the 1950s and early 1960s under coach Norm Smith, the club contested seven consecutive grand finals from 1954 to 1960, winning five premierships, including three in a row from 1955 to 1957. Television coverage began in 1957, with telecasts of the final quarter permitted. At first, several channels competed through broadcasting different games, however, when the VFL found that television was reducing crowds, it decided that no coverage was to be allowed for 1960. In 1961, replays were introduced although direct telecasts were rarely permitted in Melbourne, in 1959, the VFL planned the first purpose built mega-stadium, VFL Park, to give it some independence from the Melbourne Cricket Club, which managed the Melbourne Cricket Ground. VFL Park was planned to hold 155,000 spectators, which would have made it one of the largest stadiums in the world – although it would ultimately be built with a capacity of 78,000. Land for the stadium was purchased at Mulgrave, then farmland, the VFL Premiership Trophy was first awarded in addition to a pennant flag in 1959, essentially the same trophy design has been in use since
35.
Crikey
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Crikey is an Australian electronic magazine comprising a website and email newsletter available to subscribers. Crikey was described by former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the most popular website in Parliament House in The Latham Diaries and it had in 2014 around 17,000 paying subscribers. In 2016 editorship passed to Cassidy Knowlton, who succeeded Marni Cordell, Crikey was founded by activist shareholder Stephen Mayne, a journalist and former staffer of then Liberal Victorian premier Jeff Kennett. It developed out of Maynes jeffed. com website, which in turn developed out of his aborted independent candidate campaign for Kennetts seat of Burwood. Longstanding Crikey political commentators/reporters include former Liberal insider Christian Kerr, Guy Rundle, Charles Richardson, Bernard Keane, Mungo MacCallum, under the agreement, Mayne has occasionally written for the email newsletter. Under PMPs stewardship the publication aimed for professional style, avoiding the use of in-house nicknames and other idiosyncrasies of the original Crikey
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