1956, Melbourne Olympic Games Torch Relay - Mackay Visit
By: Steven Pritchard (January 2026)
Later this Year on Thursday, November 12, 2026, will mark 70 years since the flaming Olympic Torch arrived in Mackay on its way to Melbourne, which was holding the 1956 Summer Olympics.
The first Olympic Torch Relay occurred, at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games which was held in Berlin, Germany. The event was so popular that it has been used ever since.
The city of Melbourne had been successful in winning the rights to stage the 1956, Summer Olympic Games on Friday, April 29, 1949.
Later on, Wednesday, May 19, 1954, Initial details of the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay from Cairns to Melbourne, was announced in Sydney by the 1956 Summer Olympics, Technical Director Mr. E.J. Holt.
The 1956 Olympic Torch weighed 1.6kg (2 3/4lb.) and was 40.6 centimeters in length (16 inches) and contained a Hexamine fuel Tablet which created the flame. The Torch Bearers were required to wear a ‘White T-Shirt, White Shorts, Socks and Sandshoes’.
Following the announcements, local planning began to occur in Mackay to organize the eventual 1956, Mackay District Olympic Torch Relay as part of the Cairns to Melbourne run.
On Friday, July 23, 1954 – following a previous failed attempt at a public meeting – a meeting was successfully conducted at the Mackay Town Hall in Sydney Street to form the ‘Mackay Olympic Torch Relay Committee’ – which was to organize the eventual running of the Olympic Torch Relay in the Mackay District. The meeting had been called by the Mayor of Mackay Alderman John ‘Jack’ Binnington and was attended by 35 people.
The Mackay organizing committee initially consisted of: Ald. Jack Binnington, as Chairman and Mr. Colin Cameron as Secretary.
The Mackay Olympic Torch Committee had initially organized 190 volunteering men to run the Olympic Torch Relay, over a total distance of 190 miles. Each volunteer torch bearer was required to run and carry the Olympic Torch for one mile within 7 and a half minutes.
On Sunday, August 1, 1954, ‘The Sunday Mail’ reported that the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay Route, between Cairns and Brisbane was to be divided into Sixteen sectors. The Mackay and Sarina Districts torch route initially was called the: ‘Proserpine – Mackay’ and ‘Mackay – St Lawrence’ sectors.
The distance locally covered by the route was commonly referred to as the ‘Proserpine to St Lawrence’ sector.
An advertisement for the Olympic Torch Relay, Qualifying Trials at Jubilee Park on March 18, 1956. Picture: The Daily Mercury, March 17, 1956.
Later on March 18th, June 24th, and July 22, 1956, the ‘Olympic Torch Relay Qualifying Trials’, were conducted by the ‘Mackay Olympic Torch Committee’ at Jubilee Park which included two reported Farleigh to Jubilee Park Qualifying Olympic Torch Runs.
During the Qualifying Trials, one torch relay trial entrant, on March 18th was to require Ambulance treatment, as a result of blisters and burns to the soles of his feet, after running on bitumen between Farleigh and Jubilee Park.
To be inclusive, an ‘Olympic Torch Relay Qualifying Race’, was also to be conducted from Proserpine to Yalboroo also on June 24th. An ‘qualifying run’ was also to occur at Walkerston on July 1st, and a ‘Qualifying Trial’ was also held during July 1956 for the Sarina District.
The Walkerston Qualifying Run was conducted to allow Marian and Walkerston district residents to have the opportunity to be an Olympic Torch Bearer.
Later on, Friday, September 28th, Alderman Jack Binnington, was appointed to organize the Civic Reception for the Mackay Olympic Torch Relay Visit, at the Mackay City Council’s monthly meeting.
The Mackay City Gates to Sarina sector, was pegged for the start and finish of each mile of the relay route on Sunday, September 30, 1956. North of Mackay, the Proserpine to Mackay sector, was pegged by Friday, October 5th.
The final pegging of the Olympic Torch Relay route south of Sarina, occurred on Thursday, November 8th.
Ald. Binnington, was to make, number and sharpen the pegs used for the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay Route used in the local sector.
A ‘Full Scale Dress Rehearsal Run’ using a replica torch of the Proserpine to St Lawrence sector of the Olympic Torch Relay – a total of 190 miles in distance, was to be conducted on Saturday, October 6th, and Sunday October 7th. A total of 190 runners participated in the dress rehearsal, including 31 runners running from Proserpine to Yalboroo.
However, by Thursday, November 8th, the route south of Sarina was changed to Sarina to Croydon Station – running along the now Marlborough - Sarina Road, then part of the Bruce Highway. The new route, which had received ‘official sanction’ had been decided upon due to the ‘flooded condition of the Coastal Road’ – now the Bruce Highway.
As a result of the change, an additional 9 miles added to the route sector saw an additional 7 torch bearer runners be required. The extra torch bearers were reported to had been ‘Reserve Athletes’.
Local Mackay Historian, Mr. Terry Hayes (since deceased), in a local history article about the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay in the Mackay and Sarina Districts, published in ‘The Daily Mercury’ on Saturday, November 13, 1999, wrote that the Coastal Road at the time was ‘not a road but really little more than a bush track straggling through the bush from one creek to another’.
Bryan Shaw runs with the Olympic Torch up the stairs of the official Dias outside Mackay Town Hall in Sydney Street. Ald. Jack Binnington is pictured waiting to receive it, on Monday, November 12, 1956. Picture: 'The Daily Mercury', November 13, 1956.
Later on, Monday, November 12th, at 3.56am the flaming Olympic Torch arrived in Sydney Street, Mackay. It was reported a crowd of 5,000 people had gathered to witness the unique spectacle.
Bryan Shaw, aged 17, of Farleigh, arrived with the Torch at an ‘official dais’ outside the Mackay Town Hall in Sydney Street, the then Administration Building of the Mackay City Council.
Alderman Binnington lit the Brazier using the Olympic Torch, after receiving it from Mr. J. Potts, who received the torch from Bryan, at a Civic Reception held at the dais outside the Mackay Town Hall. Speakers at the Civic Reception were Alderman Jack Binnington and Mr. Marcus Marsden who was the coordinator of the national 1956 Olympic Torch Relay.
Following the Civic Reception, the torch left the ‘official dais’ at 4.26am, for its journey south to Sarina. John Deane, a torch bearer and then Secretary of the Mackay Olympic Torch Committee, carried it southwards.
Prior to the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay in Sydney Street, a procession of bands and floats had also occurred.
Participants in the procession included the: Mackay Amateur Athletic Association, Mackay Basketball Association, Mackay Hockey Association and Mackay Surf Life Saving Club along with a Greek Community Float.
The Mackay City and Mackay Pipe Bands were also to perform.
‘Radio 4QA’ – now known as ‘ABC Tropical North’, was to later broadcast a description of the Olympic Torch Relay’s arrival and reception in Mackay during 7am till 7.15am on November 12th.
ABC Radio Stations, at Cairns (on November 9) and Townsville (on November 10) were also to broadcast descriptions of the Olympic Torch Relay visiting their cities prior to the arrival in Mackay. of the Olympic Torch Relay.
John Deane (since deceased), the first to run with the Olympic Torch towards Sarina after the Civic Reception at the Mackay Town Hall.
Picture: 'The Daily Mercury', November 13, 1999.
The Torch later arrived at Sarina at 6.52am on November 12th and later left at 7.03am on November 12th for Rockhampton. A Civic Reception was also to be held at Sarina for the Olympic Torch Relay.
The Olympic Torch later arrived outside Croydon Station on the Marlborough - Sarina Road at 4.29pm on November 12th. This was the end of the ‘Proserpine to Croydon Station sector’ of the 1956 Olympic Torch Run.
The site - currently the location of a 1956 Olympic Games Torch Relay Monument, is located approximately 137km's Southwest from Sarina - according to Google Maps.
The 1956 Olympic Games Torch Bearers, who ran in the Proserpine to Croydon Station Sector included: Dave Adrian, Joe Carroll, Bryan Crear, Walter Crear, Jack Cockings, Barry Dean, Bill Firth, Leo Fitzsimon, Tom Fitzsimon, Guilio Gargano, Ian Hamilton, Stan Guthrie, Serge De Pinto, Charlie Norman, John Plotts, Bill Rasmussen, Bill Rutland, Lyle Saunders, Neil Saunders, George Stanger – who carried the torch after John Deane, John Sunner, Bill Tooma, Gordon White, Noel Whitehead and Ray Williams.
Father and Son trio: Frank Downes and his two sons Ian and Richard were also to participate as torch bearers in the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay.
The youngest torch bearer was to be John Sunner, then aged 16 years old.
A reported total of 200 torch bearers had participated in the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay in the Mackay District.
The Olympic Torch later arrived and lit the cauldron at the Official Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne Olympic Games on Thursday, November 22, 1956, after a reported trip of 12,640 miles. Australian Athlete, Mr. Ron Clarke, was the last runner of the Torch Relay.
The Official Closing Ceremony, of the Melbourne 1956 Summer Olympic Games occurred on Sunday, December 9, 1956, with the extinguishing of the Olympic Cauldron’s flame at 4.50pm.
Following the running of the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay in the Mackay District a permanent reminder was to be later unveiled in Mackay some five decades later.
A plaque, erected by the Mackay City Council (now Mackay Regional Council), on the outside of the Mackay Town Hall in Sydney Street, was to be later unveiled by Mr. Ian Hamilton, on Sunday, November 12, 2006, as part of a 50th Anniversary of the Civic Reception conducted in the surrounding parkland.
The Daily Mercury, later reported on November 18, 2006, that more than Fifty torch bearers had attended the unveiling of the plaque.
The Mackay Olympic Torch Relay, 50th Anniversary Plaque, located outside the Mackay Town Hall in Sydney Street. Picture: Steven Pritchard (author), June 20, 2025.
Footnote: The Mackay City Council due to amalgamation, would later cease to exist on Friday, March 14, 2008, following the final meeting of the Mackay City Council on Wednesday, February 27, 2008.
Mr. Pritchard and the Mackay Historical Society would like to thank Mrs. Eunice Casey and Mrs. Lara Clarke for their assistance with this article.
