1982 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
Encyclopedia
The Opening Ceremony of the 1982 Commonwealth Games
was held on 30 September 1982 at the QEII Stadium
in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
.
The ceremony was directed by Ric Birch
. The chairman for the XII Commonwealth Games was Sir Edward Williams
, KBE, KCMG.
Sir Edward was later decorated Australian of the Year
for 1982.
The opening ceremony was held during the afternoon of a fine and sunny, but extremely windy and somewhat cool, afternoon. The starting of the Opening Ceremony was signaled with a kookaburra's call, followed by the traditional cry of "cooeee". Already on the field were two Commonwealth Games logo. After the announcement welcoming the audience to the opening ceremony, thousands of high school students dressed in red, white, or blue came running onto the field. Some of the children carried fabric placards while others picked up coloured boards once they were on the field. While the Opening Prelude / Commonwealth Games Song was performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonia Choir), the children formed the Australian flag.
As this was breaking up, a marching girls wearing white and blue, green and black, or red and white came along the athletics track from the right. From the left, came Surf Lifesavers bearing a variety of flags. The following music was played:
The high school students then formed red and blue circles, outlined in white, surrounded by a blue square. Again, on either side they formed the Commonwealth Games logo. The circles broke up to form a stylised map of Australia again surrounded by a blue square representing the sea.
This aspect of the Opening Ceremony was not without controversy. The map of Australia showed no demarcation of States. Also not shown was Bass Strait, the body of water which separates the island state of Tasmania from the mainland of Australia. This led many Tasmanians to believe that their state had been, either deliberately or inadvertently, forgotten.
The centre of the map was now filled with young people in the native costume of the many different nationalities which make up Australia. While "I Still Call Australia Home" was playing, these young people stood in rows, holding hands, and swaying to represent waves on the sea.
The dances within the map included an ethnic folk dance medley of some of the countries from which some Australian people came. The dances were;
As the dancers ran out of the stadium the mascot
,Matilda the Kangaroo
entered and performed a lap of honour. Matilda was represented in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games by a "wink
ing" Matilda — a gigantic-size 13-metre (42 feet 8 inches) high mechanical Kangaroo built around a forklift truck. As she travelled around the athletics track, she wink
ed several times at the crowd, including a personal wink at Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh
who was representing the Crown at the Ceremony.
Once her lap was completed, her pouch opened and children representing joey kangaroos ran out towards small trampoline
s which had been set up in the centre of the statium. As they bounced, Rolf Harris
, standing on the tray of a small truck wearing a sky blue lesuire suit and with his trademark wobble board
, performed a special version of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" which included the added lyrics:
As the trampolines were moved out, Rolf Harris sang a slow-paced version of the song "Waltzing Matilda
". Many of the crowd joined in during the chorus of the song. The children, meanwhile, had formed the Commonwealth Games logo in the centre of a blue circle. When the song finished, 50,000 red, white, and blue balloons were released. This was touted by Geraldine Dogue who was co-presenting the ABC's coverage of the event, as "the largest balloon display ever". Geraldine added that it had taken "120 people ... five hours and 100 cylinders of helium and balloon gas to blow 'em up." The school children then left the field.
At approximately 3:35 pm, the Parade of Nations, which was estimated to run for 45 minutes, commenced, led by the athletes from Canada, which had hosted the previous games, with Australia's athletes coming in last. When the team from the Falkland Islands entered the stadium, they received an enormous cheer from the crowd because of the recently fought Falklands War
.
The Commonwealth Games Ceremonial Flag was brought into the stadium and raised. The Athlete's Oath was taken by Tracey Wickham
.
The final runner in the Queen's Baton Relay
was Raelene Boyle
, who handed the baton to the Duke of Edinburgh
. The Duke read out the message which Elizabeth II had sent in the Queen's Baton, officially opening the Games (Prince Philip opened the Games because the Queen was unable to arrive in Australia in time to attend the Opening Ceremony).
Because the Opening Ceremony was held during daylight hours, there were no fireworks to accompany the ceremony. However, both doves and colourful balloons of red, white and blue, were released. There were also supposed to be parachute jumpers, with parachutes of red, white and blue, taking part during the display at the opening ceremony, with the parachute jumpers landing within the stylised map of Australia within the stadium, but it was too risky, because of the extreme wind conditions, to have this segment as the strong wind might have blown the parachute jumpers off course if they had jumped (the parachute jumpers appeared during the Closing Ceremony, instead).
Queen Elizabeth, who arrived in Brisbane during the Games, presented some of the medals, including presenting the gold medal to Australian swimmer Tracey Wickham
. The Queen also closed the Games.
hinterland. Unfortunately, Matilda, as of 2007, lays out the back of Wet'n'Wild in pieces.
1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
was held on 30 September 1982 at the QEII Stadium
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre , more commonly known by its former names ANZ Stadium or QE II, is a major sporting facility on the south side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The ceremony was directed by Ric Birch
Ric Birch
Ric Birch, born in Australia. Former Rock TV producer and director.He started his career studying Law, but his lifetime profession took him down a different path...
. The chairman for the XII Commonwealth Games was Sir Edward Williams
Edward Williams (judge)
Sir Edward Stratten Williams KCMG KBE QC was appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court of Queensland, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian state of Queensland....
, KBE, KCMG.
Sir Edward was later decorated Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
for 1982.
Description
As this was breaking up, a marching girls wearing white and blue, green and black, or red and white came along the athletics track from the right. From the left, came Surf Lifesavers bearing a variety of flags. The following music was played:
- March Past (Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonia Choir)
- Medley: instrumental music:
-
-
- ("The Drover's Dream" / "Brown Slouch Hat" /
- "Click Go the ShearsClick Go the Shears"Click Go the Shears" is a traditional Australian folk song. The song details a day's work for a sheep shearer in the days before machine shears. The enduring popularity of this song reflects the traditional role that the wool industry has played in Australian life...
" / "The Overlanders")- "I Still Call Australia HomeI Still Call Australia Home"I Still Call Australia Home" is a song written and performed by Peter Allen in 1980. In it, Allen sings of Australian expatriates' longing for home.It has been used to suggest Australian patriotism and nostalgia for home...
" - "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" / "Road to Gundagai"
- "I Still Call Australia Home
-
The high school students then formed red and blue circles, outlined in white, surrounded by a blue square. Again, on either side they formed the Commonwealth Games logo. The circles broke up to form a stylised map of Australia again surrounded by a blue square representing the sea.
This aspect of the Opening Ceremony was not without controversy. The map of Australia showed no demarcation of States. Also not shown was Bass Strait, the body of water which separates the island state of Tasmania from the mainland of Australia. This led many Tasmanians to believe that their state had been, either deliberately or inadvertently, forgotten.
The centre of the map was now filled with young people in the native costume of the many different nationalities which make up Australia. While "I Still Call Australia Home" was playing, these young people stood in rows, holding hands, and swaying to represent waves on the sea.
The dances within the map included an ethnic folk dance medley of some of the countries from which some Australian people came. The dances were;
- "Bomba" (Butterfly Dance), which was sung and performed by Arnhem Land Aborigines
- "Seri-Seri" (Sun Dance), which was sung and performed by The Torres Strait Islands Dance Group of Murray and Darnley
- "Ethnic Dance Medley" (an original medley of 15 dances) — a Yugoslav horaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Irish soft shoe reelIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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and a Ukrainian gopakUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
As the dancers ran out of the stadium the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
,Matilda the Kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
entered and performed a lap of honour. Matilda was represented in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games by a "wink
Wink
A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signalling shared hidden knowledge or intent, which may also include, in some contexts, sexual attraction....
ing" Matilda — a gigantic-size 13-metre (42 feet 8 inches) high mechanical Kangaroo built around a forklift truck. As she travelled around the athletics track, she wink
Wink
A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signalling shared hidden knowledge or intent, which may also include, in some contexts, sexual attraction....
ed several times at the crowd, including a personal wink at Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
who was representing the Crown at the Ceremony.
Once her lap was completed, her pouch opened and children representing joey kangaroos ran out towards small trampoline
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
s which had been set up in the centre of the statium. As they bounced, Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
, standing on the tray of a small truck wearing a sky blue lesuire suit and with his trademark wobble board
Wobble board
The wobble board is an instrument popularized by the Australian musician and artist Rolf Harris and featured in his best-known song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
, performed a special version of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" which included the added lyrics:
-
- Let me welcome you to the Games, friends,
- Welcome you to the Games
- Look, I don't know all of your names, friends,
- But let me welcome you to the Games,
As the trampolines were moved out, Rolf Harris sang a slow-paced version of the song "Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
". Many of the crowd joined in during the chorus of the song. The children, meanwhile, had formed the Commonwealth Games logo in the centre of a blue circle. When the song finished, 50,000 red, white, and blue balloons were released. This was touted by Geraldine Dogue who was co-presenting the ABC's coverage of the event, as "the largest balloon display ever". Geraldine added that it had taken "120 people ... five hours and 100 cylinders of helium and balloon gas to blow 'em up." The school children then left the field.
At approximately 3:35 pm, the Parade of Nations, which was estimated to run for 45 minutes, commenced, led by the athletes from Canada, which had hosted the previous games, with Australia's athletes coming in last. When the team from the Falkland Islands entered the stadium, they received an enormous cheer from the crowd because of the recently fought Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
The Commonwealth Games Ceremonial Flag was brought into the stadium and raised. The Athlete's Oath was taken by Tracey Wickham
Tracey Wickham
Tracey Lee Wickham MBE OAM is an Australian former middle distance world champion swimmer. Despite her success in the pool, Wickham has battled financial hardship and personal tragedy throughout her life....
.
The final runner in the Queen's Baton Relay
Queen's Baton Relay
The Queen's Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London...
was Raelene Boyle
Raelene Boyle
Raelene Ann Boyle, AM, MBE, , Australian athlete, represented Australia at three Olympic Games as a sprinter, winning three silver medals. In 1998, Boyle was named one of 100 National Living Treasures by the National Trust of Australia.-Early life:Boyle was born on 24 June 1951, the daughter of...
, who handed the baton to the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. The Duke read out the message which Elizabeth II had sent in the Queen's Baton, officially opening the Games (Prince Philip opened the Games because the Queen was unable to arrive in Australia in time to attend the Opening Ceremony).
Because the Opening Ceremony was held during daylight hours, there were no fireworks to accompany the ceremony. However, both doves and colourful balloons of red, white and blue, were released. There were also supposed to be parachute jumpers, with parachutes of red, white and blue, taking part during the display at the opening ceremony, with the parachute jumpers landing within the stylised map of Australia within the stadium, but it was too risky, because of the extreme wind conditions, to have this segment as the strong wind might have blown the parachute jumpers off course if they had jumped (the parachute jumpers appeared during the Closing Ceremony, instead).
Queen Elizabeth, who arrived in Brisbane during the Games, presented some of the medals, including presenting the gold medal to Australian swimmer Tracey Wickham
Tracey Wickham
Tracey Lee Wickham MBE OAM is an Australian former middle distance world champion swimmer. Despite her success in the pool, Wickham has battled financial hardship and personal tragedy throughout her life....
. The Queen also closed the Games.
Note
The massive Matilda prop from the opening ceremony was relocated to Wet'n'Wild Water World, a water park in the Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
hinterland. Unfortunately, Matilda, as of 2007, lays out the back of Wet'n'Wild in pieces.