The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were a highlight for Australia at the Olympics, as the team capitalized on the home-field advantage to finish third in the medal count, winning 35 medals, 13 of them gold. Swimmers like Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser shone brightly, establishing Australia as a swimming powerhouse.
Trivia
- The Olympic torchbearer for the 1956 Olympics was Ron Clarke, a virtually unknown 19 year old at the time. Ron Clarke went on to become the world's finest distance runner in the 1960s.
- The youngest gold medalist for Australia was Sandra Morgan in the 4x100m freestyle relay in Melbourne 1956. She was aged 14 years 6 months.
Related Pages
- Australia at each Olympiad
- Information about all countries at each Olympiad
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