This silent home movie captures the colour and excitement of a city in the midst of a global event. On 22 November 1956, the first Olympics hosted by an Australian city got underway in Melbourne.

The clip includes footage of horse racing, the stadium marching band and representatives from various countries rehearsing for the opening ceremony in the empty stadium. There are shots of the now-closed Tivoli Theatre and Melbourne streets adorned with flags and bunting. The clip concludes with a women's athletics race at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and scenes at the athletes' village in Heidelberg West.

The clip offers glimpses of bygone Melbourne and gives an insight into how a major sporting event like the Olympics was run in the 1950s.

Explore more home movies of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics