Australia's Commonwealth Games

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Aside from memorable performances by legendary athletes, the Games are also noted for the spectacle of their opening ceremonies. But they have not always gone off without a hitch!

The opening of the 1962 Empire and British Games in Perth took place in blistering 40-degree heat. More than 300 people in the crowd of 53,000 at the Perry Lakes Stadium were treated for heat exhaustion, plus there were a few heart attacks. Children performing in the ceremony started collapsing and soldiers had to ferry water to hydrate those still standing. The temperature barely dropped throughout the competition leading commentators to label the Games 'heat, dust and glory'.

More recently many will fondly remember the Opening Ceremony of the 1982 Games in Brisbane. The start of the ceremony was signalled with a kookaburra call, followed by the familiar Australian cry of 'cooee'. Then 6,500 school children ran into position to create the Australian flag, the Games logo and a map of Australia (minus Tasmania!). But the stand-out was Matilda, the giant kangaroo that toured the stadium and winked cheekily at Prince Philip:

You can see more highlights from the Games held in Australia in our curated collection.