Official 1956 Melbourne Olympics torch, comprised of aluminum alloy, measuring 16″ in length and 5.5″ at its widest point, designed by Ralph Lavers and manufactured by Waco Ltd. The torch was modeled after the one used for the 1948 London Olympics, with the upper part in the shape of a cauldron with three ‘cut-outs’ of the Olympic rings, encircled below by the inscription, “XVI Olympiad 1956: Olympia–Melbourne.” Burner is absent. After its lighting in Olympia on November 2, 1956, the flame made its way through the Middle East and South Asia en route to Australia, where the relay ended at the opening ceremony on November 22. All together, the flame was carried by 3,181 torchbearers over 4,912 km on land. An iconic torch from the first Games to be held outside Europe or North America.
