Skip to main content

Home

Main navigation

  • Explore the collection
    • Search the collection: RecordSearch
      • What's in the collection
      • Defence and war service records
      • First Australians
      • Immigration and citizenship
      • Cabinet
      • Intelligence and security
      • Prime ministers
      • Search for people
      • Visit our other websites
      • #ArchivesAtHome
      • Stories from the archives
  • Help with your research
      • Getting started
      • What's in the collection
      • Using the collection
      • International movement records
      • Research centres
      • Research guides
      • Research grants and scholarships
      • Research agents
      • Ask us about the collection
  • Students and teachers
      • Classroom resources
      • School visits
      • Teacher professional learning
      • Virtual excursions
      • Student research portal
      • Competitions and special programs
  • Information management
      • Getting started
      • Building trust in the public record
      • Public release schedule
      • Ask for advice
      • Information governance
      • Build data interoperability
      • Check-up survey
      • Legislation
      • Manage information assets
      • GAIN Australia
      • Standards
      • Metadata
      • Records authorities
      • Federal election 2025
      • Learning and skills
  • Visit us
      • Events and exhibitions
      • Research centres
      • Our locations
      • Cafe Constitution
      • Venue hire
      • Contact us
  • About us
      • What we do
      • Support us
      • Employment
      • Who we are
      • Partnerships
      • Volunteer
      • Our services
      • Members
      • Media and publications
      • Contact us
  • Toggle search
  • Toggle menu

Offscreen Menu

Menu

MAIN MENU

  • Explore the collection
    • What's in the collection
    • Defence and war service records
    • First Australians
    • Immigration and citizenship
    • Cabinet
    • Intelligence and security
    • Prime ministers
    • Search for people
    • Visit our other websites
    • #ArchivesAtHome
    • Stories from the archives
  • Help with your research
    • Getting started
    • What's in the collection
    • Using the collection
    • International movement records
    • Research centres
    • Research guides
    • Research grants and scholarships
    • Research agents
    • Ask us about the collection
  • Students and teachers
    • Classroom resources
    • School visits
    • Teacher professional learning
    • Virtual excursions
    • Student research portal
    • Competitions and special programs
  • Information management
    • Getting started
    • Building trust in the public record
    • Public release schedule
    • Ask for advice
    • Information governance
    • Build data interoperability
    • Check-up survey
    • Legislation
    • Manage information assets
    • GAIN Australia
    • Standards
    • Metadata
    • Records authorities
    • Federal election 2025
    • Learning and skills
  • Visit us
    • Events and exhibitions
    • Research centres
    • Our locations
    • Cafe Constitution
    • Venue hire
    • Contact us
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Support us
    • Employment
    • Who we are
    • Partnerships
    • Volunteer
    • Our services
    • Members
    • Media and publications
    • Contact us

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died.

Some records include terms and views that are not appropriate today. They reflect the period in which they were created and are not the views of the National Archives.

A room with desk and chairs and cataloged books shelved on bookcases around the room.

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Students and teachers
  3. 1956 women's Olympic relay team, including Betty Cuthbert

1956 women's Olympic relay team, including Betty Cuthbert

Betty Cuthbert and other members of the Australian women's 4 x 100 metres Olympic relay team

Details

Learning resource record

Creator:

Australian News and Information Bureau, Canberra

Date:

1963

Citation:

A1200, L45369

Keywords:

  • Melbourne

About this record

This black-and-white photograph shows the victorious Australian women's 4 x 100 metres track relay team holding their boxed gold medals after the medal ceremony at the Melbourne Olympic Games on 1 December 1956. Fleur Mellor is shown smiling on the left. Beside her is Norma Croker, who is looking towards Betty Cuthbert. On the right is Shirley Strickland. All the women are dressed in team tracksuits with a map of Australia prominent on the front.

Educational value

  • Australia's female athletes were the sensations of the track at the 1956 Olympic Games. Of the four athletes seen here, Betty Cuthbert (1938–) also won two individual gold medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres sprints, and her team-mate Shirley Strickland (1925–2004) won gold in the 80 metres hurdles. There were only four women's track events in the Melbourne Olympics (including this relay), and the Australian women took gold in every one.
  • The 4 x 100 metres relay was one of the most exciting of the women's track events, with world records set in one of the two heats and the final. Nine countries competed, and four ran under the previous world-record time. In the final Australia trailed Great Britain until the last baton change, when Cuthbert surged to the lead. Australia set a new world record of 44.5 seconds, with Great Britain running second and the United States third.
  • With this victory 18-year-old Cuthbert, dubbed the 'Golden Girl', became the first Australian triple gold medallist in a single Olympics. Her victory in the 100 metres sprint was the first gold medal for Australia on home soil. Despite having set a 200 metres world record in inter-club competition before the Games, Cuthbert was almost unknown, having won only one senior title. She did not expect to do well and is said to have bought tickets for the Olympic finals of her events.
  • At 31 years of age, Strickland had already competed in two Olympics, and over three Olympics won seven medals (three gold, one silver and three bronze) – a feat that has not been equalled by any other Australian track athlete. At the 1950 Helsinki Olympics, she won the 80 metres hurdles and in Melbourne she did so again, becoming the only Australian track and field athlete to win back-to-back gold medals. In the 1948 London Olympics she won one silver and two bronze medals, and in Helsinki she added a bronze medal in the 100 metres.
  • Cuthbert went on to win one further gold medal eight years later, making her one of Australia's most successful Olympians. Due to a hamstring injury, she failed to survive the second round of the 100m and withdrew from the 200 metres at the 1960 Rome Olympics, subsequently retiring from athletics for 18 months. Cuthbert returned to win the inaugural 400 metres for women at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. In her athletics career Cuthbert set 16 world records.
  • Marlene Mathews, who won bronze medals in both the 100 metres and 200 metres sprints at the 1956 Olympics, was a controversial omission from the women's 4 x 100 metres relay team. Mathews, who was devastated by this decision, received no explanation for her non-selection but it is possible that it was because she was considered an unreliable baton changer.
  • The medals used in Melbourne were the standard design first used at the Amsterdam Games in 1928. They were not placed around the athletes' necks at the medal ceremony as they are now – instead they were presented in cream velvet-lined cases. None of the medals in this photograph were individualised in any way. For example, none had the name of the event or even the sport engraved on them. Only the words 'XVIth Olympiad Melbourne 1956' appeared.

Acknowledgments

Learning resource text © Education Services Australia Limited and the National Archives of Australia 2010.

Related themes

Theme

The 1st Rugby League test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Sport and recreation

Sporting excellence is an important part of Australia’s national identity and creates community pride and engagement. Sport also plays an important role in Australia’s relationships with the world.

Theme

Women's rights demonstration in Melbourne to mark International Women's Day, 8 March 1975.

Gender and sexuality

In 1902, Australia became the second country to pass laws enabling women to vote. Discover how events and attitudes have shaped men’s and women’s roles and our views on gender, sexuality and marriage.

Theme

Map of Australia comparing land area with other countries.

Australia and the world

Learn about Australia’s roles and relationships in the world, including trade and economic development, defence and peacekeeping, and scientific and cultural collaboration.

Need help with your research?

Learn how to interpret primary sources, use our collection and more.

Get help

Acknowledgement of Country

National Archives of Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.

Connect with us

  • Facebook Facebook
  • Instagram Instagram
  • X X
  • Linkedin LinkedIn
  • YouTube YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site map

  • Contact us

    • Contact form
  • For researchers

    • RecordSearch
    • What's in the collection
    • Using the collection
    • Ask us a question about our records
    • Getting started with your research
    • Research guides
    • Grants and scholarships
    • Our other websites
  • For government

    • Agency Service Centre
    • Check-up survey
    • Building trust in the public record policy
    • Getting started with information management
    • Information governance
    • Records authorities

    For students & teachers

    • School programs
    • Plan a school visit
    • Competitions and special programs
    • Learning resources
  • Shop

    • Browse our products

    Visit us

    • Events and exhibitions
    • Research centres
    • Our locations
    • Admission to the Archives is free
  • About us

    • What we do
    • Our organisation
    • Our services
    • Our history
    • Partnerships
    • Work for us
    • ABN: 36 889 228 992
National Archives of Australia
  • Privacy
  • Freedom of information
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
National Archives of Australia