Australia Games was held in Melbourne, Victoria, from 26 January to 5 February 1985.[1]
The concept of the national festival of sport was first raised in John Bloomfiel's report Role and Scope and Development of Recreation in Australia published in 1973.[2] In 1981, a report titled Report on the Feasibility of Australia Games resulted in the Fraser government approving the staging of a national sports festival in 1983.[3] The Australia Games Foundation was established and registered in Victoria as a trustee company in 1982.[2] The Games were part of Victoria's 150th anniversary.[3] The Games had several objectives: improve access to international competition for Australian athletes in their own environment, increase media exposure to non high-profile sports and to encourage the construction of new multi-purpose facilities of international standard.[4]
Victoria was due to host the 1987 Games after Sydney and Brisbane decided not to host them due to the cost overruns on the inaugural Games.[5] The 1987 Games did not occur due to cost issues. In 1986, it was estimated that the 1987 Games would cost $3.2 million. But the Games did not proceed after the Hawke government decided not to provide $500,000 in funding due to budgetary pressures and the Victorian Government decided not to fund the 1987 Games after uncertainty in its overall funding.[6]
The cost of staging the Games was estimated at $2 million. The Australian Government allocated $800,000 in the 1984-1985 budget and the Victorian Government provided $375,000.The balance came from the business sector. The major expenditure items were $700,000 international air travel, $200,000 for Domestic air travel and $300,000 for University of Melbourne accommodation charges.[3]
Victorian auditor-general in a 1986 report detailed massive cost overruns in the management of the Games. The Victorian Government provided the Australia Games Foundation $920,000 more than the initial grant of $375,000.[5]
Victorian Government estimated that the economic impact of the 1985 Games to the Victorian economy was $18.1 million.[1]
Sport | Venue |
---|---|
Athletics | Olympic Park Stadium |
Badminton | Monash University Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre |
Basketball | Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre |
Boxing | Festival Hall |
Cycling | Northcote Cycling Velodrome |
Diving | State Swimming Centre |
Field hockey | Royal Park |
Gymnastics | Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre |
Judo | Albert Park |
Lawn bowls | Doncaster Bowling Club |
Netball | Festival Hall |
Shooting sports | Geelong Small Bore Range Melbourne Gun Club Springvale Moving Target Range |
Softball | Gilbert Park, Knox |
Squash | Albert Park Squash Courts |
Surf lifesaving | Ocean Grove |
Swimming | State Swimming Centre |
Synchronized swimming | State Swimming Centre |
Trampolining | Croydon Leisure Centre |
Volleyball | Morwell Sports Stadium Corio Leisure Centre |
Water polo | State Swimming Centre |
Weightlifting | Hawthorn Recreation Centre |
Wrestling | Footscray Institute of Technology |