Melbourne Commonwealth Games

The 18th Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne in March, 2006. As the State Library of the host city, we hold a wide range of material relating to the event. This includes substantial publications such as the Bid Candidature Committee presentation, appropriately titled Melbourne: there's no better place for the Games.

During the Games, the Library conscientiously collected ephemeral publications that you are unlikely to find in other libraries. These include assorted pamphlets, brochures and single-page fact sheets produced by various Games-related government agencies. We also have short-lived newsletters published daily during the Games. These publications often incorporate maps, but there are additional items in our Maps collection, including a drive guide to assist taxis, hire cars, charter buses and tow trucks during the Games.

The Pictures Collection holds a selection of merchandising, postcards and metal pins which feature Karak, the black cockatoo mascot of the Games. They also hold a collection of the ephemeral paperwork generated such as tickets, passes, invitations, permits and stationery.

In a move to encourage Melburnians and visitors to document their experience of the Games, the Library set up a dedicated website and put out the call for photos. You can still see this archived site.

If you want to step back in time, you can read daily reports of events as they happened by using our extensive Newspapers collection.

We have also archived the many websites devoted to the Games.