Melbourne Cricket Club Library, MCG

Melbourne Cricket Club Library, MCG

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Melbourne Cricket Club Library, MCG, Library, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Brunton Avenue, Melbourne.

117/150 – June 21 – Telegram to John Landy from Roger Bannister, congratulating Landy on breaking his World Mile Record.

70 years ago today John Landy set the world record for the mile at Turku in Finland, recording a time of 3:57.9. Landy became the second man, after Roger Bannister, to achieve a sub-4-minute mile. 

The Melbourne Cricket Club Library is extremely fortunate to have acquired a substantial donation of unique and personal material from John Landy, AC, CVO, MBE, champion Australian athlete and former Governor of Victoria. The material traces his athletics achievements from schoolboy days to retirement from sport. The collection is spread across many formats and comprises over 1700 individual items. John Landy enjoyed a distinguished athletics career, winning the bronze medal in the 1500 metres race at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and the silver medal in the one-mile event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. 

Included in the collection are 114 telegrams sent from around the world to congratulate Landy on his achievement in Turku, Finland on June 21, 1954, when he set world records for 1500 metres – 3:41.8 and for one mile – 3:57.9 (rounded up under the rules of the day to 3:58.0) in the same race. Among those who offered their congratulations were Robert Gordon Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia; Hubert Opperman; Maurice Nathan; Roger Bannister; Franz Stampfl; Landy family members; Harry Hopman; Wilfrid Kent Hughes; Geelong Grammar School, and numerous athletics clubs.

[MCC Rec # 199127953]
ATH 915.2 LANDY

#melbcclibrary150years150treasures 21/06/2024

117/150 – June 21 – Telegram to John Landy from Roger Bannister, congratulating Landy on breaking his World Mile Record.

70 years ago today John Landy set the world record for the mile at Turku in Finland, recording a time of 3:57.9. Landy became the second man, after Roger Bannister, to achieve a sub-4-minute mile.

117/150 – June 21 – Telegram to John Landy from Roger Bannister, congratulating Landy on breaking his World Mile Record. 70 years ago today John Landy set the world record for the mile at Turku in Finland, recording a time of 3:57.9. Landy became the second man, after Roger Bannister, to achieve a sub-4-minute mile. The Melbourne Cricket Club Library is extremely fortunate to have acquired a substantial donation of unique and personal material from John Landy, AC, CVO, MBE, champion Australian athlete and former Governor of Victoria. The material traces his athletics achievements from schoolboy days to retirement from sport. The collection is spread across many formats and comprises over 1700 individual items. John Landy enjoyed a distinguished athletics career, winning the bronze medal in the 1500 metres race at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and the silver medal in the one-mile event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. Included in the collection are 114 telegrams sent from around the world to congratulate Landy on his achievement in Turku, Finland on June 21, 1954, when he set world records for 1500 metres – 3:41.8 and for one mile – 3:57.9 (rounded up under the rules of the day to 3:58.0) in the same race. Among those who offered their congratulations were Robert Gordon Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia; Hubert Opperman; Maurice Nathan; Roger Bannister; Franz Stampfl; Landy family members; Harry Hopman; Wilfrid Kent Hughes; Geelong Grammar School, and numerous athletics clubs. [MCC Rec # 199127953] ATH 915.2 LANDY #melbcclibrary150years150treasures

5/150 September 12 – 1858-1908 - Australasian Football Jubilee invitation 

Image 1: Invitation card on which is written, "The Victorian Football League request the pleasure of Mr Albany G. Taggart [&] company at the celebration of the Jubilee of the Australasian Game". It is written on a map of Australasia, which is bordered by a pink scroll with Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland written on it. To the left of this is a collection of Australian native plants, a Star of Federation, two Australian red ensigns, and two footballers in Victorian uniform.

Journalist Hugh Buggy wrote on the origins of Australian national Football Carnivals on page 8 of the Argus on Tuesday June 17, 1952, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23186361 
"1908 - The Birth of carnival football
OUR Australian game may be said to have reached its maturity both in technique and prestige by 1908, when the first Australasian Football Jubilee Carnival was staged in Melbourne. This gathering of footballers from all six States and New Zealand was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the game in 1858. Victoria easily won the first and only Australasian championship. No other side could get within eight goals of the Victorians."

[MCC Library Record # 34951-01 or view online at https://tinyurl.com/yofefhas ]

Image 2: There is a copy of the programme from the 1908 Carnival in the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum collection, registration 1986.1209

Image 3: QR Code to view the programme on their catalogue. Or use https://tinyurl.com/1908Jubilee 

Image 4: QR Code to the story of the 1908 Carnival on the very informative AustralianFootball.com website. You can also use https://tinyurl.com/Carnival1908 to visit. 

#melbcclibrary150years150treasures 12/09/2023

5/150 September 12 – 1858-1908 - Australasian Football Jubilee invitation Image 1: Invitation card on which is written, "The Victorian Football League request the pleasure of Mr Albany G. Taggart [&] company at the celebration of the Jubilee of the Australasian Game". It is written on a map of Australasia, which is bordered by a pink scroll with Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland written on it. To the left of this is a collection of Australian native plants, a Star of Federation, two Australian red ensigns, and two footballers in Victorian uniform. Journalist Hugh Buggy wrote on the origins of Australian national Football Carnivals on page 8 of the Argus on Tuesday June 17, 1952, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23186361 "1908 - The Birth of carnival football OUR Australian game may be said to have reached its maturity both in technique and prestige by 1908, when the first Australasian Football Jubilee Carnival was staged in Melbourne. This gathering of footballers from all six States and New Zealand was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the game in 1858. Victoria easily won the first and only Australasian championship. No other side could get within eight goals of the Victorians." [MCC Library Record # 34951-01 or view online at https://tinyurl.com/yofefhas ] Image 2: There is a copy of the programme from the 1908 Carnival in the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum collection, registration 1986.1209 Image 3: QR Code to view the programme on their catalogue. Or use https://tinyurl.com/1908Jubilee Image 4: QR Code to the story of the 1908 Carnival on the very informative AustralianFootball.com website. You can also use https://tinyurl.com/Carnival1908 to visit. #melbcclibrary150years150treasures

4/150 September 11 – The Footballer 

The Australian game of football’s earliest annual was The Footballer. It was established in 1875 and edited by Thomas Power, the Carlton Football Club’s secretary (1870-77) and treasurer (1870-79). Modelled on cricket annuals, each edition reviewed the past season with a listing of competing clubs & outstanding players and covered senior, school, junior and provincial clubs. It also contained player profiles, tips on playing the game, reminiscences, poetry and club directories. 

In 1880, responsibility for the annual was handed to the Victorian Football Association (VFA) but it was published by the sports store Boyle and Scott. It ceased publication after 1881.

In his Reading Australian Rules Football webpage, Tim Hogan notes that, “This is a very early annual football publication, providing a guide to the current season with some information about the features of the game. The contents include some details of the administrative structure of the VFA, including a list of office bearers and the laws of the game. A list of city, suburban and country clubs in Victoria provides details of club membership numbers, formation dates, team colours, office bearers and team player lists, with brief notes about all players. There are also inter-colonial match reports, review articles, statistics on the previous Melbourne provincial and school football seasons and a short account of the Framlingham Aboriginal football team." 

#melbcclibrary150years150treasures 
[MCC Library Record # 318-1880-01] 11/09/2023

4/150 September 11 – The Footballer The Australian game of football’s earliest annual was The Footballer. It was established in 1875 and edited by Thomas Power, the Carlton Football Club’s secretary (1870-77) and treasurer (1870-79). Modelled on cricket annuals, each edition reviewed the past season with a listing of competing clubs & outstanding players and covered senior, school, junior and provincial clubs. It also contained player profiles, tips on playing the game, reminiscences, poetry and club directories. In 1880, responsibility for the annual was handed to the Victorian Football Association (VFA) but it was published by the sports store Boyle and Scott. It ceased publication after 1881. In his Reading Australian Rules Football webpage, Tim Hogan notes that, “This is a very early annual football publication, providing a guide to the current season with some information about the features of the game. The contents include some details of the administrative structure of the VFA, including a list of office bearers and the laws of the game. A list of city, suburban and country clubs in Victoria provides details of club membership numbers, formation dates, team colours, office bearers and team player lists, with brief notes about all players. There are also inter-colonial match reports, review articles, statistics on the previous Melbourne provincial and school football seasons and a short account of the Framlingham Aboriginal football team."  #melbcclibrary150years150treasures [MCC Library Record # 318-1880-01]

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Melbourne Cricket Ground, Brunton Avenue
Melbourne, VIC
3002