Choreographed group formations at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, 1982

With the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony commencing today, its timely to focus on these three images from our collection taken at the QEII Stadium (now called the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre) during the opening ceremony of the Brisbane Commonwealth Games on September 30, 1982.

People forming a map of Australia at QEII Stadium for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, 1982. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. In Copyright. Image 191176

These photographs from the Purcell Family collection show over six thousand school students wearing red, white and blue clothing with placards participating in specially choreographed group formations to represent a map of Australia and the Australian flag.

People forming the Australian flag at QEII Stadium for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, 1982. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. In Copyright. Image 191177

People forming Q for Queensland at QEII Stadium for the Commonwealth Games Brisbane ,1982. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. In Copyright. Image 191178

These three digitised images can also be found on our One Search catalogue.