Fees

Melbourne Olympics Scout Leader

Tom Miles, Friend of the Centre

My father, Brian Miles, played a role in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.
Brian Miles, Scout Leader at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

He was the Scout Leader in charge of all the scouts. Their job was to hold the cushions on which the medals were placed for the presentation ceremonies.

My father had been given an access all areas pass and made the most of it, visiting as many events as he could manage.

His parents and sister joined him at the games and together they had a wonderful time, meeting people from around the world.

Tom didn't make it to the Beijing Olympics, but he did get to stadium roof during a subsequent visit.

I also enjoy sports and took six weeks off work to watch the Olympics in Sydney. Just like my father in Melbourne, my memories are of going to everything I could.

Although I didn’t get to the Beijing Olympics, I did travel to Beijing in 2017, where I managed to get a photo on top of the Olympic Stadium.

As well as China, I visited North Korea and Mongolia. But that’s another story.