1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games was held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the athletics and archery events venue. Other events were held at the purpose-built Sleeman Sports Complex in Chandler.
| Host city | Brisbane, Australia |
|---|---|
| Motto | The Friendly Games |
| Nations | 46 |
| Athletes | 1,583 |
| Events | 141 events in 12 sports |
| Opening | 30 September 1982 |
| Closing | 9 October 1982 |
| Opened by | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
| Athlete's Oath | Tracey Wickham |
| Queen's Baton Final Runner | Raelene Boyle |
| Main venue | QEII Stadium |
The Chairman of the 1982 Commonwealth Games was Sir Edward Williams. The 1982 Commonwealth Games Logo was designed by Paulo Ferreira, who was the winner of a nationwide competition held in 1982. The symbol is derived from the form of a bounding kangaroo. The three bands, forming stylized A's (for Australia), and a bicycle frame representing Cycling they are in colours which are common to flags of many Commonwealth countries.
The mascot for the games was a cartoon kangaroo called Matilda. A 13-metre-high (42.65 feet) mechanical kangaroo travelled around the stadium and winked at the crowd.
The event was officially opened by The Duke of Edinburgh and closed by Elizabeth II.