Owing to concerns about equine disease, the
equestrian events were transferred to Stockholm,
resulting in the Flame travelling to Sweden as
well as Australia in 1956. The Melbourne torch
was similar to the 1948 London design. On the
base of the bowl were the Olympic rings and
the inscription, 'XVI Olympiad 1956: Olympia
Melbourne'.
The torch relay covered a distance of 20,470 km
and the final leg was completed by the renowned
runner, Ron Clarke, who carried a special torch
made of aluminium.