Landy Field, Geelong
Encyclopedia
John Landy Field Recreation Reserve is situated at the corner of Swanston Street and Barwon Terrace, South Geelong and was formerly known as Riverside Reserve. It sits adjacent to the Barwon River
to the south and the Godfrey Hirst Pty Ltd carpet factory to the east.
Landy Field became a project of the Geelong Guild Athletic Club in the late 1950s. At the conclusion of the 1956 Melbourne
Olympic Games
, the Geelong City Council held a dinner on 15 January 1957 to honour the six Geelong Guild athletes (Ron Blackney, John Chittick, Robert James "Bob" Joyce, John Landy
, Don MacMillan and John Vernon
) who had represented Geelong and Australia
at these games. During the dinner, where most of the neighbouring Cities and Shires were represented, John Landy
made a speech on behalf of the honoured athletes, in which Landy compared overseas facilities available to athletes to those of Australia. Geelong, at that stage had no dediacted athletic field of any kind.
To confirm a proper management structure of Landy Field (Riverside Reserve) the Geelong City Council entered into an agreement with the Geelong Guild Athletic Club Trustees (Bervin E. Purnell
: President, Rudi Hochreiter Snr: Secretary, Wal Whiteside: Construction Engineer and Charles Harding: Committee Member). This agreement was confirmed on 6 January 1961 and thus allowed for the construction of Landy Field to commence.
Barwon River (Victoria)
The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...
to the south and the Godfrey Hirst Pty Ltd carpet factory to the east.
Landy Field became a project of the Geelong Guild Athletic Club in the late 1950s. At the conclusion of the 1956 Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the Geelong City Council held a dinner on 15 January 1957 to honour the six Geelong Guild athletes (Ron Blackney, John Chittick, Robert James "Bob" Joyce, John Landy
John Landy
John Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race...
, Don MacMillan and John Vernon
John Vernon
John Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
) who had represented Geelong and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at these games. During the dinner, where most of the neighbouring Cities and Shires were represented, John Landy
John Landy
John Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race...
made a speech on behalf of the honoured athletes, in which Landy compared overseas facilities available to athletes to those of Australia. Geelong, at that stage had no dediacted athletic field of any kind.
To confirm a proper management structure of Landy Field (Riverside Reserve) the Geelong City Council entered into an agreement with the Geelong Guild Athletic Club Trustees (Bervin E. Purnell
Bervin E. Purnell
Bervin Ellis Purnell MBE JP was mayor and councillor of the City of Geelong, Australia.Purnell was the second of seven children of Charles William Purnell and Ellen McNair . Purnell attended Flinders State School in Geelong, where he enjoyed running around the block...
: President, Rudi Hochreiter Snr: Secretary, Wal Whiteside: Construction Engineer and Charles Harding: Committee Member). This agreement was confirmed on 6 January 1961 and thus allowed for the construction of Landy Field to commence.