As the London Olympic Games approach, Perth celebrates its own games anniversary.

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games that were held in Perth from 22 November to 1 December, 1962. They were the second Commonwealth Games to be held in Australia, the fi rst being held in Sydney in 1938. The events were staged at different locations which, in those days, were part of the City of Perth. This includes Floreat’s Perry Lakes that hosted the athletics and Beatty Park in North Perth, where the swimming events were held.

Beyond sporting venues accommodation was required and a village of 150 homes was built on land provided by the Perth City Council.

Despite 35 countries being represented, Australia won the most gold medals. In total we won an incredible 38 gold, 36 silver and 31 bronze medals. It was a record Australia held until 1978 when Canada took the mantle.

Australia recorded many ‘fi rsts’ at the 1962 Games. Jeff Dynevor and Percy Hobson became the fi rst Aboriginals to win Commonwealth Games Gold Medals; Dynevor for boxing and Hobson for high jump – he jumped an incredible 2.11 m (6 feet 11 inches).

This was also the fi rst year the Paraplegic Empire Games and British Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held. An initiative of George Bedbrook, the Director of the Spinal Unit of Royal Perth Hospital, athletes were generally those with spinal injuries or polio. The Games were a signifi cant milestone in the Paralympics sports movement and a move away from the Stoke Mandeville Games, which had been founded when the 1948 Summer Olympics were taking place in London.

WA staged its fi rst paraplegic sports event in 1954 with the First Royal Perth Hospital Games at the Shenton Park Annex. Encouraged by the founder of the Stoke Mandeville Games, Royal Peth Hospital’s George Bedbrook started to organise disabled sports in Australia. This eventually resulted in the Paraplegic Empire Games of 1962.