Summary

Pair of black socks with two pairs of red and white stripes. Part of Flying Machine Koala costume, from Koala Rescue section of 'The Boy on the Bay' a creative segment in the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Physical Description

Pair of black socks with two pairs of red and white stripes.

Significance

Part of a costume worn by performer Rowan Marchingo during the 'Koala Rescue' section of "The Boy on the Bay", the first creative segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. This costume was for the Flying Machine Koala, who attempted to pedal his vehicle - which looked like a large box-kite - to get a character call The Boy.

In the narrative of the creative segments, the Rescue Koalas appear when The Boy, having flown into the air on his Featherboard [HT 14131] in pursuit of Stellar the Fantasy Duck-Woman and winding up stranded on the Spire. The Koalas, in a variety of unconventional flying contraptions (including a giant thong and a flying ladder), strive to reach the boy as other Koalas work to reach him from the ground, and children in oversized costumes (see Magician's costume HTsing about his predicament and the struggles of the Koalas. The Koalas failed to reach the boy, and a 'storm' came over the stage, which washed all the koalas and children away, and the spire collapsed, taking the boy into the void in the centre of the stage. That was the end of 'The Boy on the Bay' and the transition to the next creative segment, 'My Skin, My Life,' the Indigenous segment of the ceremony.

The five Rescue Koalas were, according to members of the Ceremonies production team, inspired by architect Peter Corrigan, and designed by Christina Smith. They were made by members of the Costume team under Paula Ryan. The segment of the Ceremony was directed by Rose Meyers. Rowan Marchingo, was performing as a member of the Legs on the Wall Theatre Company. All the flying Rescue Koalas were played by members of Legs on the Wall. The Rescue Koala costumes were all collected by Museum Victoria immediately after the Ceremony on 15 March 2006, from the Legs on the Wall dressing room underneath the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They were then exhibited in 'Spirit of the Games', but this was the only one of the five to be collected.

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