The Powerhouse acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the ancestral homelands upon which our museums are situated. We respect their Elders, past, present and future and recognise their continuous connection to Country.

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games 20 Year Anniversary

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In 2001 the Powerhouse Museum acquired over 600 items relating to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. They reflect the importance of this event in the cultural history of Australia particularly New South Wales as well as the innovative design and technological solutions adopted to present what were at the time referred to as 'the best games ever'.

Included in the collection are the props used in the ceremonies as well as prototypes and designs submitted to the …

2001/84/10 Bicycle, 'Prawn', Sydney Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, designed by John King, made by Anthony Neeson / Will Northam / Tamara Ealey, Ceremonies Prop Workshop, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Prawn bike from Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2001/84/284 Podium, Olympic gold medallist, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, fibreglass, designed by Brian Thomson, for Ceremonies Division, SOCOG, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 2000
Podium for gold medallist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
2001/84/345 Uniform, comprising shirt, skirt, jacket, shoes and accessories (3), Australian female athlete, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, cotton / wool / polyester / nylon / suede / rubber / paper, designed and made by the Woolmark Company, Mambo, Geoff Riddell and Nike, Australia / China, c. 2000
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Australian athletes uniform
c. 2000
2001/84/19 Banner with bag, 'Turtle cloth', silk / paint / nylon, designed by Jeffrey Samuels, made by Ceremonies Workshop, used in 'Nature' segment of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
'Turtle cloth' banner used in the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000
2001/84/146 Performance costume, 'Harvest Goddess', fabric / foam rubber, designed by Jenny Kee, made by Paula Martin and Greg Somerville, used in Opening Ceremony of Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Australia, 1999-2000
'Harvest Goddess' costume by Jenny Kee
1999-2000
2001/84/267 Olympic torch, metal / plastic, designed by Blue Sky Design, c. 1998, made by G A & L Harrington, used by Cathy Freeman, opening ceremony, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 2000
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games torch used by Cathy Freeman
1998
2001/84/34 Lawnmower, theatrical prop, foam / rubber / wood, designed by Dan Potra, made by Udo Förster, Rebecca Schipilliti, Andrew McDonnell, Nic Burton - Ceremonies Workshop, used in 'Tin Symphony' segment of Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Lawnmower performance prop used in the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000
2001/84/53 Performance costume, 'Cockatoo', fabric / aluminium / metal / feather, designed by Karin Thorn, made by Ceremonies Costume Workshop, used in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, 1996
'Cockatoo' performance costume used in the Closing Ceremony of the Atlanta Olympic Games
1987
2001/84/11 Prop, 'Licorice Allsorts', high heel shoe on tricycle, metal / cloth / foam, designed by Ross Wallace, made by Dean Manderson / Freda Meckelberg / Sally Wilson / Brian Woltjen / Linda Crawford / Andrew Mcdonnell / Asher Reed, Ceremonies Workshop, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000,
Shoe on tricycle from Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
2001/84/180 Performance costume, 'Chandelier Lady', fabric / plastic / metal, designed by Norma Moriceau, made by the Ceremonies Costume Workshop Alison Bogg, Jamella Hassan, Bettine Roynan, ceremonies team and volunteers, used in the Sydney 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, A
'Chandelier Lady' costume from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000
2001/84/116 Performance costume, 'Lawnmower Man', fabric, designed by Jennifer Irwin, made by the Ceremonies Costume Workshop, used in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
'Lawnmower Man' performance costume used in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
2001/84/319 Relay batons (4), aluminium, made by United Canvas & Sling (UCS), United States c. 2000, made for SOCOG for track events, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, used in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Relay batons made for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
2001/84/133 Performance costume, 'Kylie Showgirl', for Closing Ceremony of Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, silk / textile / crystal / feather / elastic / nylon / plastic, designed by Michael Wilkinson and Jennifer Irwin, made by Julie Bryant of the Costume Ceremonies Workshop, used by Kylie Minogue, Sydn
'Kylie Showgirl' costume worn by Kylie Minogue in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
2001/84/65 Tank cycle, small, theatrical prop, used in 'Tin Symphony', Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games, Sydney, 2000, designed by Dan Potra, made by Matt Weston and Mark McKinely at the Ceremonies Workshop, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Tank cycle theatrical prop used in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000
2001/84/12 Golf cart and oversized golf club, 'Shark Fin', performance prop, metal / plastic / polystyrene / rubber, designed by Ross Wallace, made by Ceremonies Workshop, used in 'Parade of Icons' Greg Norman float, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 200
'Shark Fin' golf cart performance prop used in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
97/123/1 Model, architectural, Sydney Olympic Stadium, designed and made by Philip Cox Richardson Taylor in association with Peddle Thorp Connell Wagner, for the Sydney Olympics 2000 Bid Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1992
Sydney Olympic Stadium architectural model for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games bid
1992
2001/84/261 Design model, blowfly, for use in Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, wire / wood / painted polystyrene, designed and made by Chris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 2000
Blowfly prototype for Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
2001/84/326 Friendship stick (mulga wood message stick), case and bag, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, wood / plastic / nylon, made by Gavin Flick, Alanna Rose and Jai Rose, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games friendship stick and accessories
1999-2000
2001/84/29 Costume, 'School fish', fibreglass / styrene / medium density fibreboard / aluminium / plywood / polyethylene foam / cloth, designed by Dan Potra, made by Fleur Burrows, Toni Ascroft, Will Sumpter, Debra Gardner, 'Creatures of Desire' Studio Sydney used in 'Deep Sea Dreaming' Sydney 2000
'School fish' costume used in the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000
P.13812/12 Swimsuits (2) and swimming caps (2), framed, 'Australian Swim Team Sydney XXVIII Summer Olympics', Speedo Memorabilia collection, polyester / polymide / rubber / timber / glass, signed by Susie O'Neill and Michael Klim, used by Speedo Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Speedo swimwear memorabilia signed by Susie O'Neill and Michael Klim
1997
2001/84/1 Doll, kewpie, large, performance prop, 'Scarlet', fibreglass / metal / cloth, made by James Colmer and Lara Denman at Bimmini Special FX and Design Studios, Queensland, used at Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Kewpie doll used in Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
2000
2001/84/346 Ceremonial uniform, comprising of shirt, trousers, bag, shoes (pair), packaging and belt, Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony, athlete, mens, various materials, designed and made by the Woolmark Company / Mambo / Nike, Australia / Vietnam, c. 2000
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony uniform
c. 2000
2001/84/227 Model, lion fish, painted polystyrene / plastic / fibre glass / tape / metal / nylon line, 'Deep Sea Dreaming', Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, designed by Dan Potra, made by model makers at the Ceremonies Workshop, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
'Lion fish' prototype for Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2000