Cairns, Australia: Olympic Torch Bearers Monument

It's always good to look at the monuments while visiting a new city. It's a way to determine what the people of the region value, which is a good step at understanding them. Besides, there are often surprises - especially if the language on them needs translating. 

This one was in English, and it worked for me. Still, it was a little odd to see a monument connected to the 1956 Summer Olympic Games on the waterfront at Cairns - a long way from the actual site of the games, Melbourne.

It turns out that this is a salute to those who took part in the "torch run," which carried the Olympic flame from Cairns to Melbourne. It was the first time the torch had been carried in the Southern Hemisphere for such purposes. This community run checked in at 2,855 miles, the longest in the history at that time. Volunteers had the chance to carry the flame for one mile, and then passed it to the next person.  

Cairns was a relatively unknown city at that point, so it was a big deal at the time to be able to host the start of the run. That's why those who made it happen - runners and administrators - take a bow here.