Editing 1956 Summer Olympics (section)

==Prelude==
Many members of the [[IOC]] were skeptical about Melbourne as an appropriate site. Its location in the Southern Hemisphere was a major concern since the reversal of seasons would mean the Games must be held during the northern winter. The November–December schedule was thought likely to inconvenience athletes from the [[Northern Hemisphere]], who were accustomed to resting during their winter. {{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

Notwithstanding these concerns, the field of candidates eventually narrowed to two Southern Hemisphere cities, these being Melbourne and [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]. Melbourne was selected, in 1949, to host the 1956 Olympics by a one-vote margin. The first sign of trouble was the revelation that Australian equine quarantine would prevent the country from hosting the equestrian events.<ref name="AOC Equestrian article" /> Stockholm was selected as the alternative site, so equestrian competition began on 10 June, five and a half months before the rest of the Olympic Games were to open.

The above problems of the Melbourne Games were compounded by bickering over financing among Australian politicians. Eventually, in March 1953, the [[Victoria State Government|State Government]] accepted a £2&nbsp;million loan from the [[Australian Government|Commonwealth Government]] to build the [[Olympic Village]], which would accommodate up to 6,000 people, in [[Heidelberg West, Victoria|Heidelberg West]]. After the Olympics, the houses in the village were handed back to the [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] for general public housing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/publications/research-papers/download/36-research-papers/13610-2016-3-olympics-hn |title=The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne |last=Reeves |first=Debra |website=Parliament of Victoria |access-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802102535/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/publications/research-papers/download/36-research-papers/13610-2016-3-olympics-hn|archive-date=2 August 2021}}</ref>

At one point, IOC President [[Avery Brundage]] suggested that Rome, which was to host the 1960 Games, was so far ahead of Melbourne in preparations that it might be ready as a replacement site in 1956. Constructing of the sporting venues was given priority over the athlete's village.<ref name="tmf"/> The village was designed as a whole new suburb with semi-detached houses and flats, the first village that both sexes could cohabitate the same buildings instead of gender designated sections.<ref name="tmf"/>

As late as April 1955, Brundage, who was presiding over the Olympics for the first time, was still doubtful about Melbourne and was not satisfied by an inspection trip to the city. Construction was well under way by then, thanks to a $4.5&nbsp;million federal loan to Victoria, but it was behind schedule. He still held out the possibility that Rome might have to step in.

By the beginning of 1956, though, it was obvious that Melbourne would be ready for the Olympics.<ref>{{cite book | author=[[Wendy Lewis]], Simon Balderstone and John Bowan | title=Events That Shaped Australia | pages=212–217 |publisher=New Holland | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-74110-492-9 }}</ref>