177:
photography. All I could think was, what will I do when I get there?" Upon hearing the torch was early, Lord Mayor Hills rushed outside just in time to receive Larkin's burning homemade torch which covered his hands in paint. Hills was so flustered that he rushed into his prepared remarks without looking at the torch or paying attention to the paint on his hand. Barry Larkin walked quietly away, avoiding attention, and took a tram back to his university. The Lord Mayor did not realise the torch was a fake until someone whispered in his ear. He then confirmed into the microphone that a prank had occurred.
65:
201:
the planned events, which involved solemn city officials "in their robes of office" performing "an anachronistic ritual which the Greeks themselves gave away in the light of
Christianity." The writer ended with a comparison of the torch and Jesus: "The Olympic torch is not the Light that will bring peace into the world."
162:
157:
Initially, the two students and their fake torch garnered laughter from spectators and police. Then the runner swung his arms dramatically, accidentally flinging the kerosene-drenched underpants from his torch. He panicked and fled. The confused crowd drew closer. One of the prankster students on the
132:
The one student who planned to run wore white shorts and a white top, and a second prankster dressed in a reserve air force uniform to act as a fake military escort. The full group of pranksters built a homemade torch by taking a wooden leg from a chair, covering it with silver paint (still wet), and
200:
declared it "set a new standard" for pranks. Another commentator praised Larkin for different reasons, calling the official
Olympic torch procession "a pagan cult" and lauding the prankster who "debunked" it. According to the writer, Larkin and his torch of fiery underwear were "no more absurd than"
189:
Barry Larkin joined his friends at a pub to watch the events on television. The director of Larkin's college told him "well done, son" at breakfast the next morning, and later that day when he arrived to an exam, classmates greeted him with a standing ovation. Larkin failed the exam, later telling a
204:
One unsatisfied observer blasted the city for failing to put on an event "undefiled by adolescent irresponsibility" and demanded "severe punishment" for perpetrators. Sydney's city council considered prohibiting Sydney
University from holding a Commemoration Day procession the next year. A heated
180:
The audience became unruly. Larkin recalls about half of the crowd dispersed before Harry Dillon ran up carrying the genuine torch. As the crowd descended into chaos, police attempted to create an opening through the masses where Dillon could run. When Dillon finally passed the torch to the next
176:
Barry Larkin, wearing a tie and gray slacks because he did not expect to run, began to run. The crowd closed around him until police, who believed he was the official torchbearer, escorted him all the way to City Hall. He later recalled, "It was staggering — the noise, ticker tape and flash
222:
Barry Larkin received no punishment and eventually became a successful veterinary surgeon in
Melbourne. The fake torch ended up in the possession of fellow hoaxer John Lawler, who kept it under his bed for years until his mother discarded it while tidying his house.
238:
in Sydney, Larkin's hoax received another wave of media attention. Police stationed security guards along the route as a protective measure against potential copycats. Two people attempted to steal the torch and one man tried to put out the torch using a
153:
in anticipation. When the hoaxers arrived, they set the kerosene-drenched underwear on fire. With flaming torch in hand, the designated runner set off through the streets on foot. His friend, disguised as a uniformed motorcycle escort, joined him.
193:
The incident made international news and generated fierce controversy in the local press. The hoax runner's identity was not widely known until 1998, so he was simply described as a Sydney
University student. A laudatory essay in
205:
letter of response in the newspaper called city councillors "petulant and spoiled children" and the council dropped the proposed repercussions. When a council member called the false torch "disgraceful", an unnamed
158:
sidelines, Peter
Gralton, retrieved the burning underpants and commanded fellow prankster Barry Larkin to run with the fake torch, sending him off with a kick on the rump.
100:
39:
181:
runner, an army truck had to clear the path. A city council member remarked, "it is a wonder to me that people were not killed or injured."
214:
writer wrote his comment was evidence of "the pomposity which often besets those who are elected to public office in this country."
103:, planned to protest against the Olympic flame torch relay. One reason for the protest was that the torch relay was invented by the
389:
700:
644:
619:
541:
491:
466:
438:
325:
137:
can to the top. The result was a roughly torch-shaped object. To fuel the torch, they filled it with underwear doused in
705:
594:
569:
300:
516:
363:
81:
226:
Four decades after the hoax, the other pranksters were described as "professional men, pillars of the community."
206:
196:
76:, about 3,000 runners carried the Olympic torch across Australia. First it traveled in a 29-hour plane ride from
275:
669:
85:
710:
235:
169:
108:
73:
43:
88:
basketball star Billy
Larrakeyeah. Champion runner Harry Dillon was scheduled to carry the torch to
35:
240:
89:
52:
17:
385:
68:
The Nazi origin of the
Olympic flame relay was one of the reasons Larkin protested it.
694:
47:
42:, ran with a homemade torch and fooled spectators, including a police escort and the
64:
134:
116:
415:
542:"Graduates from the Hoaxing School: Long list of pranks led to jam tin torch"
165:
93:
138:
161:
150:
112:
77:
492:"A slew of calls and letters this week identified the uni student"
160:
63:
104:
96:, who would then make a speech and pass it to the next runner.
358:
356:
354:
352:
350:
348:
346:
27:1956 hoax involving a homemade Olympic flame torch
670:"Article clipped from The Sydney Morning Herald"
149:An estimated 30,000 people lined the streets of
56:called it the greatest hoax in Olympic history.
46:, into thinking he was the torchbearer of the
8:
326:"Olympic torch to be carried 12,500 miles"
84:, where it was given to its first runner,
34:was an incident in which Barry Larkin, a
172:, who was prominently fooled by the hoax
252:
101:St John's College, University of Sydney
439:"Flaming undies! Now that was a relay"
564:
562:
7:
461:
459:
433:
431:
429:
410:
408:
406:
270:
268:
266:
264:
262:
260:
258:
256:
190:reporter: "that's another story".
99:Larkin and eight other students at
620:"Aldermen Ready To Approve Parade"
517:"Names in the News: Patrick Hills"
422:(DVD). Warner Music Entertainment.
420:QI Presents: Strictly Come Duncing
392:from the original on April 6, 2008
386:"The Olympic torch's shadowy past"
243:. None of the attempts succeeded.
25:
467:"Torch hoax may bar procession"
1:
92:and present it to Lord Mayor
645:"Pomposity From The Council"
384:Bowlby, Chris (2008-04-05).
727:
674:The Sydney Morning Herald
649:The Sydney Morning Herald
624:The Sydney Morning Herald
599:The Sydney Morning Herald
574:The Sydney Morning Herald
546:The Sydney Morning Herald
496:The Sydney Morning Herald
471:The Sydney Morning Herald
443:The Sydney Morning Herald
364:"Olympic Underwear Relay"
305:The Sydney Morning Herald
197:The Sydney Morning Herald
185:Reception of the incident
548:. 1956-11-25. p. 31
523:. 1956-11-24. p. 25
521:Newsday (Nassau Edition)
498:. 1998-07-18. p. 33
445:. 2000-06-29. p. 15
18:Barry Larkin (prankster)
676:. 1990-08-03. p. 1
651:. 1956-11-21. p. 3
626:. 1956-11-27. p. 3
601:. 1956-11-21. p. 3
576:. 1956-11-22. p. 2
473:. 1956-11-20. p. 1
332:. 1956-07-23. p. 5
307:. 1956-11-08. p. 7
301:"Olympic Flame Carrier"
32:1956 Olympic flame hoax
173:
72:In the lead-up to the
69:
211:Sydney Morning Herald
164:
67:
701:1956 Summer Olympics
595:"Olympic Torch Hoax"
570:"Olympic Torch Hoax"
276:"The lost Olympians"
236:2000 Summer Olympics
170:Lord Mayor of Sydney
109:1936 Summer Olympics
74:1956 Summer Olympics
44:Lord Mayor of Sydney
40:University of Sydney
706:Hoaxes in Australia
366:. Museum of Hoaxes
174:
70:
241:fire extinguisher
133:nailing an empty
16:(Redirected from
718:
685:
684:
682:
681:
666:
660:
659:
657:
656:
641:
635:
634:
632:
631:
616:
610:
609:
607:
606:
591:
585:
584:
582:
581:
566:
557:
556:
554:
553:
538:
532:
531:
529:
528:
513:
507:
506:
504:
503:
488:
482:
481:
479:
478:
463:
454:
453:
451:
450:
435:
424:
423:
412:
401:
400:
398:
397:
381:
375:
374:
372:
371:
360:
341:
340:
338:
337:
322:
316:
315:
313:
312:
297:
291:
290:
288:
287:
272:
90:Sydney Town Hall
21:
726:
725:
721:
720:
719:
717:
716:
715:
691:
690:
689:
688:
679:
677:
668:
667:
663:
654:
652:
643:
642:
638:
629:
627:
618:
617:
613:
604:
602:
593:
592:
588:
579:
577:
568:
567:
560:
551:
549:
540:
539:
535:
526:
524:
515:
514:
510:
501:
499:
490:
489:
485:
476:
474:
465:
464:
457:
448:
446:
437:
436:
427:
414:
413:
404:
395:
393:
383:
382:
378:
369:
367:
362:
361:
344:
335:
333:
330:The Bolton News
324:
323:
319:
310:
308:
299:
298:
294:
285:
283:
280:The Independent
274:
273:
254:
249:
232:
220:
187:
147:
130:
125:
62:
53:The Independent
38:student at the
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
724:
722:
714:
713:
708:
703:
693:
692:
687:
686:
661:
636:
611:
586:
558:
533:
508:
483:
455:
425:
402:
376:
342:
317:
292:
251:
250:
248:
245:
231:
230:Related events
228:
219:
216:
186:
183:
146:
143:
129:
126:
124:
121:
61:
58:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
723:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
698:
696:
675:
671:
665:
662:
650:
646:
640:
637:
625:
621:
615:
612:
600:
596:
590:
587:
575:
571:
565:
563:
559:
547:
543:
537:
534:
522:
518:
512:
509:
497:
493:
487:
484:
472:
468:
462:
460:
456:
444:
440:
434:
432:
430:
426:
421:
417:
411:
409:
407:
403:
391:
387:
380:
377:
365:
359:
357:
355:
353:
351:
349:
347:
343:
331:
327:
321:
318:
306:
302:
296:
293:
281:
277:
271:
269:
267:
265:
263:
261:
259:
257:
253:
246:
244:
242:
237:
229:
227:
224:
217:
215:
213:
212:
209:
202:
199:
198:
191:
184:
182:
178:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
152:
144:
142:
140:
136:
127:
122:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
97:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
66:
59:
57:
55:
54:
49:
48:Olympic flame
45:
41:
37:
33:
19:
711:1950s hoaxes
678:. Retrieved
673:
664:
653:. Retrieved
648:
639:
628:. Retrieved
623:
614:
603:. Retrieved
598:
589:
578:. Retrieved
573:
550:. Retrieved
545:
536:
525:. Retrieved
520:
511:
500:. Retrieved
495:
486:
475:. Retrieved
470:
447:. Retrieved
442:
419:
394:. Retrieved
379:
368:. Retrieved
334:. Retrieved
329:
320:
309:. Retrieved
304:
295:
284:. Retrieved
282:. 2004-08-07
279:
233:
225:
221:
210:
207:
203:
195:
192:
188:
179:
175:
156:
148:
135:plum pudding
131:
98:
71:
51:
31:
29:
416:Stephen Fry
234:Before the
128:Preparation
695:Categories
680:2024-08-04
655:2024-08-04
630:2024-08-04
605:2024-08-04
580:2024-08-04
552:2024-08-04
527:2024-08-04
502:2024-08-04
477:2024-08-04
449:2024-08-04
396:2008-04-06
370:2012-01-21
336:2024-08-04
311:2024-08-04
286:2024-08-04
247:References
86:Aboriginal
60:Background
36:veterinary
218:Aftermath
166:Pat Hills
145:Execution
94:Pat Hills
418:(2007).
390:Archived
139:kerosene
107:for the
388:. BBC.
168:, then
117:Germany
151:Sydney
113:Berlin
82:Darwin
78:Athens
105:Nazis
123:Hoax
30:The
208:The
141:.
111:in
80:to
697::
672:.
647:.
622:.
597:.
572:.
561:^
544:.
519:.
494:.
469:.
458:^
441:.
428:^
405:^
345:^
328:.
303:.
278:.
255:^
119:.
115:,
50:.
683:.
658:.
633:.
608:.
583:.
555:.
530:.
505:.
480:.
452:.
399:.
373:.
339:.
314:.
289:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
