Australian dressing robe - Tokyo Olympic Games

This yellow terry towelling dressing robe was worn by Australian swimmer Linda McGill at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Despite not winning a place at the games, McGill made a stir when she was excluded from competitive swimming for four years as a result of defying a ban and attending the opening ceremony.

In a swimming career spanning four decades, McGill produced championship performances in the pool at local club, state, national and international meets, and pioneered women's open water long distance swimming. She represented Australia at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth winning gold, silver and bronze medals, and at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. McGill was the first person to swim across Port Phillip Bay (1968) and to swim around Hong Kong Island (1976). McGill also became the first Australian to swim the English Channel (1965), and to swim around Manhattan Island (1983).