The Sun News Pictorial Challenge Shield : Australian Fighting Forces Athletic Track Championships, Melbourne, 1940

Varnished wooden trophy shield featuring pressed metal and alloy decorations, all secured to the shield with jewellers pins. The decorations are, from top to bottom: a pressed silver ribbon scroll mounted centrally, inscribed 'THE SUN NEWS PICTORIAL / CHALLENGE SHIELD' over a line of gilded cuprous alloy service badges for the RAAF, RAN (anchor) and Army (Rising Sun). Mounted under these, to each side, are a pair of pressed silver half-columns 255 mm long, wrapped in scrolls, which have been inscribed with the names of the participants. The top of each column is inscribed 'WON BY AIF'. The columns border a shield-shaped silver-plated metal design of a pair of runners breaking the tape at the end of a race; the metal has been given a opalescent enamel finish. Under this is a small metal shield engraved 'ORGANISED BY / J.J. MATHER / SPORTING GLOBE'. This sits over a small silver-plated metal ribbon scroll engraved 'TEAMS' CHAMPIONSHIP / WON BY A.I.F. / MANAGER & CAPT * CAPT E.W. CARR'. Secured under this is a decorative silver-plated shield with opalescent finish, engraved 'AUSTRALIAN FIGHTING FORCES / ATHLETIC / TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS / MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND / 30-11-1940'. The names engraved on the columns are (left column): ANNETT, C S; ARNOTT, J; BEST, E W; BURTON, O; CARPENTER, M; COOPER, R A; CULLY, B C; ELLIS, C H; GLEESON, T; HALL, S G; HESTER, N; HODGE, C; KING, H J; MACDONALD, R H; MCERVALE. C T; MCLEOD, R A; MEARS, C; MILL, R. (right column) O'CONNOR, J M; OLDHAM, H W; PARK, J; PHILLIPS, R; ROGERS, K L; ROWAN, K S; RYAN, R J; SIMEON, W A; STOKIE, J A; THORNTON, J J; THURLBY, L M; WALLIS, F S; WATSON, B G; WEST, A C; WILLIAMS, F C; WILSON, G; SGT JC HOLLIDAY Asst Manager'. Attached to top and bottom of the reverse of the shield are a pair of brass maker's plates; the upper reverse is fitted with a pair of metal slide mounting hangers - the maker's pencil marks are still evident. An original yellow collection label is pasted directly to the wood.

'The Sun News Pictorial Challenge Shield' Australian Fighting Forces Athletic Track Championships was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 November 1940. The trophy was won by the AIF team whose members are listed in the description.