The giant surfboard, featuring a digital display showing the number of years, months, days, hours and minutes until the event, was set ticking at South Bank in Brisbane by Queensland's Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones.

“We are exactly where we need to be in terms of preparation and budget for the Commonwealth Games – an event that will inject AUD$2 billion (£976 million/$1.5 million/€1.4 million) into the Queensland economy and generate around 30,000 jobs,” she said.

“We’re investing AUD$320 million (£155 million/$238 million/€215 million) into sport and community infrastructure that will deliver 18 new or upgraded world-class sports facilities.

“All new and upgraded facilities including the Carrara Sports Precinct, Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, Queensland State Velodrome and Athletes’ Village will be ready 12 months ahead of time.”

Jones claimed the decision to host a countdown clock in the State capital Brisbane, to go along with the one unveiled on the Gold Coast in 18 months ago, was intended to act as a reminder to the whole of the country that the event would be the biggest to be hosted by Australia since the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. 

"Brisbane will host the track cycling at the new Queensland State Velodrome and the shooting will be held at Belmont Shooting Centre,” she said.

The special guests included Rob de Castella, winner of the marathon when Brisbane hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1982. 

Gold Coast 2018 chairman Nigel Chamier revealed that they had been awarded the Games partly because of the success of that success 35 years ago. 

“Brisbane will be a major part of our success in 2018 after hosting one of the friendliest Games ever in 1982,” Chamier said.

“The fact that so many athletes have come forward to be involved in our milestone and other activities shows how keen they are to ‘share the dream’ and make sure the athletes from across the Commonwealth’s 71 nations and territories have the very best experience in 2018.

“This is a significant milestone and an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come in planning for this event and ensure that progress remains on track as we speed towards 2018.”

De Castella warned athletes preparing for Gold Coast 2018 that it would be here sooner they imagined. 

"I tell you, as an athlete, 1,000 days is nothing," said de Castella. 

"There are a lot of sessions, a lot of sweat, a lot of toil, a lot of hard work and injuries...but it'll go very, very quickly.

"It's always fun to go overseas, the opportunity to travel the world is a part of the excitement of being an international athlete.

"But I tell you, when you do represent your country on your home soil, and the impact that the local crowd has ... the home crowd just lifts the local athletes beyond imagination."

"As an athlete it's something you'll remember forever and you really cherish forever."

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