Include, Inspire, Ignite

Starting its journey at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Baton travelled over 140,000 miles around the World, visiting all Commonwealth nations and territories, arriving a year later ready to launch the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the city of Gold Coast, Queensland. 

The loop shape of the baton reflected the idea of ‘Boundless Energy’ and it’s materials those of the city’s past, present and future.

Macadamia timber, an important symbol of local Indigenous customs was sustainably sourced from the local foothills of Springbrook and crafted in-house using our CNC machining capabilities. For the opposing face, we sourced discarded plastic from oceans and beaches. A stainless steel stringer provided a structural element borrowed from surfboards and marine craft, illustrating the urban linear environment positioned between the hinterland and the ocean.

To bring it to life, capacitive touch technology triggered 120 LEDs as the baton was passed from one bearer to the next. GPS tracking and app-controlled Bluetooth communication relayed information to media channels, sharing to the world the baton’s purpose to include, inspire and ignite.