Lake Cathie resident Reg McKay remembers one of Australia's memorable moments in Olympic history, as he awaits the start of Tokyo 2020 on July 23.

His late brother, Les McKay, was the national flag bearer at the 1948 London Olympic Games and only the fifth water polo player to have carried the flag in both the opening and closing ceremonies.

It was also the first time Australia had entered the water polo competition.

Reg recalls a fond, but controversial, memory of the Games opening ceremony where the Australian team marched out of step as they entered the stadium led by a representative of the Boy Scouts.

"Nothing was ever said and I'm not sure the Australian team was ever aware of it at the time. No one really noticed until photos of the stadium were developed," Mr McKay said.

"Marching out was a very military operation and to march out of step in the military is unforgivable. It became an issue for decades that the Australian team was out of step.

"The general consensus at the time was that the Australian team wasn't in step, however the scout came out in 2010 and revealed he had stopped to wait for another team ahead but hadn't marked time (marching in place)."

A framed photograph of the famous march in Wembley Stadium hung in the Broadmeadows Hotel in Melbourne until 1968. Mr McKay now retains the image.

"It's a significant moment in Australian Olympic history and everybody that came into the pub joined the discussion about who was in the wrong during the march," he said.

"Les had come out of World War II as a major, he joined North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club and became World Surf Champion in 1948.

"He went on to carry the flag again at the last British Empire Games held in New Zealand in February 1950."

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