It signalled the completion of the first part of their three-month adventure, with a four-Test series and 21 provincial games still to come across the Tasman in New Zealand.
Victory at the Sydney Sports Ground was their fifth in six games in Oz - the only blemish was a surprise reverse at the hands of New South Wales in game two - and it was even more comfortable than the 11-point win in the first international a week earlier.
Beating the Aussies so easily for the fourth time in a row since a narrow defeat back in 1930 made it even more difficult to imagine touring the country as a sole destination in the near future. The Lions had only once been to Oz alone - way back in 1899 - and it would be a further 30 years before they did so again.
The manner of the win also enshrined the playing style of a squad who won plenty of plaudits from their hosts in both Australia and New Zealand despite losing the latter series against the All Blacks 3-1. The Lions employed an expansive, entertaining and often breathtaking brand of rugby and were arguably the unluckiest Lions ever during the second stage of the tour.
AUSTRALIA 3 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS 24
Scorers: Australia: Pen - Donald; Lions: Tries - Price 2, Risman, Dawson, O'Reilly; Cons - Hewitt 2, Scotland; Pen - Scotland
SETTING THE SCENE
The Lions headed for the second Test in good spirits and as heavy favourites following their victory in Brisbane and a 27-14 mid-week win over New South Wales Country in Tamworth but there was no chance of them being complacent against the Wallabies.
Their hosts had been in with a real chance of a first Test win over the Lions in nearly three decades in the opening rubber before the Lions pulled away handsomely late on at the Exhibition Ground.
The teams were level at 6-6 at half-time in that match but the Lions held their nerve, stuck to their guns as far as their free-flowing approach was concerned and eventually came good.
The earlier 18-14 defeat to New South Wales at the end of May still lingered in the backs of many minds as well, ensuring the Lions were fully focused on finishing their mini Australian adventure on a real high.
THE TEAMS
Having eventually beaten the Wallabies by a substantial margin in the opening Test, the Lions kept faith with the majority of the side for the second encounter.
Team manager Alf Wilson and captain Ronnie Dawson selected an unchanged backline and front row before making one alteration at lock and two more in the back row.
Welshman Roddy Evans replaced Ireland's Bill Mulcahy in the bolierhouse, with David Marques and Noel Murphy coming in for Alan Ashcroft and John Faull at the back of the pack.
Ex Ireland coach and IRFU president Noel Murphy was called up in the back row
All three newcomers were making their Lions Test debuts on their first tour. Harlequins flanker Marques would only go on to win one more but Evans and Murphy became something of a regular fixture. Cardiff and Wales star Evans would play in three of the four internationals in New Zealand later on in the tour, while Cork Constitution's Murphy would match that feat before winning a further four caps when the Lions headed back Down Under in 1966.
The side was a true representation of all four Home Unions, with the three changes meaning Ireland still led the way with five players in the Test team having contributed the largest percentage to the squad as a whole. England provided four, including the halfback pairing of Bev Risman and Dickie Jeeps, while Scotland and Wales had three apiece.
Only three players (Jeeps, Tony O'Reilly and Rhys Williams) had won Test caps in South Africa four years earlier but, unlike in so many of the Lions' early tours, every single member of the side had represented their respective countries before earning the ultimate selection.
Out wide was where the Lions offered the greatest threat, with wings O'Reilly and Peter Jackson bagging 41 tries between them on tour. The midfield pairing of David Hewitt and Malcolm Price was a truly creative one, while 21-year-old Risman and second-time Lion Jeeps added a blend of enthusiasm and experience to the mix.
Full back Ken Scotland embodied the Lions' attacking flair and the forwards recognised the need to supply quick ball to their backline as often as they could.
Loose-head prop Hugh McLeod had gone from a mid-weeker in 1955 to a reliable Test performer in '59 and hooker Dawson was a solid fixture throughout. But their constant presence wasn't replicated in the back row where captain and manager failed to name the same three men for any of the six Tests in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia: J Lenehan; A Morton, R Kay, L Diett, K Donald; A Summons, K Catchpole; K Ellis, P Johnson, P Dunn, A Miller, J Carroll, J Thornett, P Fenwicke (c), R Outerside
British & Irish Lions: Ken Scotland (Cambridge University/Scotland); Peter Jackson (Coventry/England), Malcolm Price (Pontypool/Wales), David Hewitt (Queen's University Belfast/Ireland), Tony O'Reilly (Old Belvedere/Ireland); Bev Risman (Manchester/England), Dickie Jeeps (Northampton/England); Hugh McLeod (Hawick/Scotland), Ronnie Dawson (c) (Wanderers/Ireland), Syd Millar (Ballymena/Ireland), Rhys Williams (Llanelli/Wales),Roddy Evans (Cardiff and Wales),Ken Smith (Kelso/Scotand), David Marques (Harlequins and England), Noel Murphy (Cork Constitution and Ireland)
Referee: A Tierney (Australia)
The Lions in Sydney:
The Lions have played 40 games in Sydney at an average of more than 3.6 on each tour. One of the world's most-talked about cities has featured in every single one of the Lions' 11 tours to Australia and hosted an incredible 20 matches across the first three of those adventures.
A total of 12 of the 40 fixtures have been Tests, with the Lions triumphing on eight occasions for a 66 per cent win rate.
It's the Wallabies who have enjoyed the first and the last laugh, though, thanks to victory in the first-ever Test in Sydney in 1899 and the most-recent encounter in 2001.
The picturesque city will feature twice on the Lions' agenda in 2013, with the Waratahs waiting on June 15 before the third and final Test takes place at the Allianz Stadium on July 6.
P 40 W 30 D 2 L 8
1888: New South Wales 2 Lions 18
New South Wales 6 Lions 18
Sydney Juniors 0 Lions 11
New South Wales 2 Lions 16
Sydney Grammar School 2 Lions 2
University of Sydney 4 Lions 8
1899: New South Wales 3 Lions 4
Metropolitan 5 Lions 8
Australia 13 Lions 3
New South Wales 5 Lions 11
Metropolitan 8 Lions 5
Australia 10 Lions 11
Australia 0 Lions 13
Combined Public Schools 3 Lions 21
1904: New South Wales 0 Lions 27
New South Wales 6 Lions 29
Metropolitan 6 Lions 19
Australia 0 Lions 17
Australia 0 Lions 16
New South Wales 0 Lions 5
1908: New South Wales 0 Lions 3
New South Wales 0 Lions 8
Metropolitan 13 Lions 16
New South Wales 6 Lions 3
1930: New South Wales 10 Lions 29
Australia 6 Lions 5
New South Wales 28 Lions 3
1950: New South Wales 6 Lions 22
Australia 3 Lions 24
Metropolitan 17 Lions 26
1959: New South Wales 18 Lions 14
Australia 3 Lions 24
1966: New South Wales 6 Lions 6
Australia 8 Lions 11
1971: New South Wales 12 Lions 14
1989: New South Wales 21 Lions 23
Australia 30 Lions 12
Australia 18 Lions 19
2001: New South Wales 24 Lions 41
Australia 29 Lions 23
