More than 47,000 applications were received to secure one of the 15,000 volunteer roles at the Games, due to run between April 4 and 15 next year in the Australian city.

Offers will be distributed to the successful applicants over the next few months.

At the Volunteer Selection Centre in Burleigh, a suburb of Gold Coast, the first four offers were handed out to Donelle Coulter, Paul Brinley, Declan Roe and Adkemi Omomo, who all live in the city.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie described the moment as a “key milestone”.

“We really couldn’t deliver this Games without volunteer power and I congratulate the first four volunteers on their selection,” he said.

“To receive 47,000 applications was fantastic and really demonstrates the community spirit behind the event.

“While the quality of the application has been really high, we only require 15,000 volunteers and we are methodically working through the selection process.

“For all applicants, it’s important to remember this isn’t a first come, first served process and that the selection process continues with interviews ongoing until September.”

According to figures released by GOLDOC, the youngest person to apply for a volunteer role at the Games was 16 while the oldest were a pair of 91-year-olds.

They received applications from 117 different countries, with 99 per cent of them being in the Commonwealth.

Out the applicants, 91 per cent live in Australia.