Forty-four athletes from the country are due to participate in the athletics events at the Paralympics, which run from September 7 to 18, while 36 have been selected to take part in swimming.

The swimming team will be hoping to better their substantial haul from London 2012, where they picked up 37 medals, 18 of which were gold.

Ellie Cole, who won four Paralympic golds at London 2012, and Brenden Hall, who returned from the Games with two titles, are the headline names in the swimming contingent.

They will be joined by the likes of Rick Pendleton, Blake Corchrane, Prue Watt and Matthew Haanappel, who all claimed gold in their respective events in London.

The swimming squad for Rio 2016 will have two notable absentees, however, as Paralympic greats Matthew Cowdrey and Jacqueline Freney, who clinched a combined haul of 16 medals at London 2012, have retired.

Australian Paralympic team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin admits it will be difficult for the nation to replicate their display at the previous edition of the Games but insists she is fully confident in the athletes that have been chosen.

“Australia has had huge success in Paralympic swimming, from the first Games in 1960 in Rome, where the late Daphne Hilton won the country’s very first gold medal in the sport,” McLoughlin said.

“Although maintaining the edge we had in London will be tough, we only need to look at Australia’s success at last year’s World Championships to know that this team is in strong form.”

The track and field squad features four-time Paralympian and 2016 Australian Paralympic team co-captain Kurt Fearnley, as well as a host of Paralympic medallists and world champions.

Reigning world 400 metres T53 champion Angie Ballard, defending Paralympic shot put F20 champion Todd Hodgetts, and 100m and 200m T35 world record holder Isis Holt, who is set to make her Games debut in the Brazilian city.

“Naming the athletes on our biggest team for Rio is an exciting milestone for the Australian Paralympic Committee, and we’re particularly excited to see what this outstanding team can achieve,” McLoughlin said.

“Australia has a rich history in Paralympic athletics.

“We’ve won more than 350 medals since the sport was introduced at the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960.

“And if the Australian Paralympic team is to finish in the top five on the medal tally in Rio, it will be this group who will largely determine whether we achieve that goal.”