Bill Lawry Oval
Northcote Park, Westgarth St Oval | |
 | |
| Location | Westgarth St,Northcote,Victoria |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°46′58″S145°0′17″E/ 37.78278°S 145.00472°E |
| Owner | City of Darebin |
| Field size | 160×125m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1860s |
| Tenants | |
| Northcote Cricket Club(1904–present) Northcote Park Football Club(1989–present) Northcote Football Club(1904–08, 1915–87) Fitzroy Football Club Administration & Training (1984–1989) | |
Bill Lawry Oval,formerly known asNorthcote Park,is acricketandAustralian rules footballstadiumlocated on Westgarth St,Northcote, Victoria.It is most notable as the home ground of theNorthcote Cricket Clubin theVictorian Premier Cricket,and of theNorthcote Football Clubin theVictorian Football Association(VFA).
Northcote Park was established as a public recreation reserve in the 1860s.[1]However, its location near Merri Creek was relatively distant from the main town, meaning it was neither well patronised nor well maintained during the 19th century,[2]andCroxton Parkwas the town's favoured venue for sports.
After improvements to the ground in the early 1900s, theNorthcote Football Club,then playing in the Victorian Junior Football Association, and theNorthcote Cricket Club,which was soon a member of theVictorian District Cricketcompetition both began playing at Northcote Park from 1904.[1]In 1908, the football club (at that stage playing in theVictorian Football Association) returned to Croxton Park from 1909 until 1914; then, returned to Northcote Park in 1915 after the main grandstand was opened.[3]The last of these moves was controversial within the club and resulted in a split of the committee of the Northcote Football Club, after which a splinter group established an entirely new rival club which remained at Croxton Park.[4]
The Northcote Football Club remained at the venue from 1915 until it folded at the end of the 1987 season. TheFitzroy Football Clubof theVictorian Football Leagueutilised the venue for training (but not for matches) for a few years after being evicted from theJunction Ovalat the end of 1984.[5]In 1989, after Fitzroy had departed and Northcote had folded, theNorthcote Park Football Clubof theDiamond Valley Football Leaguemoved to the venue to become its winter football tenant.[1]TheDarebin Falconsbegan using the venue for its VFLW matches from 2018.[6]The Northcote Cricket Club has remained the venue's primary summer cricket tenant to the present day.
In 2000, the oval was renamed in honour ofVictorianandAustraliancricket captainBill Lawry,who played most of his district cricket for Northcote.[7]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abc"Northcote Park".Darebin Libraries.Retrieved25 July2020.
- ^"Suburban councils – borough of Northcote".The Mercury and Weekly Courier.Melbourne. 29 May 1885. p. 2.
- ^"Who's the delegate – Football Association dilemma".The Argus.Melbourne. 13 October 1914. p. 10.
- ^"Football – Northcote Club".The Weekly Times.Melbourne. 20 February 1915. p. 21.
- ^Mike Sheahan (19 March 1985). "Wandering Lions roar into new den".The Herald.Melbourne. p. 38.
- ^"Darebin Women's Sports Club Incorporated Annual Report 2018"(PDF).2018. p. 6.Retrieved31 July2020.
- ^"Bill Lawry Oval".Northcote Park Football Club.Retrieved25 July2020.
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