Victoria Park, Melbourne
| Old Girl, VP, Vic Park | |
Victoria Park from the air in 2007
|
|
| Former names | Dight's Paddock Jock McHale Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Abbotsford, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°47′54″S 144°59′47″E / 37.79833°S 144.99639°ECoordinates: 37°47′54″S 144°59′47″E / 37.79833°S 144.99639°E |
| Owner | Citizens of Collingwood |
| Operator | City of Yarra |
| Capacity | 15,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Construction cost | £600 |
| Architect | William Pitt |
| Tenants | |
|
Collingwood Football Club (VFL/AFL) (1892–1999) Collingwood Football Club (VFA/VFL) (2010–present) Fitzroy Lions (VFL) (1985–86) Fitzroy Stars Football Club (NFL) (2010–2012) Collingwood Warriors (NSL) (1996–1997) |
|
Victoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped. Victoria Park has also been home to a cycling track, tennis courts and a baseball club that once played as a curtain raiser to football matches.
Victoria Park stadium is historically notable as a former Victorian Football League (now Australian Football League) venue between 1892 and 1999 and headquarters of the Collingwood Football Club for 107 years until 2005. It was also a temporary home ground for the Fitzroy Football Club for the 1985 and 1986 seasons. The ground is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and is of state heritage significance.
At its peak, Victoria Park was the third largest of the suburban VFL stadiums after the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Princes Park. However it was abandoned in 1999 due to its facilities not meeting the requirements of the AFL, and was to be demolished in 2000, but this was prevented by heritage status. A major redevelopment was launched in 2010 and the revitalised ground was opened in December 2011. The Collingwood Football Club's reserves team, who compete in the Victorian Football League, play most home matches at the venue.
Victoria Park was established in 1879 on Dight's Paddock by Frederick Trenerry Brown and David Abbot as part of the planned Cambellfield Estate. The twelve hectares of land that was known as "Dight's Paddock" until its sale was used as cattle agistments from 1838 when the land was stolen from the Wurundjeri people and sold at auction in Sydney. In 1878 Fred Brown arranged for his uncle Edwin Trenerry to send him ₤12,000 to be used to purchase the 12-hectare (30-acre) paddock. Edwin Trenerry was a resident of Cornwall, UK. In 1882 the land was given to the citizens of Collingwood for their "resort and recreation". A cricket pitch and cycling track were installed and the ground was used by the Capulet Cricket Club and local junior football clubs.
...
Wikipedia