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Erskineville Oval is a previous Australian rules and current rugby league sporting venue in Erskineville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Originally developed and opened in 1885 as Macdonaldtown Park it was later renamed in 1892 to its current form with the municipality name change of the local government body. At approximately a capacity of 5000, previously 2000, Erskineville Oval was formerly an AFL venue as of 1903 when the NSW Australian Football League was founded. From 1913 however, the ground become a rugby venue which has since hosted professional teams such as the Newtown Jets and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

History

Erskineville Oval was originally grounded in 1885 under the name Macdonaldtown Park before being changed to Erskineville Oval in 1892. Previously, the oval was bound by Swanson Street, Copeland Street, Ashmore Street, Binning Street and Mitchell Road but has since undergone redevelopment in both 1937 and more recently in 2006. First developed in 1937 under the Erskineville Housing Scheme, the ground was altered with the addition of housing on and around the oval. This resulted in the current layout of the oval and the subsequent formation of the adjacent Harry Nobel Reserve. Over its history, Erskineville Oval has been used as a sporting venue for various sporting codes, the most notable of which includes the NSW Australian Football League, NSW Rugby Football League as well as various levels of local AFL, rugby and cricket within the Erskineville and Macdonaldtown community.

Ground Usage

After its development in 1885, Erskineville Oval became a major sporting ground for the NSW Australian Football league from its formation in 1903. From this date, Erskineville Oval became the home ground of the newly formed Newtown senior AFL. Since its inception as a sporting venue, Erskineville Oval was used as a playing ground for the local NSW AFL senior teams, hosting premiership final games in 1910, 1914 and 1919.

From 1913 Erskineville Oval also became the home ground of the recently constructed Newtown Jets, an Australian rugby league team established in 1908. Erskineville Oval held the Newtown Jets from 1913 to 1954 before they moved training venues to their now home ground Henson Park. In this period, the Newtown Jets won two premierships competing in the NSW Rugby Football League. This was achieved in 1933 and 1943 where both games were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Erskineville Oval was also host to AFL umpires who used the ground as a training facility. They did this in conjunction with the then training Newtown Jets, sharing the ground.

More recently, Erskineville Oval has been used as a temporary training venue for the South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Club. The shift of the professional club funded improvements to the oval which was then used by the Rabbitohs from their 2006 to the completion of their permanent home ground Redfern Oval in 2008.

AFL Foundation

Erskineville Oval was first used as a sporting ground following the inception of the local senior Australian Football League in 1903. This inception was brought about after the success of the Fitroy-Collingwood game held at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1903. Soon after, the formation of 11 local senior teams occurred. This included Newtown which would become the home team of Erskineville Oval from 1903 until they folded in 1987.

Rugby League Foundation

The introduction of rugby league came about through the movement of the Newtown Jets from their previous home ground of Metters Sport Ground to Erskineville Oval in 1913. This move was due to the Metters field being repeatedly reported as too hard to play on as well as lacking the sufficient facilities. As such, the Newtown Jets were moved to Erskineville Oval which provided more reasonable facilities. The club later moved to Henson Park in 1954 as Erskineville Oval could no longer provide adequate crowd facilities for the clubs supporters.

Renovation and Redevelopment

Erskineville Oval has been majorly renovated on two separate occasions. The first being the NSW Government's Erskineville Rehousing Scheme which took part in 1937. The second occurring in 2006 in the anticipation of the South Sydney Rabbitohs' temporary use of the oval.

1937 NSW Government's Erskineville Rehousing Scheme

In 1937, Erskineville Oval was subject to renovation by the council under the NSW Government's Erskineville Rehousing Scheme. The park was temporarily taken over by the council during the length of the project as flats and the Lady Gowrie child care facility were built upon the oval and the surrounding Erskineville neighbourhood. After the completion of the project in 1940, the oval was reconstructed.

The completion of the Erskineville Rehousing Scheme resulted in the implementation of Fox Avenue, a street that intersected through the previous land of Erskineville Oval, creating two separate land entities. This newly separated piece of land bordered by Fox Avenue and Swanson Street as later named Harry Nobel Reserve in 1960.

2006 Facility Upgrades

In 2006, Erskineville Oval received facility upgrades in preparation for its temporary use by the South Sydney Rabbitohs as a training ground. This upgrade was done in consultation between both the City of Sydney Council as well as the South Sydney club. The renovations were funded by a $300,000 package from the council as a part of their $100 million investment to upgrade and create local green space.

In this project, upgrades were made to the ground surface with the further installation of an oval perimeter fence. Seating capacity was also increased as well as refurnished. Furthermore, pedestrian access was added onto the oval from Ashmore Street as well upgraded training light and public toilet facilities for both player and spectator use.

Harry Nobel Reserve

Harry Nobel Reserve was originally part of Erskineville Oval prior to 1937 in which a rehousing scheme resulted in the renovation of the area. Officially reopened in 1938, the region now contained two separate parks split by the newly formed Fox Avenue. The main region bounded by Mitchell Road remained as Erskineville Oval but it wasn't until 1960 that the park bordered by Elliott Avenue was officially named after Harry Nobel Reserve. This was done in honour of Harry Nobel, an Alexandria alderman and state parliament member for Redfern who had died in 1949.

Events

Macdonaldtown Park 50 Yard Race

In January of 1902, a local race occurred in Macdonaldtown Park, now Erskineville Oval, over 50 yards. The race followed an argument between several men which attracted a crowd of locals to view the race. Although not an official competition, the requirement for qualification was deemed that each entered competitor must weigh over 17 stone (106 kilograms) and would take place at 3pm. 5 man competed with the completion of the race resulting in all parties receiving a prize with first place given a medal and a ham from the local butcher.

Dying Cow Stops Game

In 1905 a local cricket game was abandoned at Macdonaldtown Park due to a stray cow wondering onto the playing field and dying on the wicket. The 3rd grade Western Sydney competition game between St. Silas' Institution and Lyndhurst was forced to be abandoned after the incident with the outcome of the match to be determined at the end of the season. The appearance of a cow was not uncommon during the time in which over 100 cows were estimated to be owned by local farmers within the Macdonaldtown area.

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