Brunswick Street Oval facts for kids
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Brunswick Street Oval
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| Former names | Brunswick Street Oval, Fitzroy Cricket Ground |
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| Location | Edinburgh Gardens, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°47′20.54″S 144°58′51.26″E / 37.7890389°S 144.9809056°E |
| Owner | City of Yarra |
| Capacity | 10,000 (approx.) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1883 |
| Closed | 1966 (for VFL matches) |
| Tenants | |
| Fitzroy Football Club (VAFA) Administration and training (1883–1970) VFL/AFL (1883–1966) Fitzroy (VAFA) Fitzroy Junior Football Club Fitzroy Cricket Club (1872–1986) Edinburgh Cricket Club |
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The WT Peterson Community Oval is a famous sports ground in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia. Most people know it as the Brunswick Street Oval or the Fitzroy Cricket Ground. You can find it inside Edinburgh Gardens. This oval has been a home for both Australian rules football and cricket for many years.
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A Look Back: History of the Oval
The Brunswick Street Oval has a long and interesting history. It has hosted many exciting sports events over the decades.
Australian Rules Football Home
The oval is currently the home ground for the Fitzroy Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association. This club has a deep connection to the oval.
From 1884 to 1896, Fitzroy played its home games here in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Then, from 1897 until 1966, it was their home for the Victorian Football League (VFL). The very last VFL game played here was on August 20, 1966. Fitzroy played against St Kilda that day.
After 1966, the Fitzroy Football Club moved its main games to Princes Park. They shared that ground with the Carlton Football Club for a few years. However, the Brunswick Street Oval remained their training and office base until 1970. Later, they moved everything to the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
In total, 747 top-level football matches were played at this oval. This included 135 VFA games and 612 VFL games. These games took place over 83 seasons of competition.
In 1996, the Fitzroy Football Club faced some challenges. Their AFL license was taken over by the Brisbane Bears. The Bears then changed their name to the Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club, or Brisbane Lions.
However, the Fitzroy Football Club eventually made a comeback. In 2009, they joined forces with the Fitzroy Reds. They started playing competitive football again in the Victorian Amateur Football Association. Today, the Brunswick Street Oval is once again their home base. The main grandstand at the oval is very important. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register because of its historical value.
Cricket Matches and Clubs
Before football, the oval was mainly a cricket ground. The Fitzroy Cricket Club used it as their main home from 1872. They stayed there until 1986 when they merged with the Doncaster Cricket Club.
The oval even hosted one special first-class cricket match. This was between the Victoria team and the Western Australia team in the 1925/26 season.
Today, the oval is still home to the Edinburgh Cricket Club. This club started in 1978 and is one of Victoria's largest. It has 40 junior teams, ranging from under 10s to under 18s.
Soccer Games Played Here
The Brunswick Street Oval has also seen some soccer action. In 1975 and 1976, the soccer club Heidelberg United played here. Back then, they were known as Fitzroy United Alexander. They even played one game in the National Soccer League.
Throughout the 1980s, several smaller soccer clubs used the venue. This continued until 1990. Even earlier, in the 1910s and 1920s, the oval hosted important soccer matches. These included finals for the Dockerty Cup and international games.
Oval Records
The Brunswick Street Oval has witnessed many memorable moments. Here are some of its records:
- VFA Games: 135 matches were played between 1883 and 1896. Fitzroy played in 122 of these games.
- VFL Games: 612 matches took place from 1897 to 1966. Fitzroy played in 609 of these games.
- VFL Finals: The oval hosted 4 VFL finals matches.
- Highest VFA Crowd: 22,500 people watched Fitzroy play Essendon on September 17, 1892.
- Highest VFL Crowd: 36,000 fans came to see Fitzroy play Collingwood on May 6, 1935.
