Kardinia Park facts for kids
Kardinia Park is a large public park in South Geelong, Victoria. It's a popular spot with many public and sporting facilities. You can find a big AFL stadium here, plus another football oval and a cricket field.
The park also has an outdoor swimming pool, several netball courts, and clubrooms for different sports. It's surrounded by Moorabool Street, the Geelong railway line, Kilgour Street, Latrobe Terrace, and Park Crescent.
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Park History
Kardinia Park was first officially named a public park in May 1872. Back then, it was called Chilwell Flat. The park was quite large, about 24 hectares (60 acres).
In 1872, the name Kardinia Park was chosen. The park used to stretch further north to Kilgour Street. However, when the Geelong railway was extended in 1876, part of the park was cut off. This area was later sold for houses.
Kardinia Park Zoo
A zoo opened in Kardinia Park in 1903. It was run by the park committee. In 1911, a local newspaper listed some of the animals living there.
The zoo had many types of birds, including:
- Black ducks from Australia
- Australian boobook (an Australian owl)
- Mandarin ducks from China
- Mallard ducks from Europe
- Peacocks from India
- White swans from Arctic regions
- Guinea fowls from Africa
There were also several mammals:
- Monkeys from Africa
- Four kangaroos, including a large silver kangaroo
- Six deer, some born right in the park
- A Wallaby from Tasmania
- A Great kangaroo, also from Tasmania
- A Lemur from Madagascar
It's thought that the zoo closed down sometime during World War II.
Football at Kardinia Park
By 1911, Kardinia Park already had two football ovals. One was on the eastern side, and the other on the west. The Geelong Football Club started playing their home games on the eastern oval in 1941. This happened because their old ground, Corio Oval, was needed for military use during the war. The club still uses this ground today.
The western oval is currently used by the local St Marys football club. They play their local league games there. The St Marys team has clubrooms located next to this oval, near Latrobe Terrace.
There is also a third oval, mainly used for cricket. However, it also serves as a training spot for the Geelong Football Umpires association. Their rooms are located to the south of this oval.
Swimming Pool
The Kardinia swimming pool is on Park Crescent. The City of Geelong opened it in the mid-1960s. This outdoor complex is only open when the weather is warm. The City of Greater Geelong now manages the pool.
The complex has five swimming pools:
- One for toddlers
- Another for older children
- Two 50-metre, eight-lane lap pools
- A diving pool with 1-metre and 3-metre springboards
A waterslide was added in the 1980s. It only runs during the busiest summer months.
The Kardinia pool is the home of the Geelong Swimming Club. It often hosts swimming competitions. Many people also come here for lap swimming, as it's one of the few full-length pools in Geelong. Because of its size, many school swimming carnivals are held here too.
In 2005, the centre received a big upgrade costing $4.4 million. A new, international-standard 10-lane, 50-metre pool was built. In February 2006, this pool hosted the World Lifesaving Championships.
Cricket Oval
A third oval, located north near the railway tracks, is used for cricket. The Geelong Cricket Club plays their Premier Cricket games here during summer. In the 2007/08 season, the club reached the First XI Grand Final for the first time. Their clubrooms are behind the Ford Stand, east of the main stadium.
Rugby Union Game
Super Rugby teams Melbourne Rebels and Waikato Chiefs played a practice game at the ground. This happened on Friday, February 3, 2012. It was the first Super Rugby game ever hosted in Geelong.
Other Sports and Facilities
Netball courts are located in the middle of the park. They are used for local competitions. There is also a clubroom next to the courts.
A fitness course runs along the western side of the park. For younger visitors, a children's playground is in the north-west corner. You can also find outdoor barbecue facilities, picnic areas, and public toilets.
Kardinia Park Stadium Trust
The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust is an organization that manages the Kardinia Park Stadium in Geelong, Australia.
The trust was created in 2016 by the Victorian Government. Its job is to look after the stadium as it grows and gets bigger. The trust's duties and powers are explained in the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust Act 2016. This law was passed by the Parliament in February 2016.
Trust Members
When the trust was set up in March 2016, its members included:
- Steve Bracks (the Chairman)
- Rebecca Casson
- Gillian Costa
- Simon Guthrie
- Jane den Hollander
- Michael Malouf
- Elizabeth Mears
The trust committee also chooses a CEO. At that time, the CEO was Michael Brown. He was previously the CEO for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
