Logan Park, Dunedin facts for kids
Logan Park, looking east, with the Otago Polytechnic visible in the distance to the left
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| Location | Dunedin, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Owner | Dunedin City Council |
| Type | Stadium Complex |
| Genre(s) | Sporting Events |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1913 |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Renovated | 1979 |
| Expanded | 2004, 2012 |
| Tenants | |
| Otago cricket team New Zealand national cricket team |
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Logan Park is a large sports area in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It was built on land that was once part of a lake called Lake Logan. This area is now a busy place for many different sports and activities.
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What You'll Find at Logan Park
Logan Park has many different sports fields. You can find grass and artificial fields for soccer and rugby. These are sometimes called Dunedin Artificial Turf or Logan Park Turf.
There are also two artificial hockey fields. You can play bowling and tennis here too. Part of the park is home to two main stadiums.
Key Sports Venues
- The University Oval stadium is here. It is where the University of Otago Rugby Football Club plays. It is also home to the Otago Cricket team.
- The Caledonian Ground is another important stadium. It is used for athletics events. It is also the main soccer venue in the city.
- The Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza is a large multi-purpose stadium. It is located very close to the southern end of Logan Park.
Location and Surroundings
Logan Park is located at the very northeast end of the Water of Leith's flat area. Green, forested hills surround the northern and eastern sides of the park. These hills are part of the base of Signal Hill.
A small stream called the Opoho Creek flows along the eastern edge of Logan Park. It runs between the park and the Logan Point quarry and Logan Park High School. The Otago Polytechnic campus is next to the western side of the park. The southern edge is bordered by the University of Otago's College of Education and the Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The Story of Logan Park
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Logan Park was once a body of water called Lake Logan. This lake was actually an inlet of the Otago Harbour known as Pelichet Bay. It often filled up with dirt and sand, especially after a causeway was built. This causeway was for the South Island Main Trunk Railway between Dunedin and Port Chalmers.
Building the Park
Work to fill in the lake began in 1913. It continued after World War I. After the land was filled, it was connected to the city center by a road lined with trees. This road was called Anzac Avenue. It led straight to Anzac Square and the Dunedin Railway Station.
The newly filled land was turned into a park. It was chosen as the site for a big event called the 1925 New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. For many years, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery was located in one of the buildings from that exhibition.
What Remains of the Exhibition
Today, only two buildings from the exhibition remain. These are the former Art Gallery building and the Otago Lawn Tennis Association building. The tennis building used to be an aquarium. Soon after the exhibition, the reclaimed land was turned into sports fields. This is how it became known as Logan Park.
Logan Park Today
Logan Park is very important and used a lot. This is because it is close to two major learning places. These are the Otago Polytechnic and the University of Otago. It is also near one of the city's larger high schools.
When the Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza was built, traffic patterns changed. The main way to get to Logan Park is now through the streets around the Polytechnic and College of Education. There is also a smaller road from the main highway, SH 88. This road goes along the harbor side of the Forsyth Barr Stadium.
In November 2019, a new artificial sports field was officially opened at Logan Park. It is known as 'Logan Park Turf'. The famous soccer player Juan Pablo Ángel helped open it.
