Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre facts for kids
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| Former names | Swimming and Diving Stadium (1956) Olympic Swimming Stadium (1957-83) Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre (1983-98) Lexus Centre (2004-10) Westpac Centre (2010-15) |
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| Location | Olympic Blvd and Batman Ave Olympic Park Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia |
| Owner | Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust |
| Capacity | 7,200 (1983-98) 5,500 (Original) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1954 |
| Opened | 22 November 1956 |
| Renovated | 1983, 2003, 2013 |
| Construction cost | £350,000 $10.5 million (1983 renovation) $20 million (2003 renovation) |
| Architect | Kevin Borland, Peter McIntyre and John and Phyllis Murphy |
| Structural engineer | Bill Irwin |
| General contractor | McDougall & Ireland |
| Tenants | |
| 1956 Olympic Games North Melbourne Giants (NBL) (1984-98) Melbourne Tigers (NBL) (1984-91) Eastside Spectres (NBL) (1987-91) Southern Melbourne Saints (NBL) (1987-91) Collingwood Football Club (Training facility) (2003-present) Victorian Institute of Sport (Training facility) (2003-present) |
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The Holden Centre is a special building in Melbourne, Australia. It's used for sports training and managing sports teams. It's part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
This building first opened in 1956. Back then, it was a swimming centre for the 1956 Summer Olympics. Later, in 1983, the swimming pool was changed into a wooden sports floor. From then until 1998, it became a popular place for basketball games. Many teams from the National Basketball League played there. These included the North Melbourne Giants and Melbourne Tigers. The centre was also a main concert venue in Melbourne for a few years.
Today, the Holden Centre is the main office for the Collingwood Football and Netball Club. Their teams also train on the sports field next door, called Olympic Park Oval.
Contents
History of the Holden Centre
From Olympic Pool to Sports Hub
The building was first called the Swimming and Diving Stadium. It was built for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. It hosted events like diving, swimming, water polo, and part of the modern pentathlon. It was very special because it was the first fully indoor Olympic swimming venue ever used in the Olympic Games.
The building's outside look is still the same as it was in 1956. It's so important that it's listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Its design was chosen in a competition in 1952. The architects who won were Kevin Borland, Peter McIntyre, and John and Phyllis Murphy. Their engineer was Bill Irwin. Building started in October 1954 and finished just before the Olympic Games began in 1956.
Outside the building, there's a cool ceramic sculpture called Totem Pole. It was made by the artist Arthur Boyd.
Basketball at The Glass House
After some big changes in the 1980s, the building became known as the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre. People often called it "The Glass House" because of its design. It became a popular place for basketball. Many teams from the National Basketball League played their home games there. These included the North Melbourne Giants, Melbourne Tigers, Eastside Spectres, and Westside Melbourne Saints.
The centre also hosted international games. For example, the Australian Boomers played against teams from other countries, like the Soviet Union in 1987. The North Melbourne Giants played at The Glass House until 1998. The Melbourne Tigers moved to a bigger stadium in 1992.
From 1984 to 1986, The Glass House was the biggest venue used in the NBL. It could hold 7,200 people. Even by 1998, when the last NBL game was played there, it was still one of the largest and oldest venues.
The North Melbourne Giants won two NBL Championships at The Glass House. They won in 1989 and again in 1994. The Glass House also hosted the NBL (Australia) All-Star Game three times, in 1988, 1989, and 1991.
Who Owns the Name?
Sponsorship and Naming Rights Explained
Sometimes, companies pay money to have a building or event named after them. This is called "naming rights." It helps the company advertise.
In 2004, a company that makes fancy cars, Lexus, bought the naming rights. The building was then called the Lexus Centre. At this time, it stopped being a public stadium. Instead, it became a training and office facility for the Victorian Institute of Sport and the Collingwood Football Club.
In 2009, Lexus decided not to continue their naming rights deal. They said it had helped their advertising enough. So, in March 2010, the Westpac bank became the new sponsor. The centre was then known as the Westpac Centre.
Later, on August 19, 2015, the car company Holden signed a big deal. They became a main partner of the Collingwood Football Club. Because of this, the club's headquarters at Olympic Park was renamed the Holden Centre.
Engineering History
The Swimming and Diving Stadium is a very important building for engineering. It has received a special award called an Engineering Heritage International Marker from Engineers Australia. This award recognizes its historical importance in engineering.
- Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre at Austadiums
