Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct facts for kids
The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct is a super cool area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's packed with sports stadiums and other places where big events happen. This awesome precinct is about 3 kilometers east of Melbourne's city center. You can find it in the suburbs of Melbourne and Jolimont, close to East Melbourne and Richmond.
Many people think this is Australia's top sports area! It often hosts some of the biggest sports events from Australia and around the world. Imagine watching the exciting AFL Grand Final (that's Australian rules football), the famous Australian Open (for tennis fans), or the thrilling Boxing Day Test (a huge cricket match). This precinct has also been home to major international events like the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The precinct is made up of three main parts: Olympic Park, Melbourne Park, and Yarra Park.
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Sports Venues and Stadiums
The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct has three main areas: Olympic Park, Melbourne Park, and Yarra Park. Olympic Park and Melbourne Park are managed together by the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust. Yarra Park is looked after by the Melbourne Cricket Club. This whole area is bordered by Wellington Parade to the north, Punt Road to the east, the Yarra River to the south, and Batman Avenue to the west.
Olympic Park
- AAMI Park (holds 30,050 people; outdoors): This is a top stadium built for sports played on a rectangular field, like rugby league, rugby union, and association football (soccer). It's also used for big outdoor concerts.
- Holden Centre (Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre) (indoors): This is a training place for the Collingwood Football Club. It used to be a stadium that held 7,000 people and was used for swimming and then basketball.
- Olympic Park Oval (holds 3,000 people; outdoors): This is a public sports field and running track. Now, it's mostly used by the Collingwood Football Club for training.
- Gosch's Paddock: This is another public playing field. It was once used by the Collingwood Football Club for training. Now, the Melbourne Football Club, Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club, and Melbourne Victory FC use it for training and their offices.
Past Venues in Olympic Park
- Eastern Sportsground (also called No. 2 Oval): This stadium hosted the first rounds of field hockey at the 1956 Olympics. Later, it was used for greyhound racing. It was then taken down to build the first Collingwood training ground, which is now where AAMI Park stands.
- Motordrome (held 32,000 for racing and 15,000 for football; outdoors): This used to be a track for speedway racing and an Australian rules football ground. It was removed in 1951 and replaced by Olympic Park Stadium.
- Olympic Park Stadium (held 18,500 people; outdoors): This was once the main place for track and field events and rectangular field sports. AAMI Park took its place for rectangular field sports in 2011. This stadium was taken down in 2011 and 2012.
- Velodrome (held 4,400 people; indoors): This was a 333-meter long velodrome (a track for cycling). It was used for track cycling events at the 1956 Olympics. This venue was located on the northern side of Olympic Park, near Swan Street.
Melbourne Park
- Rod Laver Arena (holds 15,000 people; has a retractable roof): This is the main place for huge indoor concerts. It's also the center court for tennis at Melbourne Park. In the past, it was used for basketball too.
- Melbourne Arena (holds 10,500 people; has a retractable roof): This is the top spot for basketball and netball. It's the second-biggest court for tennis at Melbourne Park and a great place for indoor concerts. It can even change into a velodrome for big track cycling events!
- Margaret Court Arena (holds 7,500 people; has a retractable roof): This is the third-largest tennis court at Melbourne Park. It's also used for netball, basketball, music, and other events.
- Show Court Arena (holds 5,000 people; no roof): This is the fourth-largest tennis court at Melbourne Park. It was finished in time for the 2022 Australian Open.
- Melbourne Park Tennis Complex/National Tennis Centre: This area includes two outdoor show courts (each holding 3,000 people), five indoor courts, and twenty-eight outdoor Greenset courts. There are also eight clay courts (not used by professionals). All these courts are used for professional matches and can also be rented by the public.
Yarra Park
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (holds 100,000 people; outdoors): This is the main place for cricket and Australian rules football. Sometimes, it hosts other big sports events too.
- Punt Road Oval (holds 15,000 people; outdoors): This is a training facility for the Richmond Football Club. It used to host VFL/AFL Australian rules football matches and top-level cricket games.
- National Sports Museum: This cool museum is located at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It's a great place to learn about Australian sports history!
Past Venues in Yarra Park
- East Melbourne Cricket Ground: This ground was in the north-western part of Yarra Park. It was used for Australian rules football and top-level cricket. It was taken down in 1922 to make space for the Jolimont railyards.
A Look Back: The 1956 Olympics
For the 1956 Summer Olympics, several places in the precinct hosted Olympic events. These included track cycling, field hockey, soccer, and swimming events.
Getting There
It's super easy to get to the precinct! It's right next to the Richmond and Jolimont train stations. Every train going to the eastern side of Melbourne stops at one of these two stations. You can also get to the precinct using three tram routes from the city center. There are three footbridges to help you cross the train tracks that divide the northern and southern parts of the precinct. If you're driving, you can park your car in Yarra Park around the Melbourne Cricket Ground during big events. Free parking on nearby streets is available, but it's often hard to find a spot.
