Queenborough Oval facts for kids
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"The Bay"
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| Location | Sandy Bay, Tasmania |
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| Owner | Hobart City Council |
| Operator | Hobart City Council |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1916 |
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| Hutchins Football Club - Old Scholars Football Association South Hobart/Sandy Bay Cricket Club - TCA |
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Queenborough Oval is a sports ground located in Sandy Bay, Tasmania. It is about 5 kilometers south of the Hobart city center. This oval is the home base for the Hutchins Old Boys Football Club and the South Hobart/Sandy Bay Cricket Club. For many years, it was also the home of the Sandy Bay Football Club, which played in the Tasmanian Football League.
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History of Queenborough Oval
From Cemetery to Sports Ground
Queenborough Oval was not always a sports field. It was once part of a large cemetery called Queenborough Regional Cemetery. This cemetery opened in 1873. It was a place where people from the Queenborough area could bury their loved ones.
By 1913, the cemetery company could no longer take care of the site. It became neglected. In late 1915, the Hobart City Council bought the land. They started building sports grounds in 1916. The lower part became what is now known as Lower Queenborough. The current Queenborough Oval was built above it. Some parts of the old cemetery were used until 1934. In 1961, the cemetery was removed to build The Hutchins School. Today, you can still see some headstones in a small garden across the road from the oval. This garden is a special place to remember those buried there.
Football at the Oval
Sports began at Queenborough Oval in 1916. The Sandy Bay Rovers Football Club was one of the first teams to play there. After World War Two, a new team, the Sandy Bay Football Club, formed in 1945. They made Queenborough Oval their home ground in the Tasmanian Football League.
In 1965, the oval got some upgrades. A grandstand was built, which was later named the Palfreyman Stand. New clubrooms and terraced seating were also added.
One famous feature of Queenborough Oval was its long rows of hedges. These hedges ran along the fences on the Nelson Road side and at the Peel Street end. This area was known as "The Hedge End." On match days, many children loved to play in these hedges.
Challenges and Changes
As time went on, Queenborough Oval faced some challenges. By the late 1970s, it was clear the ground was too small for big football games. It also needed better facilities for fans and players. Newspapers even suggested that the Sandy Bay team should move to a different, larger oval.
The Sandy Bay Football Club did move to North Hobart Oval in 1983. However, they played at Queenborough part-time for a couple of seasons. They then returned permanently in 1986. The discussions about the oval's size continued into the 1990s. Sandy Bay moved back and forth between North Hobart Oval and Queenborough Oval several times. The club eventually stopped playing at the end of the 1997 TFL Statewide League season.
The last TFL match at Queenborough Oval was on July 27, 1997. Sandy Bay played against Glenorchy. Sandy Bay lost the game. This was a sad end to their 53 years at the ground.
Other Sports and Today's Use
Queenborough Oval has hosted other important sports events too. On May 25, 1968, the famous New Zealand All Blacks rugby team played against Tasmania at the oval. The All Blacks won the game.
The oval also hosted an international soccer friendly match. This was on June 8, 1968, between Tasmania and the Welsh club Cardiff City. Cardiff City won the match.
Today, Queenborough Oval is still a busy sports venue. The Hutchins Old Boys Football Club moved there in 1998. They play in the Old Scholars Football Association. The ground has also hosted finals for this competition. It is also the home of the South Hobart/Sandy Bay Sharks cricket team. They play in the Tasmanian Cricket Association.
