Queenstown Oval facts for kids
Queenstown Oval at sunset (2022)
|
|
| Location | Queenstown, Tasmania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°4′33″S 145°33′34″E / 42.07583°S 145.55944°E |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Surface | Gravel |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1895 |
| Construction cost | Unknown |
| Architect | Various |
| Tenants | |
| Queenstown Crows Football Club | |
Queenstown Oval is a famous sports ground in Queenstown, Tasmania. People often call it The Gravel or The Rec. It's on the west coast of Tasmania. This unique sports arena was built way back in 1895. It's well-known for its playing field, which is made of gravel! The Oval is mostly used for Australian rules football. But it also hosts games like cricket and athletics events. It has a main concrete stand and can hold up to 5,000 people.
Contents
A Unique Sports Ground
A Long History
For almost 100 years, Queenstown Oval was a very important place. It hosted the grand final games for the Western Tasmanian Football Association. This football league doesn't exist anymore.
The Oval was also the first sports ground in Tasmania to get a siren. This siren was used to signal the start and end of each quarter during games. It was borrowed from the Mt Lyell Mines.
Home of the Crows
Today, Queenstown Oval is the home ground for the local Queenstown Crows Football Club. They play in the Darwin Football Association. The Queenstown Crows team was formed in 1994. This happened when two older clubs, Queenstown Blues and Lyell-Gormanston, joined together. These clubs had also been formed by earlier mergers of other teams.
Honored and Updated
In 2007, Queenstown Oval was added to the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for important places in football history. The ground received updates in the 2010s. It was also part of The Unconformity festival in 2016. This festival celebrates art and culture in the region.
A Nod to the Gravel
The famous gravel playing surface of Queenstown Oval is even mentioned in art! In Jamie Cooper's painting, Tasmania's Team of the Century, you can see gravel on the knees of Ian Stewart. He was a legendary Australian football player born in Queenstown. This small detail is a fun reference to the Oval's unique field.
