Wentworth Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wentworth Park |
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| Type | Urban park and sports ground |
| Etymology | William Wentworth |
| Status | Open all year |
Wentworth Park is a popular park located near the areas of Glebe and Ultimo in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's a great spot for sports and relaxing outdoors.
The park has several fields where different sports can be played. There are also cricket nets for practice and exercise equipment. Kids can enjoy a playground in the southern part of the park. There are also places to sit for picnics and public toilets near the sports fields.
Right in the middle of the park, you'll find the Wentworth Park Sporting Complex.
Park History
Wentworth Park wasn't always a park. Long ago, in the 1830s, it was a swamp and a creek called Blackwattle Cove Swamp. Over time, some factories that processed animals were built nearby. These factories caused a lot of pollution.
The water and mud in the swamp became very smelly. Even after the factories were gone, the bad smell stayed. So, the local council asked for the area to be filled in.
Filling the swamp started in 1876 and finished in 1880. They used mud from Sydney Harbour to fill it. They also built walls and barriers to help with the process. Once the area was filled, it was turned into a park. It was named after William Wentworth, an important person in Australian history.
By 1882, people loved the new park. It had sports fields, green areas, paths, and even small lakes. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Wentworth Park became a central place for community events. People came for concerts, celebrations, and to watch early moving pictures. It was also a very important place for sports, especially for the local rugby league team, the Glebe Dirty Reds.
During World War I, the park was used for different purposes. Community activities like first aid training and voting took place there. Many large wooden sheds were built to store wool for the war effort. These sheds stayed in the park for several years after the war ended.
Early Sports at Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park was once a major rugby league sports ground. It was the home field for the Glebe Dirty Reds when the New South Wales Rugby League premiership first began. Another team, Annandale, also played their home games here from 1910 to 1920.
After the Glebe Dirty Reds left the competition in 1929, the Balmain Tigers sometimes played their home games at Wentworth Park. The last professional rugby league game played here was in 1931. The Balmain Tigers won against University with a score of 29-14.
From 1928 to 1936, Wentworth Park was also a speedway track called Wentworth Speedway. The first races happened in April 1928. Motorcycle speedway was very popular, and famous riders like Lionel Van Praag and Bluey Wilkinson raced there. Wentworth Park also hosted Sydney's first ever Speedcar race in 1935.
Wentworth Park Sporting Complex
Wentworth Park, playing fields and grandstand
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| Former names | Wentworth Oval |
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| Location | Wentworth Park Road, Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia () |
| Coordinates | 33°52′39″S 151°11′36″E / 33.87750°S 151.19333°E |
| Operator | Wentworth Park Sporting Complex Trust |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Tenants | |
| Glebe Dirty Reds (NSWRL) (1908-1929) Annandale (NSWRL) (1910-1920) Balmain Tigers FC (NSW State League Division 1) (2013—present) |
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| Wentworth Park Sporting Complex | |
The Wentworth Park Sporting Complex is a large sports facility. It's about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the center of Sydney. Over the years, many different sports have been played here. These include soccer, rugby union, rugby league, greyhound racing, and speedway.
Today, greyhound racing is a main event at Wentworth Park. Races happen on Wednesday and Saturday nights, plus some special events. The track is made of sand, changed from grass in the 1990s.
The grandstand at the complex is also used for other purposes. The nearby University of Technology, Sydney and other schools often hold student examinations there.
The inner oval field inside the greyhound track is used by local schools. Other community sports groups also use it for their events.
The Greyhound Owners Breeders and Trainers Association (GBOTA) has been the main group using Wentworth Park since the 1980s. Greyhound races are held every Wednesday and Saturday night. One of the biggest events is the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg carnival, which attracts many visitors.
Wentworth Park is also the home ground for the semi-professional association football club Balmain Tigers FC. They play in the NSW State League Division 1.
In recent years, rugby league has made a return to Wentworth Park. In 2018, the Glebe Dirty Reds played pre-season games there for the first time in 90 years. They played against teams like the Newtown Jets and the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles. In 2019, the Glebe Dirty Reds played and won against the North Sydney Bears at the park. This was the first time these two clubs had met since 1929.
