Fremantle Oval
Encyclopedia
Fremantle Oval is a stadium
in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia
. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket
, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football
http://www.freofocus.com/main/html/about_history.cfm. It is located between the Fremantle Hospital
, Fremantle Markets
and the Fremantle Prison
.
Although the Fremantle Football Club
play all AFL
home games at Subiaco Oval
, they are based at Fremantle Oval and use it for training, administrative offices and sometimes for pre-season matches. South Fremantle Football Club
, the Bulldogs, train and play their home WAFL
matches here and are one of the few sporting organisations in Western Australia to own their club rooms freehold, rather than on a long-term lease.
As Australian Rules Football developed in the late 19th century the ground became the base for the Fremantle Football Club and hosted many early WANFL as well as interstate games. Facilities remained relatively basic until 1897 when the Victoria Pavilion was built. The large stately structure provided seating for 500 people as well as club rooms located in the basement.
By 1901 South Fremantle Football Club and East Fremantle Football Club
were established as regular cotenants of Fremantle Oval. the oval also hosted Fremantle Cricket Club and a cycling track that was in regular use throughout the year.
East Fremantle Football Club vacated the ground in 1950, moving to new premises, located at Moss Street in East Fremantle.
In 1954 the oval was used for a ceremonial parade as part of Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to Fremantle.
The Cycling Track and Cricket Pitch were removed in the 1960s due to the increasing demands of WANFL football.
The ground remained relatively unchanged until 1968 when the South Fremantle Football Club acquired a portion of land freehold at the hospital end of the ground for the construction of social club, members pavilion and players changerooms.
Further improvements were made to the ground with the growing demands of larger WANFL
crowds in the 1960s and 1970s. These included a shelter behind the goals at the prison end of the ground and a large one at the hospital end of the ground named the Doig Pavilion. A three level press box was constructed adjacent to the Victoria Pavilion. The eastern outer area of the ground was also fully terraced with concrete kerbing so as to allow for greater crowd capacity.
The late 1970s witnessed a peak in crowd attendance at Fremantle Oval with over 23,000 people attending the Foundation Day Derby in 1979. Large crowds continued to flock to the ground into the early 1980s with the WAFL proving to be the most popular spectator sport in the State.
In 1984 the ground underwent it's most dramatic structural change with the works related to the Parry Street extension, demolishing the historic Henderson Street and South Terrace entrance gates as well reducing the capacity of the ground on the western side.
In 1987, the entry of the West Coast Eagles into the expanded VFL competition lead to a dramatic decline in WAFL attendances. In 1995 this was compounded by the entry of the Fremantle Dockers into the AFL.
The Fremantle Dockers established a base at the oval and in 1999 constructed a new training facility. This required the demolition of the Doig Pavilion and the leveling of the historic hospital end hill area that had once been one of the most popular positions for the general public to watch football matches from.
The oval continues to host WAFL matches as well as AFL pre season games.
It is also used a venue for conferences, rock concerts (including the Big Day Out
) and exhibitions.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
http://www.freofocus.com/main/html/about_history.cfm. It is located between the Fremantle Hospital
Fremantle Hospital
Fremantle Hospital is a 24 hour acute-care public teaching hospital situated in central Fremantle, Western Australia, south of Perth.Fremantle Hospital and Health Service provides 575 beds across all campuses, including a 66 bed psychiatric and psychogeriatric service.The main facility of Fremantle...
, Fremantle Markets
Fremantle Markets
The Fremantle Markets are a public market located on the corner of South Terrace and Henderson Street, Fremantle, Western Australia.Built in 1897, the markets house over 150 shops for craftspeople, fashion designers, and merchants in the historic Hall, and fresh food producers, vegetable growers...
and the Fremantle Prison
Fremantle Prison
Fremantle Prison is a former Australian prison located in The Terrace, Fremantle, in Western Australia. The site includes the prison, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, tunnels, and prisoner art...
.
Although the Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
play all AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
home games at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
, they are based at Fremantle Oval and use it for training, administrative offices and sometimes for pre-season matches. South Fremantle Football Club
South Fremantle Football Club
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...
, the Bulldogs, train and play their home WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
matches here and are one of the few sporting organisations in Western Australia to own their club rooms freehold, rather than on a long-term lease.
History
In the 1880s the ground was used as a military parade ground for the nearby soldiers barracks located on Henderson Street.As Australian Rules Football developed in the late 19th century the ground became the base for the Fremantle Football Club and hosted many early WANFL as well as interstate games. Facilities remained relatively basic until 1897 when the Victoria Pavilion was built. The large stately structure provided seating for 500 people as well as club rooms located in the basement.
By 1901 South Fremantle Football Club and East Fremantle Football Club
East Fremantle Football Club
The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
were established as regular cotenants of Fremantle Oval. the oval also hosted Fremantle Cricket Club and a cycling track that was in regular use throughout the year.
East Fremantle Football Club vacated the ground in 1950, moving to new premises, located at Moss Street in East Fremantle.
In 1954 the oval was used for a ceremonial parade as part of Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to Fremantle.
The Cycling Track and Cricket Pitch were removed in the 1960s due to the increasing demands of WANFL football.
The ground remained relatively unchanged until 1968 when the South Fremantle Football Club acquired a portion of land freehold at the hospital end of the ground for the construction of social club, members pavilion and players changerooms.
Further improvements were made to the ground with the growing demands of larger WANFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
crowds in the 1960s and 1970s. These included a shelter behind the goals at the prison end of the ground and a large one at the hospital end of the ground named the Doig Pavilion. A three level press box was constructed adjacent to the Victoria Pavilion. The eastern outer area of the ground was also fully terraced with concrete kerbing so as to allow for greater crowd capacity.
The late 1970s witnessed a peak in crowd attendance at Fremantle Oval with over 23,000 people attending the Foundation Day Derby in 1979. Large crowds continued to flock to the ground into the early 1980s with the WAFL proving to be the most popular spectator sport in the State.
In 1984 the ground underwent it's most dramatic structural change with the works related to the Parry Street extension, demolishing the historic Henderson Street and South Terrace entrance gates as well reducing the capacity of the ground on the western side.
In 1987, the entry of the West Coast Eagles into the expanded VFL competition lead to a dramatic decline in WAFL attendances. In 1995 this was compounded by the entry of the Fremantle Dockers into the AFL.
The Fremantle Dockers established a base at the oval and in 1999 constructed a new training facility. This required the demolition of the Doig Pavilion and the leveling of the historic hospital end hill area that had once been one of the most popular positions for the general public to watch football matches from.
The oval continues to host WAFL matches as well as AFL pre season games.
It is also used a venue for conferences, rock concerts (including the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
) and exhibitions.