Lake Oval
Encyclopedia
The Lake Oval was an Australian rules football
and cricket
stadium
located in Albert Park, Victoria
. It was the home of the South Melbourne Football Club
from 1878 until their relocation to Sydney in 1982 (where they became the "Sydney Swans"), and also of the South Melbourne Cricket Club. In 1995 the majority of the remaining stands and facilities were demolished, and the boutique soccer venue Lakeside Stadium
was erected in its place, to accommodate the relocation of football (soccer)
club South Melbourne Hellas (now known as "South Melbourne FC" and not to be confused with the Australian rules club) from its former home of Middle Park
due to the construction of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
.
A remnant of the old Lake Oval structure, a grandstand built in 1926, still remains standing between the stadium grandstand and the stadium's car park, but this is not used and has fallen into disrepair. Its continued existence was the subject of debate, complicated by the plans of the Victorian Government
, who wished to install a running track at Lakeside Stadium in an attempt to relocate Athletics Victoria away from its current base at Olympic Park
. The stand's future was secured when it was announced that it would be refurbished to accommodate the Victorian Institute of Sport
.
The ground record crowd for Lake Oval was set on 30 July 1932
when 41,000 turned out to see Carlton
defeat South Melbourne by nine points.
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...
and 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...
stadium
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...
located in Albert Park, Victoria
Albert Park, Victoria
Albert Park is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip. At the 2006 Census, Albert Park had a population of 5827....
. It was the home of the South Melbourne Football Club
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
from 1878 until their relocation to Sydney in 1982 (where they became the "Sydney Swans"), and also of the South Melbourne Cricket Club. In 1995 the majority of the remaining stands and facilities were demolished, and the boutique soccer venue Lakeside Stadium
Lakeside Stadium
Lakeside Stadium is an athletics track and soccer stadium in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia...
was erected in its place, to accommodate the relocation of football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club South Melbourne Hellas (now known as "South Melbourne FC" and not to be confused with the Australian rules club) from its former home of Middle Park
Middle Park (stadium)
Middle Park was a Football venue located in Middle Park, Victoria, Australia. Built in 1959, it was used by South Melbourne FC as a home ground from their inception in 1959, as well as Melbourne Hakoah, until the ground was demolished in 1994 as part of works for the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit...
due to the construction of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and associated support races.-Design:...
.
A remnant of the old Lake Oval structure, a grandstand built in 1926, still remains standing between the stadium grandstand and the stadium's car park, but this is not used and has fallen into disrepair. Its continued existence was the subject of debate, complicated by the plans of the Victorian Government
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
, who wished to install a running track at Lakeside Stadium in an attempt to relocate Athletics Victoria away from its current base at Olympic Park
Olympic Park, Melbourne
The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct is a series of sports venues and stadia, located in Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia. The precinct is situated around 3 km east of the Melbourne city centre, between the suburbs of East Melbourne and Richmond, and close to the north-eastern bank of...
. The stand's future was secured when it was announced that it would be refurbished to accommodate the Victorian Institute of Sport
Victorian Institute of Sport
The Victorian Institute of Sport is the government-funded sporting institute of the Australian state of Victoria. It runs a number of programs for sports training. The headquarters are located in Melbourne. The inaugural executive director of the institute was Frank Pyke....
.
The ground record crowd for Lake Oval was set on 30 July 1932
1932 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1932.-Premiership season:In 1932, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th man...
when 41,000 turned out to see Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
defeat South Melbourne by nine points.