WACA Ground

WACA
Ground information
Location Perth, Western Australia
Establishment 1890
Capacity 24,500
Owner Western Australia Cricket Association
End names
Members End
Prindiville Stand End
International information
First Test 16 December 1970: Australia v England
Last Test 16 December 2010: Australia v England
First ODI 9 December 1980: Australia v New Zealand
Last ODI 6 February 2011: Australia v England
Domestic team information
Western Australia (1899–)
Perth Football Club (1899–1928)
West Coast Eagles (1987–2000)
Fremantle Football Club (1995–2000)
Perth Scorchers (2011–)

The WACA ( /ˈwækə/) is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.

The WACA ground has been the "home" of cricket in Western Australia since the early 1890s. The first Test match was played at the ground in 1970.[1] The WACA has also been the home ground of the state of Western Australia's domestic cricket team, currently known as the Western Warriors. The women's cricket team known as the Western Fury plays in the Women's National Cricket League.

The pitch at the WACA was regarded as one of the quickest and bounciest in the world. These characteristics, in combination with the afternoon sea-breezes which regularly pass the ground (the Fremantle Doctor), have historically made the ground an attractive place for pace and swing bowlers.

Throughout its history, the ground has also been used for a range of other sports, including athletics carnivals, Australian rules football, baseball, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, international rules football. However, recent years have seen most of these activities relocated to other venues. It has also been used for major rock concerts.

Contents

Early history

William Henry Wise, a gardener who came to WA from England in 1880, laid the first turf wicket at the WACA. Wise was personal gardener to Sir George Shenton, of Crawley. In addition to his work at the WACA Ground, he laid the first Tennis Court on the Esplanade Perth W.A.

The Western Australian Cricket Association was officially established on 25 November 1885 under the Presidency of JCH James. In 1893, the WACA ground was officially opened, occupying a site of old swamp land to the east of the city. The Association has freehold title to the ground. Originally the title was for 29 acres (117,000 m²). However, part was sold to the Trotting Association in the early 1920s.

The first match played on the turf wickets took place in February 1894. However, difficulties encountered in transporting teams to Western Australia meant that the ground was not part of Australia's main cricket community for many years. Even with the building of a transcontinental railway, the trip from the eastern states still took several days. It took the introduction of scheduled flights to Western Australia to make the WACA readily accessible to interstate or overseas teams.

James Gardiner, president of the WACA for three terms between 1897 and 1924, proposed the adoption of 'electorate' cricket (as it was first known) whereby teams were established on a district basis for competition.[1] He also inaugurated Country Week cricket, during which country teams compete against each other.[2] In 1907, the WACA ground was under threat of being controlled by the Perth City Council to recover debts. Gardiner led the bid to save the ground and secured a government loan.[3] Further financial difficulties led Gardiner to again raise funds and donations with a cricket match by the Australian XI team in 1912.[3]

Ground developments

In 1895 the first grandstand was built at the WACA Ground, seating 500 people and incorporating dressing rooms, a dining room, bathrooms, members’ rooms and bars.

In 1931 the Farley Stand was opened, named after W.J. Farley, the Association President from 1915–1916 to 1916–17 and Secretary from 1917–1918 to 1928–1929.

In the 1960s the Players Pavilion was built to provide facilities for the players and the WACA administration. Seating was later added to provide extra seating for the WACA's inaugural Test Match in 1970.

In 1954 the scoreboard was built, a donation from the North West Murchison Cricket Association.

In 1970 the Test Stand was opened, to celebrate the first Test Match to be played at the WACA. It was later renamed the Inverarity Stand, after Western Australian, South Australian and Australian player John Inverarity.

From 1984 to 1988 the WACA underwent major renovations, including a complete resurfacing of the ground and the construction of new terracing and seating in the outer. Also built were the three tiered Prindiville grandstand and two tiered Lillee-Marsh grandstand, which increased the ground's seating capacity. Six large light towers were also installed in 1986 at a cost of $4.2 million, allowing for night time sports such as day-night cricket matches to be played at the ground. An icon of the WACA, the floodlights are 70 metres high and cost $600 per hour to run.

These redevelopments also made the venue an attractive venue for sports other than cricket, and it was during the late 1980s and early 1990s that the ground saw its greatest use as a multi-sports venue. From 1987 to 2000, the ground was used by the West Coast Eagles, and from 1995 by the Fremantle Dockers, both Perth-based AFL teams. 72 AFL matches were held at the ground during this time. From 1995 to 1997 the WACA also served as the home ground for the Western Reds rugby league team. In the late 1990s the ground played host to the Perth Heat in the former Australian Baseball League (1989-1999).

However, for various reasons these sports moved away from the WACA (in the case of night football, to Subiaco Oval), and as a consequence the WACA was again redeveloped in 2002. This redevelopment resulted in much improved facilities for both players and spectators. The capacity of the ground was reduced to around 20,000 and the dimensions of the playing arena were also decreased by a total of 31 metres at the eastern and western boundaries, meaning Australian rules football can no longer be played at the ground. The use of temporary stands boosts the ground's capacity to 24,500.

Proposed further development

On 13 April 2007 the Western Australian Cricket Association announced a $250m redevelopment of the stadium. Seating capacity was to be increased, with residential and commercial buildings built in the surrounding areas.[4] The project was to be done in partnership with Ascot Capital Limited with a three to four year time frame.[5][6] WACA members gave final approval for the project in July 2010 and construction was expected to commence in March 2011.[7]

However, by November 2011 work on the redevelopment had still yet to commence, and it was reported that delays could continue for years. Although the project has received finance, tax office and members approval, adverse market conditions were believed to make the project unfeasible at present.[8]

The redevelopment has also been the subject of a dispute between the WACA and the Australian Cricketers Association, with the players' union seeking 26 per cent of the value of the project.[9]

Memorable events at the WACA

1932
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s

References

  1. ^ The West Australian, 29 October 1928.
  2. ^ Western Australian Cricketing Association 1924, Annual Report 1923, Perth.
  3. ^ a b Barker A.J. (1997). The WACA: An Australian Cricket Success Story. Allen & Unwin, St. Leonard. 
  4. ^ EPRA projects: WACA EPRA website, November 2008.
  5. ^ WACA secures its Home and Financial Future Sportsaustralia.com, 13 April 2007
  6. ^ $250m plan to revamp WACA revealed The Sydney Morning Herald 13 April 2007.
  7. ^ "Development Agreement with Ascot Capital Ltd Approved". WACA. 28 July 2010. http://www.waca.com.au/news/detail.asp?ID=1851. 
  8. ^ John Townsend, WACA redevelopment in jeopardy The West Australian 15 November 2011.
  9. ^ John Townsend, WACA redevelopment in jeopardy The West Australian 15 November 2011.

External links