Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell jnr to retire after Ashes

Brisbane venue The Gabba is set to recruit a new head curator, with legendary Grounds Manager Kevin Mitchell Jr. set to retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Mitchell joined The Gabba in 1984 as an Assistant Curator, and is in his 27th year as grounds manager.

He has overseen a ground that has had to juggle cricket, AFL, football and, earlier this year, a concert by singing star Adele.

Over those past three decades the famous ground played host to Queensland's first Sheffield Shield win, the Brisbane Lions' celebrated AFL premiership trifecta and countless memorable moments as the Aussies tore apart their cricketing foes in the traditional first Test of the season.

He recalls "in the '80s we had the really good West Indies teams touring with the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and the big four fast bowlers and that was an eye-opener for me, I thought, 'what a great place to work'.”

He added “The Gabba is a famous, iconic, historic stadium and you feel that responsibility to create something that Queenslanders are proud of, you have to love the job, it's a big part of your life."

Queensland Sports Minister Mick de Brenni said Mitchell would be a hard act to follow.  

Minister de Brenni stated “the name Kevin Mitchell jnr is synonymous with the Gabba and the pitches he curates are recognised as the best in the world, striking fear into the hearts of visiting cricket teams.

"To keep producing an absolute world-class deck on a ground that is used all year round takes a particular talent.

“The impact Kevin has had on Australian and world cricket is simply immeasurable. The next curator will have absolutely huge shoes to fill.

“I join all Queenslanders in wishing Kevin the best in his retirement after the Ashes this year.

“We are now on the search for someone who is passionate about what they do, someone who can produce, maintain and present a world class, multi-use field of play and keep the wicket at the highest standard for which it’s become renowned and emulate the success Kevin has achieved so far.”

Mitchell had moved into a less-physical, part-time role in recent years, focusing on guiding his team and helping recruit a successor.

Gabba Manager Blair Conaghan concluded "Kevvie Mitchell has meant so much to the Gabba and his work on the playing surface has really been instrumental in a lot of our success as a venue.

"It's been a fantastic journey for him, from the days when it included the old greyhound track to its transformation into the more modern facility it is today and to consistently deliver over such a long period of time is an incredible achievement."

Kevin Mitchell jnr image courtesy of Stadiums Queensland.

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