Newcastle’s No. 1 Sportsground redevelopment to coincide with venue centenary

With Newcastle’s No. 1 Sportsground drawing closer to completion, the City is anticipating being able to host elite cricket and AFL matches as soon as 2022. The redevelopment, which coincides with the venue’s centenary, will deliver improved facilities to regular users of the ground along with providing the City an economic boost through the attraction of major sporting events.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the redevelopment will solidify Newcastle’s position as a “world-class events city”, as well as benefit local sportspeople who play at National Park’s No. 1 Sportsground regularly.

Lord Mayor Nelmes added “No. 1 Sportsground was designed and constructed in 1921, officially opening in 1922, and in that time the venue has hosted a variety of sporting and non-sporting events.

“It has been over ten years since the last international match was held at No. 1 Sportsground, when our Australian women’s team defeated South Africa in the 2009 ICC Women’s World Cup.

“Novocastrians love their sport and I’m really looking forward to No. 1 Sportsground hosting the Australian Deaf Games cricket fixtures in April 2022, as well as the possibility of hosting pre-season AFL fixtures and regional Big Bash League matches right here in Newcastle.”

Work on the new lighting is nearing completion and turf has been laid with the Newcastle venue set to reopen in 2022 after the new turf has had a chance to establish. Preliminary design work is also underway for a future upgrade of the player amenities.

The makeover includes a rebuilt playing surface with increased playing field size to achieve the minimum standard required for first grade AFL and elite cricket matches, lighting upgrade to enable evening fixtures, a new sub-soil irrigation and drainage system, new player dug out benches, construction of seven new cricket wickets, new sight screens, new oval perimeter fencing and additional bleacher seating to almost double the seated capacity from 400 to 790.

No. 1 Sportsground is located on the corner of Parry and Union Streets in the National Park, one of Newcastle’s largest and oldest sportsgrounds and open space reserves. It boasts facilities for a range of sports including netball, AFL, cricket, rugby, football, athletics and croquet, and caters for casual sport and play through basketball courts and parklands.

Other work currently underway within National Park includes the construction of four additional basketball courts on the former tennis court site near the corner of National Park and Parry Streets, along with playing field upgrades at No. 5 and No. 6 Sportsgrounds which will improve the playing surface of both grounds and allow for effective management of the flood storage capacity of National Park.

For more information on the No. 1 Sportsground redevelopment go to newcastle.nsw.gov.au/council/news/projects-and-works/no-1-sportsground-redevelopment

Image top: Newcastle’s No. 1 Sportsground; and image above Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes at Newcastle’s No. 1 Sportsground