Erskineville Oval

Erskineville Oval was first used as a sporting ground following the inception of the local senior NSW Australian Football League in 1903. This inception was brought about after the success of a Fitzroy-Collingwood game held at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1903. Soon after, the formation of 11 local senior teams occurred.[6] This included Newtown which would become the home team of Erskineville Oval from 1903 until they folded in 1987.[7] Since folding, the Newtown Football Club has been reintroduced as a junior Auskick AFL team in 1999. No longer able to use Erskineville Oval as their home venue, the junior club would instead choose a new home venue in Alan Davidson Oval, Sydney Park.[8]

The introduction of rugby league came about through the Newtown club. This is occurred during their move from Metters Sport Ground, their previous home ground, to Erskineville Oval in 1913. This move was due to the Metters field being repeatedly reported as too hard to play on as well as lacking the sufficient facilities for the team and supporters. As such, Newtown were moved to Erskineville Oval which provided more reasonable resources. The club later moved permanently to Henson Park in 1954 as Erskineville Oval could no longer provide adequate crowd amenities for the club's supporters. The last ever first grade rugby league match to be played at the ground was on 26 March 1954. In the game, Newtown played against Canterbury-Bankstown. Newtown won the match 16–13.[9]

The ground is currently a home ground for Souths Juniors as well as The Alexandria Rovers who play in the Sydney Combined Competition.

Erskineville Oval is a regular training venue for many boxing athletes under the tuition of Johnny Lewis. Johnny Lewis is a well renowned boxing training who, as of 2017, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. From as early as 1960, Lewis would train Australian boxers on the steps of the main grandstand of Erskineville Oval. Here, boxers such as Jeff Fenech, Jeff Harding and Kostya Tszyu would practice from as early as 6am. All of whom went on to become boxing world champions in their various weight classes.[10]

In 1937, Erskineville Oval was subject to renovation by the council under the NSW Government's Erskineville Rehousing Scheme. The park was temporarily taken over by the council during the length of the project. This plan included the implementation of multiple flats and the instalment of the Lady Gowrie child care facility. Both additions were built upon the oval and in the surrounding Erskineville neighbourhood. The housing scheme constructed during this time is one of the only housing projects conducted during the inter-war period. It is also the only project undertaken by the Housing Improvement Board in this time.[11] After the completion of the project in 1940, the oval was reconstructed.[12]

The completion of the Erskineville Rehousing Scheme resulted in the implementation of Fox Avenue, a street that intersected through the previous land of Erskineville Oval, creating two separate land entities. This newly separated piece of land bordered by Fox Avenue and Swanson Street was later named Harry Nobel Reserve in 1960.[13]

In 2006, Erskineville Oval received facility upgrades in preparation for its temporary use by the South Sydney Rabbitohs as a training ground. This upgrade was done in consultation between both the City of Sydney Council as well as the South Sydney rugby club. The renovations were funded by a $300,000 package from the council as a part of their $100 million investment to upgrade and create local green space.[14]

In this project, upgrades were made to the ground surface with the further installation of an oval perimeter fence. Seating capacity was also increased as well as refurnished. Furthermore, pedestrian access was added onto the oval from Ashmore Street as well as upgraded training lights and public toilet facilities for both player and spectator use.[15]

In January 1902, there was a local running race in what was then Macdonaldtown Park, over 50 yards. The race followed an argument between several men which attracted a crowd of locals to view the race. Although not an official competition, the requirement for qualification was that each competitor must weigh over 17 stone (106 kg) and the race would take place at 3pm the following Saturday. There were 5 competitors. At its completion, the second, third, fourth and fifth place competitors were each given a consolation prize, while the winner received a medal and ham from the local butcher.[19]

In 1905 a 3rd grade Western Sydney cricket match between St. Silas' Institution and Lyndhurst was interrupted when a stray cow wandered onto the field and died on the wicket. The game had to be abandoned with the outcome of the match to be determined at the end of the season. The appearance of a cow was not uncommon at this time: it was estimated that Macdonaldtown farmers owned more than 100 cows.[20]

Before their move in 1954, Erskineville Oval was the home ground of the Newtown Jets. In 1950, a number of squares from the ground's surface were mysteriously cut out of the oval and removed. It was later revealed that a local school boy, Warren Allen, had been removing the parts of the oval every day after school. He carried each square of turf from the oval to a local unused hard earth tennis court. There, he replanted and watered the grass, creating a backyard football pitch he and his friends could use.[21]