Building teams take over Glenelg Oval
Monday 23 October 2023
It’s a hive of activity at Glenelg Oval – and not just because the cricket season has kicked off or because the Glenelg Football Club is still celebrating its recent SANFL win.
Stages 3 and 4 of the Glenelg Oval Masterplan are well underway, with the majority of work expected to be near or at completion by the end of the year.
In the north-east corner of the oval, there are multiple projects going on at once – from the construction of new cricket practice pitches to tiered seating on the grassy mound, an accessible pathway and ramp which will soon be followed by a new curator building, public toilets and a playspace.
The cricket practice pitches are the priority now and are being rebuilt to South Australian Cricket Association standards. The soon-to-be-laid turf needs time to become established and grow ahead of official cricket practice use in the 2024-25 cricket season.
The old practice pitches were prone to flooding but this has been addressed with new sub-surface drainage and irrigation systems.
At the same time, an accessible concrete pathway has been laid, which is Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant. The pathway starts on the northern side of the oval’s picket fence and will connect to the new curator building, which will be built at the same location as the former curator’s shed.
The new building will also house public toilets, and the pathway will continue onto a playspace, which will be installed behind newly constructed tiered seating on the north-east spectator mound.
Next, the focus will soon turn to Margaret Messenger Reserve which will be significantly improved.
Along with the construction of accessible pathways, which will link through to Glenelg Oval, there’ll be a fitness station, BBQ, shelter, seating, upgraded basketball court, mini soccer goals and irrigated turf to provide an open space for all to enjoy.
Finally, improved plaza entry from Rugless Terrace into the north-east corner of the oval will be completed in early 2024, along with landscaping.
On Williams Avenue, at the back of Glenelg Oval, the access laneway to Glenelg Primary School will be upgraded over the summer holidays with new asphalt paving, landscaping and separated pedestrian and service vehicle access to the oval.
The upgrade of Glenelg Oval began in 2020, with significant improvements at the Holdfast Tennis Club.
In October 2021, new multi-purpose change rooms were installed, providing a much-needed boost to female participation in sport. The new change room facilities also met modern standards for state-level football and cricket set by the SANFL and Cricket Australia.
In March 2022, new football goal posts were installed at the oval and earlier this year, an electronic LED scoreboard replaced an old manual scoreboard along with new behind goal ball stop/cricket sight screen structures, bringing Glenelg Oval in line with other SANFL grounds across Adelaide.