Adelaide Oval is a stadium located within the Adelaide Park Lands in the suburb of North Adelaide. It is primarily used for Australian rules football and cricket as the home ground of the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL) and the South Australia cricket team in the Sheffield Shield. It is managed by the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.
Established in 1871, the structures and grounds underwent significant redevelopment between 2012 and 2014. It has three grandstands: Riverbank Stand, Eastern Stand, and Western Stand, and is known for its heritage-listed scoreboard, which stands alongside a new digital scoreboard. Australia's first stadium hotel, named the Oval Hotel, opened in 2024.
Adelaide Oval has been headquarters to the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) since 1871 and regularly hosts finals matches in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), including the grand final continuously since 2014. The highest-ever crowd at the venue was in 1965, when 62,543 people attended the SANFL Grand Final between and .
History
19th century After the formation of the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) on 31 May 1871, a later meeting recommended a central location for the cricket ground. After an act of parliament allowed a section of the Adelaide Park Lands between North Adelaide and the River TorrensAdelaide Corporation Act (No 2 of 35 Vic, 1871) to be leased by the association, the present grounds were leased in 1872 to the first trustees, Justice Gwynne, the Henry Ayers, and Edwin Thomas Smith."The End of Football Park" Austadiums.com, 11 October 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014
Construction of the Cricket Ground was completed by 31 August 1872. The total space enclosed was 12 acres, of which the central half had been levelled, dug by hand labour, and planted with couch grass. This form the cricket ground proper and was at pains made perfectly level.
The Adelaide Oval was opened for cricket on Saturday 13 December 1873, with a cricket match between the Colonials (South Australian born) captained by John Pickering and the British (Overseas born) captained by Mr. Robinson. There was approximately 500 spectators present. The previous day 2,000 sheep were used to thin the top of the turf.
In 1882, a grandstand, possibly designed by Wright & Reed Architects, and later renamed the George Giffen Stand, was opened to the public. In 1884, the first Test match was played at the grounds, for which the mound was built and Moreton Bay fig trees were planted.
In 1885, the "Grand Corroboree", a corroboree performed by around 100 Aboriginal men and women from Point MacLeay mission and Yorke Peninsula, was attended by around 20,000 spectators (around a sixth of Adelaide's population).
During 1888, a switchback rollercoaster was constructed and was adjacent to Adelaide Oval, where the present Riverbank Stand resides.
In 1889 the original grandstand was expanded to include a dining saloon and "ladies retiring rooms", and a new stand, designed by English and Soward, was built adjacent to it.
20th century Ahead of a cycling event held on 24 March 1900, SACA undertook some major renovation of the grounds to accommodate a cycling track around the oval. Thousands of loads of earth were carted from the Torrens to create the necessary slope to the track, and a picket fence was built around the Oval's playing surface. A newspaper commenter wrote at the time: "The removal of the soil and the sloping of the banks of the lake [the Torrens] have greatly improved both its width and its appearance, while the banking up of the oval has rendered it impossible for anyone to see in from outside, for the mound is continued beyond the inner fence so as to form a natural grandstand for the spectators".
In 1911 the Adelaide Oval scoreboard, designed by architect F. Kenneth Milne, began service.
Between 1923 and 1929 substantial modifications and additions were built at the grounds, to designs by SACA architect Charles Walter Rutt. These included the John Creswell Stand (built 1923) and the entrance gates, and the western stands were integrated under one roof. At this time, the other stands were named Sir Edwin Smith Stand (built 1889), George Giffen Stand (built 1882) and Mostyn Evan Stand (built 1919–26).
In May 1927 Prince Albert, Duke of York and Elizabeth, Duchess of York visited the Adelaide Oval as a part of the Royal Tour. There was a school children's demonstration with 12 thousand children at the oval which has attended by 60 thousand. The royal party drove on the Adelaide Oval. In 1934 the Duke of Gloucester visited the Adelaide Oval.
In 1948 some souvenir hunters dug 15 to 20 holes into the Oval at the end of the 4th Test match. It was learned that the grass had not been re-laid since the late 1920s. The curator said some of the holes were 2 inches deep.
On 25 August 1973, during an SANFL game between Norwood and North Adelaide, two young children, Joanne Ratcliffe (born 1962) and Kirste Gordon (born 1968), went missing, presumably abducted, in a crime sometimes referred to as the Adelaide Oval abductions.
On 20 January 1990 the Sir Donald Bradman Stand was opened, after being built to replace the John Creswell stand.
In 1997 lights were constructed at the ground allowing sport to be held at night. This was the subject of a lengthy dispute with the Adelaide City Council relating to the parklands area. The first towers erected were designed to retract into the ground; however one collapsed and they were replaced with permanent towers.
21st century In 2003 two grandstands, named the Chappell Stands, after the South Australian cricketing brothers Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, and Trevor Chappell, were completed.
Temporary stands were constructed for the 2006 Ashes Series to cope with demand. In August 2008 SACA announced that it had approved plans to redevelop the ground, involving expanding its capacity to 40,000. Development plans showed a reconfiguration of the playing surface and a remodelled Western stand. The redevelopment would make the ground a viable option for hosting Australian Football League games as well as international soccer and rugby. The state and federal Governments each pledged $25m to the project, leaving the SACA to raise at least $45m. The SACA planned for the new stand to be ready in time for the 2010–11 Ashes series.New-look Adelaide Oval to chase AFL , The Australian, 2 August 2008 The South Australian government announced it would commit funding to redevelop Adelaide Oval into a multi-purpose sports facility that would bring AFL football to central Adelaide.The Australian, 3 December 2009 Announcing an agreement negotiated with SACA, SANFL and the AFL, the Rann Labor government committed $450 million to the project.Michael Owen, The Australian, 3 December 2009
2010: New Western Stand The three original western stands were demolished (George Giffen stand (1882), Sir Edwin Smith stand (1922), Mostyn Evan stand (1920s)) were torn down in June 2009 and a single Western Stand was developed in its place ahead of the 2010–11 Ashes series.
The Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (AOSMA), a joint venture of SACA and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), was registered as a company on 23 December 2009 following the re-announcement of the plan. In 2010 AOSMA had eight directors, four associated with SACA (Ian McLachlan, chair; John Harnden; Creagh O'Connor; and John Bannon), and four with SANFL (Leigh Whicker-CEO, Rod Payze, Philip Gallagher & Jamie Coppins).
In 2010 the new Western Stand was completed, incorporating 14,000 individual seats and featuring improved shading conditions and amenities for SACA members.
2012–2014 redevelopment In the lead-up to the 2010 state election, the opposition SA Liberals announced that, if elected, it would build a new stadium with a roof, located at Riverside West at the site of the state government's new hospital location.Mike Rann rejected SANFL's 'Liberal' stadium proposal The Australian – January 2010The SA Liberals' Plan for a New Stadium at Riverside West (Official Party Policy Document: PDF – April 2009) The incumbent SA Labor government subsequently announced it would fund a $450 million upgrade and redevelopment of the whole of Adelaide Oval, rather than just the Western Grand Stand.
However, in early-mid-2010, prior to the election, it became clear that $450m would be inadequate. Following the election, won by Labor, the Rann government capped the State Government's commitment at $450 million, and set a deadline for the parties to agree.Rann caps State Government's commitment , Advertiser, 7 April 2010: SA Premier Mike Rann has capped the State Government's commitment to any redevelopment of Adelaide Oval for AFL football at $450 million. "It's $450 million – and not a penny more", said Mr Rann today ruling out the government underwriting any cost over-runs at Adelaide Oval. In May, treasurer Kevin Foley announced that "the government's final offer to the SANFL and SACA for the redevelopment" was $535 million, and the deadline was extended to August 2010.Adelaide Oval plan still short by $50m , 27 May 2010, Adelaidenow.com.au Simultaneously, SACA and the SANFL were in the process of negotiating an agreement that would enable Australian rules football to use Adelaide Oval during the AFL season as their home ground., SACA websiteStadium Management Authority promotional brochure , 13 August 2010, SACA websiteStadium Management Authority official website , www.adelaideovalredevelopment.com.auSMA Design Briefing , 18 June 2010, SANFL website In August 2010, SANFL and SACA representatives signed letters of intent committing to the project, including the capped $535 million offer from the state government.
The redevelopment included a $40 million pedestrian bridge across the River Torrens to link the Adelaide railway station precinct with the Adelaide Oval precinct, which was partially completed for the Ashes cricket series in December 2013 and fully completed ahead of the 2014 AFL season.
In early 2011, the AFL, SANFL, SACA, the SA Government and the Australian Government reached an agreement to upgrade Adelaide Oval. The SACA and the SANFL proposed, if SACA members vote yes on the upgrade in early May, that the whole Stadium would undergo redevelopment, except for the Northern Mound, the Moreton Bay fig trees and the heritage-listed scoreboard. A three-quarters majority of SACA members were required to vote in favour of the proposed upgrade for it to ahead, with a successful vote resulting in the SANFL and AFL having control over the stadium for 7 months of the year and SACA having control for 5 months of the year. SACA members had the choice of voting online on 28 April 2011 or attending in person an Extraordinary Meeting at the Adelaide Showground on 2 May 2011. At 6 pm, 28 April 2011, It was announced that 60% of SACA members that voted online voted yes, 15% short of the majority vote needed for the upgrade to go ahead. At 10.15 pm, on 2 May 2011, the final result was announced: 80.37% of total votes cast were in favour of Adelaide Oval being redeveloped (10,078 members voted yes and 2,461 voted no), meaning that the 75% threshold had been reached and the upgrade and stadium reconfiguration was approved. Following the vote, the South Australian Government increased its funding commitment to $535 million.AAP, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2011
The upgrade commenced in April 2012. The Chappell Stands and Sir Donald Bradman Stand were demolished. The Riverbank Stand was complete in late 2013 in time for the Ashes test as well as parts of level one of the Eastern Stand. The new Eastern Stand was fully completed with a total capacity of 19,000, bringing the overall seating capacity of the stadium to 50,083 in time for the 2014 AFL season.