Harrup Park is a multi-sports complex located in the Queensland city of Mackay. It includes multiple ovals for Australian rules football and cricket, as facilities for athletics, tennis, croquet, basketball and table tennis.
The main oval at the venue is Ray Mitchell Oval (known under naming rights as Great Barrier Reef Arena), which has hosted AFL Women's (AFLW) and Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) matches. The venue hosted its first international men's Test cricket match in August 2026.
History Harrup Park was owned and developed by the Mackay Cricket Association in the 1940s. It was named after Mr A. L. Harrup, the president of the association at the time, and the main ground was named after the vice-president, Ray Mitchell, who was also one of the people who bought the land for the development. The ground was officially opened in September 1948.
Ray Mitchell Oval was renamed Great Barrier Reef Arena under a naming rights agreement in 2018. The ground and its facilities were extensively redeveloped and enlarged as part of the Queensland government's COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan, beginning in 2021.
Australian rules football On 19 September 2018, the Gold Coast Suns announced a four-year deal with the Mackay Council to play AFL Women's matches at Harrup Park between 2019–2022.AFL club signs huge deal with Mackay CouncilMackay deal excites Bella
Domestic cricket matches
The first major match on the ground occurred when the Queensland Country XI played against the touring West Indians in 1968, with Rohan Kanhai scoring 206 runs on the second day. In 1978, the ground staged a single World Series Cricket "Country Cavaliers" match.
The ground held its first two List A one day matches in 1988, when Queensland played the touring Pakistanis on 3 and 4 December 1988.
The first first-class match to be played there came in 1995 when Queensland played against the touring Sri Lankans, with the match ending in a 273 run victory for Queensland, with Michael Kasprowicz taking match figures of 12/95. The second first-class game, and first Sheffield Shield game, came in 2015 when New South Wales defeated Queensland in a close contest by 3 wickets. Queensland opener Matt Renshaw top scored with 170, and New South Wales spinner Will Somerville collected 7 wickets. A List A match was played there in October 2011 between Queensland and Tasmania in the 2011/12 Ryobi One Day Cup. The ground was then host to a 2016 Quadrangular series between Australia A, India A, South Africa A and Australia's National Performance Squad, which was won by India A.
Brisbane Heat from the Women's Big Bash Cricket League played six home games at Mackay in 2018 and 2019.
Great Barrier Reef Arena hosted nine WBBL games from 13 November 2021 to 20 November 2021, with six teams competing in two consecutive "festival rounds".
International cricket matches
The ground hosted a One Day International match during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, with India and Sri Lanka playing on 28 February. The match was abandoned after two deliveries due to torrential rain, despite the best efforts of the groundstaff to dry the outfield. This was the debut match of Ajay Jadeja.
In 2021, the venue was selected to host three Women's One Day International matches between Australia and India, the first of which was played on 21 September 2021.
In 2025, the ground hosted two ODIs between Australia and South Africa, 33 years after its first.
On 24 February 2026, Cricket Australia announced that the ground would become the 12th Test Venue in Australia, with the hosts playing Bangladesh in a two-test series with the other game occurring in Darwin.
Test five-wicket hauls , two Test five-wicket hauls have been taken at the venue. No. Figures Player Team Opposing team Date Result1 6/12 Mitchell Starc Australia won2 7/48 Shoriful Islam
ODI centuries As of August 2025, three ODI centuries have been scored in Mackay. No. Score Player Team Balls Innings Opposing team Date Result 1 142 Travis Head 103 Australia won 2 100 Mitchell Marsh 1063 118* Cameron Green55
As of September 2021, one WODI century has been scored in Mackay. No. Score Player Team Balls Innings Opposing team Date Result 1 125* Beth Mooney 133 Australia won
ODI five-wicket hauls , two ODI five-wicket hauls have been taken at the venue. No. Figures Player Team Opposing team Date Result 1 5/42 Lungi Ngidi South Africa won2 5/22 Cooper Connolly Australia won
References
External links Great Barrier Reef Arena official website Ray Mitchell Oval at Cricinfo Ray Mitchell Oval at CricketArchive