Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr)

Values

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr) has historic and rarity value as the only international-standard velodrome in the metropolitan area, one of only two in the State at that time, enabling its use as part of a network of international-standard sporting venues for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr) has social and historic value through its association with the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, which had a significant impact on the state through infrastructure development and tourism. The Games form part of Western Australians’ social memories of the 1960s and the sense of the State’s ‘coming of age’ through hosting a major event on the international stage.

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr) has rarity and aesthetic value for its representation of the Post-War International style of architecture through the original external form of the grandstand, and the materiality and detailing of the building. The place is a good example of a sporting venue constructed by the Perth City Council during the lead up to the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, with only a few other examples remaining extant.

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr) has scientific value for the information it may provide on its construction, a technical achievement at that time, including the steeply banked concrete and timber track and tunnel crossing under the track which was based on best practice in the construction of international track cycling venues at the time, and was based on the velodrome constructed for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Physical Description

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr), Leederville, is a sports ground that comprises the site of 1962 Commonwealth Games cycle racing track (1958-1959); part of the original cyclists’ tunnel (constructed 1958, demolished 2023); entrance building (c.1959); two toilet blocks (c.1959); switch room/ scoreboard (c.1959); tea-tree (leptospermum) hedge along the northern boundary (c.1960); site of the former competitors’ building/change rooms (c.1961, demolished 2019); and velodrome grandstand (c.1961, later known as the ‘Eleni Grandstand’, demolished 2024).

Later elements of the site include the Floreat Athena Football Club function and meeting rooms (c.1985); the rectangular sports field constructed across the former oval-shaped velodrome, (c.1998-1999); and open-air, tiered spectator seating (c.1998-1999).

Other prominent landscaping includes a mature jarrah tree (already well-established by 1953); a mature ficus (planted c.1970s); and a grove of eucalypts (progressively planted from the 1960s).

History

Following the invention of the ‘safety cycle’, cycling became a popular mode of transport in WA in the 1890s, and the popularity of cycling clubs and competitive track and road racing grew along with the general popularity of cycling. In 1896 the first registered cycling club in WA, the League of Western Australian Wheelmen, was formed as a league of existing clubs. Cycling tracks were commonly built around local sporting ovals throughout metropolitan and regional WA in this period.

The bicycle industry experienced a boom during the Depression era of the 1930s due to the affordability and safety of bicycles. At its peak, there were nearly 100 bicycle building shops in WA. By 1939 the largest, Swansea Cycles and Motor Co., expanded to a 5,000-square-foot factory in Newman Street, Fremantle; had branches in Perth, Kalgoorlie, and Bunbury; agents in Darwin and throughout WA; and turned over 1,500 bicycles a year.

Cycle tracks around sporting ovals were commonly upgraded during the 1930s to address safety issues and create banked tracks to improve the sport. Ovals that included cycle tracks were multi-use recreation sites, with the cycle tracks sometimes used for other purposes such as trotting. Cycle racing was an accessible spectator sport commonly held at these ovals, and by the 1950s many tracks featured banks of varying degrees, although none were constructed to standard international specifications.

In May 1952 the League of West Australian Wheelman requested that Perth City Council consider constructing a purpose-built ‘enclosed cycle track’ in the city area. The City began investigating other cycling tracks in Australia, determining whether a suitable site could be found within the Endowment Lands and liaising with interested organisations connected with the West Australian cycling community.

By the end of 1953, ‘sites in the vicinity of Lake Monger’ were being considered by the Perth City Council, and Perth Lord Mayor James Murray ‘assured officials of the WA Amateur Cyclists’ Union that there would be a cycling track built in Perth within the next two years in the Lake Monger area’.

Little progress ensued until July 1954 when the City Engineer’s Department prepared a plan for a proposed track layout, and the proposal for an ‘Olympic Standard Cycle Track’ was announced in August 1954. Debates about the orientation of the track and its relationship to existing ground levels delayed building works.

Although the velodrome was originally proposed as a venue for the cycling community and construction was already underway, it was rolled into the Perth City Council’s proposal to host the VIIth British Empire and Commonwealth Games to be held in 1962. At the time, Perth was a small, isolated town with a population of less than 500,000, and had ‘almost no sports facilities of international standard’. The City of Perth, headed by Lord Mayor Harry Howard, saw the games as ‘an opportunity for enhancing a reputation for goodwill and hospitality on an international plane’.

Perth City Council’s first application to host the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Australia failed, with Adelaide chosen in September 1956 as the preferred location.

One of the City’s Engineers went to Melbourne to investigate suitable track surfaces just after the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. At the time there were varying international views as to whether wood, bitumen or concrete would be the most appropriate track surface were considered. The City Engineer also found differences in opinion as to whether the track length should be 250m or 333 1/3 m amongst those he interviewed.

In March 1957, the Perth City Council announced that work on the 250m track designed to international standards would commence soon. A grandstand would be a future addition to the site after the track and facilities had been completed. In addition, ‘a special tunnel running under the track is to be included in the building programme to give competitors access to the centre of the arena.’ Cycling clubs were pleased with the announcement, but several Mount Hawthorn residents were unhappy with the chosen site. They felt it would devalue their houses and was not in keeping with community use of the lake.

The decision for Adelaide to host the 1962 Games was rescinded in April 1958, and Perth City Council submitted a new proposal in June 1958 which committed to the construction of ‘an Olympic Pool and diving pool, an athletic stadium to seat 52,000, a velodrome at Lake Monger (already begun), training tracks at Leederville Oval and a Games Village’. The new purpose-built venues were a key part of the council’s vision of the ‘great national benefit’ of selecting Perth to host. Their second application was successful, with Perth chosen as Australia’s host city for the 1962 Games in June 1958.

Work on the banks of the velodrome commenced by November 1958. The track measured 333m 32cm, the Olympic standard five laps to the mile, with 10 degree banks in the straights rising to 37 degrees at each end. The track was constructed of gunnite concrete, which was laid using high-pressure hoses that could spurt 600 cubic feet a minute, to minimise the water content and prevent cracking during the drying process.

The Velodrome was ‘brilliantly lit’ on the opening night on 14 March 1959. State teams moved around the track together to mark the opening in front of an estimated 5,000 spectators. Lord Mayor, Mr Howard, remarked that ‘we are pleased the Velodrome meets with the approval of those who have to use it.’

The velodrome was used for many events prior to the 1962 Games. In March 1959, it was used for the Championship Cycling Meeting. In October 1960, it was the venue for the Aces Leederville Derby for amateur cyclists.

By March 1961, the track, entrance building, toilets, switch room, tunnel and competitors’ rooms had all been completed. The grandstand, end open-seat stands and site fencing were completed after March 1961. The grandstand, turnstile and entrance building were constructed by E. Allwood & Son, which also constructed the stadium at Perry Lakes for the Empire and Commonwealth Games between December 1961 and September 1962. The two ablution blocks were constructed by Missen and Mills Pty Ltd.

The British Empire and Commonwealth Games, named the British Empire Games from its inception in 1930 to 1954, were held in Western Australia between 22 November and 1 December 1962. Events were held across the city at ten venues, both existing and purpose-built. A Games Village was also constructed to house competitors and officials. This was the first major international sporting event to be held in Western Australia.

During the Games, events were held at the Velodrome on Monday 26 November to Thursday 29 November 1962. Competitors from many nations participated. Australian cyclists won all track cycling events, the first time in the history of the Games that one country had won all track titles.

The British Empire and Commonwealth Games had a substantial long-term impact on Perth, with world-class permanent facilities for many sports built for the games, and positive publicity throughout Commonwealth countries. Investment in preparations for the games included redevelopment of Perth Airport and the completion of the Fremantle Passenger Terminal to cater for Games visitors. As noted by Historian Jenny Gregory, ‘the most important outcome of all was a new sense of confidence in Perth’s ability to compete successfully on a world stage.’

Lake Monger Velodrome (fmr) continued to be used for cycling events after the Empire and Commonwealth Games, though it had always been intended that the oval in the middle of the velodrome could be used for other purposes. The number of cycling events decreasing from the early 1970s, and noise complaints from local residents as well as ongoing maintenance of the track may have been factors which led Perth City Council to consider alternative uses for the site.

An oval in the middle of the track was marked out with a soccer pitch sometime between 1965 and 1970, which was used for night soccer games from the 1970s as it could be lit.

In the mid-1970s, the Floreat Athena Football Club negotiated the lease of the velodrome site with Perth City Council. The Athena Club was established in 1951 for the local Greek community as a social and football (soccer) club, during a decade that saw an increasing number and diversity of soccer clubs in Western Australia in response to post-WWII migration, with many teams linked to European migrant communities. One of Floreat Athena’s objectives was to promote itself as a cultural organisation for Greek migrant youth. Originally housed in Wellington Square, they moved to Perry Lakes in the 1970s and changed their name to Floreat Athena, before moving to the velodrome site (c.1980).

Extensions to the Mitchell Freeway, completed in 1978, also had a significant impact on the velodrome site, severing the connection between the velodrome and Lake Monger.

Floreat Athena’s new headquarters were opened on 19 October 1986, designed by Kevin Palassis Architects in 1985 and constructed by Bill Spartalis. Roughly half was dedicated to a function area and associated kitchen, and the other half was used for a lounge, storeroom, bathrooms, committee room and offices. Local Greek businesses supplied many of the components, such as Mick Michael’s electrical firm Milec supplied the outdoor lighting.

With generous facilities for soccer games and any community social events, Floreat Athena worked to build a community centre from their new headquarters. Soccer was the dominant focus and the Club’s on-field successes in the 1980s all helped to increase Club memberships. Historian John Yiannakis noted, ‘With growing support the club remained a notable social fraternity and a vehicle for nationalist fervour.’

The cycle track and open-air seating constructed prior to the 1962 Empire Games were removed c.1998. The cycling tunnel was left in situ but large sections of the track banks were removed to accommodate a larger soccer field.

In 2015, Floreat Athena raised concerns about the state of the changerooms and tunnel. The former competitors’ rooms were demolished between April and August 2019. A Structural Report prepared in 2020 noted concerns with the suspended concrete in the c.1961 grandstand. At 2024, the grandstand and tunnel have been demolished.

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.