Leederville Oval

Statement of Significance

Leederville Oval has considerable social significance to the district, being located at the heart of the district and being the drilling ground for the Leederville Drill Hall during World War One, the long time home of the West Perth Football Club, a venue for cricket and special events. The grandstand and associated facilities is one of the better metropolitan examples of the Post War Functionalist style of sporting venue.

Physical Description

Leederville Oval is located on an irregular peice of land that contains the centrally located grassed football oval and the surrounding grassed banks, stands, clubrooms and other associated facilities. The grassed oval runs north-south with goal posts located at either end. To the east and north are grass embankments and to the west are the two grandstands and the steel-framed shelter. The larger of the two grandstands is the R.P Fletcher Stand constructed in 1959 in the Post War International Style. The base and rear wall of the stand is constructed from salmon coloured face brickwork with a tiered concrete floor to accommodate the timber bench seating. The massive west wall of the building with its flanking towers anchors the steel framed; metal deck clad cantilevered roof that shades the seating. In the base of the building beneath the seating are two floors offices, club rooms and change rooms and other facilities. Two new media boxes were constructed in the internal rear section of the seating in 2006. The Roper Stand constructed in 1969 is located to the south of the R.P Fletcher stand. This two storey structure has a concrete frame with brick panels and a low pitch gable roof. Grassed slopes down to oval Extensive

History

Originally part of the wetlands, the subject site belonged to a Government reserve (Reserve 884) under the control of the Perth Board of Health in the 1890s. Reserve 884 covered the north side of Vincent Street, stretched from Charles to Oxford Streets. The area east of Loftus Street was used as a rubbish tip for some years in the 1890s, while the area along Oxford Street was parceled off as sites for public buildings such as post office, municipal offices, primary school and police station. Leederville Oval was established in 1915, although the Wise's Post Office Directories list the subject site as a 'Recreation Reserve' at the time and only named it as 'Leederville Oval' from 1929. The first football game was held at the Leederville Oval in July 1915. It was 1919 before any facilities were built at the ground, and that was only done when the West Australian Football League refused to allow any more games to be played until they were provided. A grandstand was built the following year, at a cost of £703, the contract going to G. Schofield of Cleaver Street. By 1921, facilities included seating accommodation, fencing, turnstiles & ticket houses, heights, latrines and gates. A total of £917-4-10 was spent between 1919 and 1921. In 1943, the main entrance from Vincent Street was enlarged and the hall beside the old entrance was removed. The oval was eventually provided with tennis courts and cycle track as well as football facilities. Leederville was the home of the West Perth Football Club, the Falcons, for many years. Mr R.P Fletcher whom which the large grandstand located on the western side of Leederville Oval is named, held a long association with the West Perth Football Club and was president from 1946 - 1962. The oval was used during the First World War by the military forces for cadet drilling, the Leederville Drill Hall being only a little further west on Vincent Street and not yet provided with its own parade ground. The place has also had strong associations with athletics. Among other things, it was a training ground during the 1961 Empire Games. The Oval was the home of local football and cricket and functioned as headquarters of the West Perth Football Club until it relocated to the Joondalup Arena in the mid 1990s. The Oval was also used as training venue for the West Coast Eagles when Subiaco oval was not available to them. The grounds were also the venue of interschool sport competitions on occasion. In 1995, following the establishment of the Town of Vincent, the Town's administration set up temporary home at Leederville Oval. The Oval is made use of by various sporting clubs, including other football clubs on a temporary basis when required. In recent years, there had been suggestions that the Perth Glory Soccer Club could make Leederville Oval its home but a decision was made to locate them at Perth Oval. Leederville Oval has been dedicated as a '˜Football Centre of Excellence' and the home of both East Perth Football Club and Subiaco Football Club. In August 2005, the Town approved the new name for Leederville Oval to be 'Medibank Stadium'.

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