Midland Oval

Values

• The place is a representative example of an oval and recreation ground in the metropolitan area used for various sporting and recreational activities;
• The place has associations with notable Western Australian sportspeople, such as Charles ‘Wagga’ Cast (WAFL), and Walter Watts (Cricket; WAFL); and
• The place contributes to the community’s sense of place having been used as a public oval and recreation area since its construction to the current day.

Physical Description

Midland Oval (1901) includes the large central Oval and surrounding grassed areas, Cycling Track (c.1937), Walter ‘Wally’ Watts Scoreboard (c.1920), bitumen carparks and mature trees.

History

In 1890, the Midland Junction (previously known as Helena Vale) town-site was gazetted in relation to growth associated with the establishment of the privately owned Midland Railway. From 1895, with the relocation of the Government’s Railway Workshops from Fremantle, Midland began to rapidly expand. In 1897, the population of Midland Junction had doubled to 1800. The growth of Midland Junction throughout the late nineteenth century coincided with Western Australia’s gold boom, which had an unprecedented impact on the State. With the construction of the Government Railways Workshops, a local brickwork, and Hoskins Foundry, the Midland area played a major part in various infrastructure projects associated with the gold boom. The land on which Midland Oval is situated was owned by William Byers Wood, of Helena Vale. In 1900, Wood subdivided the land and set aside 5 acres intended as a recreation ground for the community. On 21 October 1901, Midland Oval was opened by the Mayor of Midland, Alexander Ernest Watt. In commemoration of the event, several trees were planted around the grounds. Australian Rules Football quickly established itself during this period in Western Australia. This was catalysed by the influx of people seeking work during the gold rush coming from the East where the Victorian Football League (VFL) had already been established. In 1906, the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) was formed and consisted of eight teams. In 1904, WAFL team Midland Junction Football Club began using the oval as their home ground. Prior to World War I, several notable Midland Junction Football Club players used the ground, including game record holder Charles ‘Wagga’ Cast. Throughout the early twentieth century, the oval and ground was used for a wide variety of local sports and activities, including cricket, hockey, baseball, croquet, and trotting. This colocation of a wide diversity of sports at the one site was use was typical of the way that recreation grounds were used during this period to accommodate multiple sports. The ground is also associated with significant first-grade Midland cricket player and founding member Walter ‘Wally’ Watts. The extant scoreboard is named after Walter Watts. In the 1920s, a photograph shows the trotting ground, with a track surrounded by a picket fence and a large timber grandstand. None of these elements are extant. In c.1937, a cycling track was established and remains a notable feature of Midland Oval. Cycling tracks had been established prior to this in the State, for example at P15464 Fremantle Oval (RHP) and P1734 WACA Grounds & Stands (RHP- To be assessed), however these tracks are no longer extant. In 1949, the cycling track at Midland Oval hosted the Australian Professional Track Cycling Championships, the first time in Western Australia. In 1952, the potential erection of a bowling club bar on the ground sparked debate as to the future of Midland Oval. The dilapidated state of the ground, and the large amount of money that had already been invested in fixing the ground was mentioned. The council considered that it may be beneficial to concentrate investment into local amenities elsewhere. However, historic aerial images indicate that a brick grandstand was erected prior to 1965, with an extension added c.1971. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, Midland Oval has been subject to proposed development. As a result, by the 1980s, sporting activities began relocating to North Swan Park. In 2013, Midland Oval was used for the last time as a major sporting ground and aerial imagery shows that the grandstand was demolished making room for an extension of the extant carpark. Midland Oval is currently (2017) included in the joint planning initiative ‘Midland 2017’, which proposes to redevelop the site for mixed use, including commercial, retail, residential, and public open space.

Uses

Creation Date

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