Gosnells Oval & Grandstand : Gosnells Oval, R. S. Sampson Memorial

Statement of Significance

R. S. Sampson Memorial Grandstand (1959), Gosnells Oval and Percy Garrett clubroom form a significant sporting facility in Gosnells with considerable sporting and community associations since 1923. The place has social value for the many members of the community who have attended the venue for many decades.

Physical Description

Gosnells Oval and the R. S. Sampson Memorial Grandstand are located in the heart of Gosnells providing important sporting facilities and open space in the suburb. The oval is surrounded by trees with a number of significant gum trees located around the site. The grandstand is located to the western side of the oval, close to the Walter Street entrance and is of steel frame and brick construction with a cantilevered roof above the seating area. Access to the seating is via two brick staircases positioned at the corners of the front elevation. Changing room facilities are accommodated underneath the seating area. The Gosnells Football Club’s Percy Garrett Clubroom is located to the north of the grandstand and is a single storey structure with a red Colorbond roof.

History

When the Gosnells Oval was first planned during the 1920s, the members of both the Football and Cricket Clubs united to clear away the thick bush that covered the land sold by Roland Germon in 1924 to the Gosnells Road Board. A second portion of land was purchased by the club from George Wheatley in 1926. A steam tractor lent by Major George Kemshall of the Seaforth Boys' Home was used for the clearing, which included the felling of many tall gum trees. The oval was used for a variety of sports following its creation. The facilities were simple in the early decades with a wooden fence only being erected around the ground in 1951. The brick and steel grandstand, built in 1959 to accommodate four hundred spectators, was named after Richard Stanley Sampson who bequeathed £1,000 toward a public utility for the district on his death in 1944. R. S. Sampson (1878-1944) was the member for Swan in the Legislative Assembly from 1921 to 1944. The use of the bequest for a grandstand was decided at a public meeting and the Road Board borrowed the balance of approximately £5,000. In a newspaper article from the West Australian (23 September 1959) the grandstand was described as 'the most modern in the outer metropolitan area'. The grandstand was opened in November 1959 with a gala program including a band, marching girls and athletic races. The cantilevered roof was ripped off during a storm in 1965 and was replaced. The Gosnells Oval continues to be used by the Gosnells Football and Cricket Clubs and has a history connected to other sports such as hockey. The Percy Garrett Clubroom honours Gosnells football coach Charles Percival (Percy) Garrett (1908-2007). Percy Garrett was an active and long serving member of the Gosnells community.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High degree Authenticity: High degree

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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