Lathlain Oval

Values

• The place has been associated with Australian Rules Football and the Western Australian Football League, in particular Perth Football Club, since its construction to the current day.
• The place is named after former City of Perth Mayor and Lord Mayor of Perth Sir William Lathlain.
• The place’s construction is connected to Lathlain’s population increase associated with post-war immigration.
• The place has been a feature of Lathlain since 1959 due to its use as a sporting and recreation ground.
• The place has associations with Western Australian Football League players and coaches, such as Barry Cable and Malcom Atwell.

Statement of Significance

Lathlain Oval has been associated with Australian Rules Football and the Western Australian Football League, in particular Perth Football Club, since its construction to the current day and has associations with Western Australian Football League players and coaches, such as Barry Cable and Malcom Atwell. It is named after former City of Perth Mayor and Lord Mayor of Perth Sir William Lathlain. The place’s construction is connected to Lathlain’s population increase associated with post-war immigration and has been a feature of Lathlain since 1959 due to its use as a sporting and recreation ground.

Physical Description

Lathlain Oval is a large reserve, which includes a central oval designed for Australian Rules Football surrounded by sloping banks. More than 270 mature trees also surround the oval, comprising 25 species including Eucalyptus spp., Corymbia spp., Ficus microcarpa, Agonis flexuosa, and Nuytsia floribunda. Structures on the reserve include a main grandstand and clubrooms, function centre, spectator stands, scoreboard, concrete tennis courts, and a number of minor brick buildings. The main grandstand and clubrooms, built c.1959, are constructed from salmon coloured brick in the Post-War International architectural style. The tiered seating, positioned above the clubrooms, is covered with a cantilevered metal-framed corrugated iron clad roof.

History

The proposed development of Lathlain Park in the 1950s prompted renewed discussions about the Perth Football Club moving to Victoria Park. There was concern that the pending Swan River reclamation would affect their home ground (at the WACA) and that the ground was not suitable for Australian Rules Football. The decision to relocate the club to Lathlain Park was confirmed by November 1953. Only a short time after relocating to Lathlain Oval, the Perth Football Club recorded WAFL premiership wins in 1966, 1967, and 1968. In addition, the club celebrated Barry Cable’s Sandover Medal win in 1964. Aerial photography indicates that tree planting around Lathlain Oval may have begun in the early to mid-1960s, although it is possible that some remnant native vegetation was also retained in the north-east portion of the reserve. Further plantings have been added in some areas over time, particularly in the northern and southern sections, while trees in other areas have been removed.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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