Windback Wednesday - Kensington Oval

Did you know that this year marks the 150th anniversary of Kensington Oval?

When the land which makes up Kensington Park was subdivided for development in the 1870s, a group of young men (members of the now disbanded Kensington Football Club) purchased a number of allotments for use as a public recreation reserve.

Over the following years, investors and community members worked to raise funds, level and grade the earth, plant grass and over 200 trees. Kensington Oval was officially opened for use on Saturday 10 July 1875 and the occasion was celebrated with a football match attended by over 800 spectators. Following the collapse of the Commercial Bank in 1886, the Oval's trustees could no longer cover the mortgage payments, and the City of Burnside took over maintenance of the oval to prevent it from being sold and subdivided into housing.

Kensington Oval, later Olympic Sports Field (1965 - 1997), has been home to Kensington Districts Cricket Club, Norwood Football Club, West Adelaide Football Club, Athletics South Australia and Adelaide City Football Club, and hosted such storied athletes as Sir Donald Bradman and Cathy Freeman. In 1967, the Olympic Sports Field even hosted a friendly game between South Australia's best and a star-studded Manchester United, which had just won the English Football League for the seventh time.

This year the City of Burnside is collaborating with the South Australian Athletic League to celebrate this amazing oval's history. In advance of this event, we are calling on you to share your own stories and photographs of Kensington Oval/Olympic Sports Field. You can email historicalculturalofficer@burnside.sa.gov.au with your stories and images - we would love to hear from you!

We invite you to join us in celebrating Kensington Oval's 150th anniversary at the Burnside Athletic Carnival on Sunday 23 November.

Photographs: Athletics at Kensington Oval; Olympic Sports Field; and Kensington Oval Grandstand. Burnside Local History Collection.