Reserve has a grand past
THE opening of the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in March 2020 will go down in Townsville history, but it is not the first sporting venue in the city.
Some 155 years ago, after the first settlers had arrived at Townsville, sport was not the first thought in their minds. The settlement on the northern bank of Ross Creek was separated from the south bank by the creek and could only be reached by rowing boat. Nevertheless, the first sporting event in Townsville was probably a scratch cricket match played on open ground now part of Townsville Port.
About 1878, according to the reminiscences of one of the earliest players, ‘ Mr Camp of Belgian Gardens’, published in the Townsville Herald Christmas Number on December 24, 1887, ground was cleared for a cricket pitch roughly where Central School now stands. Unfortunately, the Queensland Government of the time decided to build a new jail on the site. You can still see some of the jail buildings that were incorporated in the Central School.
Cricketers then reverted to using a site in South Townsville, but interest in cricket continued. Teams from Cooktown and Charters Towers travelled to Townsville in the late 1870s and 1880s, and according to the Queensland Figaro in October 1886, seven clubs were competing at Townsville. Matches were then played at several places – the Townsville Show Grounds, North Ward (Queen’s Park), West End (Cutheringa Park) and Ross Island (Victoria Park).
The last was notorious for ungentlemanly behaviour. Even on November 18, 1933 the Townsville Daily Bulletin reported that residents nearby were complaining about the “obscene language”.
Several members of the teams decided in the 1885–86 season to establish three concrete wickets at North Ward on land originally allocated for botanical gardens. Those wickets were probably on the site that became the Townsville Sports Reserve.
Matches continued at other venues and complaints continued regarding the fencing of the ‘Sports Ground Reserve’. By 1920 the venue for intertown cricket contests had shifted to the reserve, and football was challenging cricket for use of the site, but it remained with only a tumbledown grandstand.
When the clubs complained, the City Council denied responsibility, claiming that control of the Sports Reserve was vested in the trustees.
Despite complaints, in 1926 a New South Wales team captained by Alan Kippax and managed by Gar Waddy played a North Queensland side at the reserve.
Lou Litster from Townsville led the locals to a legendary victory, scoring 290 runs in one innings. This may have had some influence on the decision in 1927 to replace the old grandstand with a new one designed by Walter Hunt, a leading Townsville architect.
In 1929 the Townsville Cricket Association added a further improvement, installing three turf wickets.
In 1931 Kippax and Waddy brought another team north that included Don Bradman.
All thought the standard of the turf wickets some of the best on which they had played, and Waddy commented on the great improvements that had taken place since their first tour in 1925.
Subsequently, the site catered to football, coursing, open air movies, and other events.
The grandstand witnessed so many important events in the city’s history, but it was demolished in 1977.
Now the reserve has a fine running track, used by young athletes so its sporting history continues.