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North Melbourne Grandstand

Other Name Hotham Cricket Ground Location North Melbourne Recreation Reserve, Arden Street,, NORTH MELBOURNE VIC 3051 - Property No B7350 File Number B7350 Level Demolished/Removed

[1/3] B7350 North Melbourne [2/3] B7350 North Melbourne [3/3] B7350 North Melbourne

Statement of Significance

What is significant? The North Melbourne Football Club was established in 1869 and became associated with the Hotham Cricket Ground (now North Melbourne Recreation Reserve) by 1882. The Grandstand was built in 1928 by the Melbourne City Council, three years after admission of the North Melbourne Football Club to the VFL, in recognition of the club's new gain in status. The architect was the Council's Architect/ Engineer, H E Morton. The Grandstand was then the main spectator venue for home ground games of the North Melbourne football team until 1985. It still houses some of their training facilities, which have also expanded into later buildings nearby. The grandstand is built of solid red brick masonry with steel structure above. The tiered, timber seating is covered by a gabled half-cantilevered roof. The gable ends feature restrained classically derived decoration of circle within a triangle and there is a frieze around the eaves, both in pressed metal. The utilitarian rear brick elevation is divided into 9 bays by brick piers. There are three timber access stairs to the front.
Why is it significant? The Grandstand at the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve is significant for historic/social, and technological reasons at a regional level.
How is it significant? Historically, the grandstand is strongly associated with the North Melbourne Football Club since was it was built by the Melbourne City Council in 1928 to mark the admission of the North Melbourne team to the VFL three years previously. It was then the focus of the ground that became known simple as 'Arden Street', the location for home ground matches of the Club until 1985. It was naturally the focus for North Melbourne supporters, which like most clubs were originally mostly local residents. With the growth of football as a national code and the increasing professionalisation of the teams and their players, the grandstand has retained significance as the location of development and training of what is now a national league team up to the present. It has also been the home of the North Melbourne Cricket Club from 1928 to the present.
Architecturally, it is typical of many grandstands of the 1920s, both in engineering and architectural detailing, though somewhat larger and more detailed than most suburban and country stands of the period. In comparison with other Melbourne grandstands of the Interwar period associated with VFL (now AFL) football clubs, it is remarkably externally intact, not having been obscured by extensions or signage. The physical presence of the grandstand is enhanced as it remains a freestanding element on the Reserve, visible from all sides.
Technically, the half-cantilevered, steel-trussed roof structure of the grandstand is a relatively early use of this innovation in grandstand structures.
Classified: 'Regional' 27/02/2006