Unique status for Jubilee – it’s now the only NRL ground with National Trust listing!
By Brad Forrest, St.George Leader, 13 November 2007.
Jubilee Oval, now the 20,000 crowd-capacity OKI Jubilee Stadium, might be locked and empty next season, like it is today, but this hasn’t stopped the spiritual home of St.George gaining listing with the National Trust of Australia.
It thus earns the distinction of becoming the only NRL ground with National Trust listing.
The decision to list the famous old oval comes just a month after the directors of the now eight-year-old joint venture club, St.George Illawarra decided to vacate the ground for season 2008 in favour of Telstra Stadium.
As reported in the Leader (October 30) when considering the listing, the Trust was focused during its annual Heritage Festival on an “Our Place” theme. Sporting heritage was one of the major themes and with the National Rugby League celebrating its Centenary in 2008, the Trust’s Deputy Conservation Director, Graham Quint, was taking an interest in media reports on the decision to move games away from Kogarah.
Last week, the National Trust found information, some furnished by the Return to Kogarah group, important enough to earn the oval and Kogarah Park trust listing.
Included was a finding that Jubilee Oval is likely to be “rare” at a state and national level of significance as the site of the St.George Rugby League Football Club’s unprecedented 11 straight premierships (1956-1966).
Transcript reveals why a rich history impressed:
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:
Kogarah Park has historic significance, as the first park gazetted within Kogarah Municipality for public use, and contains vestiges of important historical phases of its growth and development, including remnant Monterey Pines, Canary Island Date Palms, Brush Box, Hoop Pines, open playing fields, Jubilee Oval, the War Memorial and the recent Rugby League Legends Walk.
Kogarah Park has historic significance due to its direct association with prominent early Kogarah settlers, the English family and local community leaders and for its association with Sir John Sulman, who prepared plans for improvements to the Park in the 1920s.
Kogarah Park has aesthetic significance as a large urban park with an attractive setting and landscape features comprising mature trees (particularly around the perimeter of the park) and notable elements including the World War One War Memorial and Rugby League Legends Walk which contribute to the visual appeal of the place.
Jubilee Oval has social significance at a State and potentially National level for its ongoing and historical relationship with the St George Rugby League Football Club as its home ground and for historical, social and spiritual values within the Rugby League fraternity and wider community.
With further research into the influence of Sir John Sulman in the development of the Park in the Inter-war years, Kogarah Park may potentially provide evidence and a further understanding of the work of the eminent architect and town planner at a State level of significance.
Jubilee Oval is likely to be rare at a State and potentially National level of significance as the site of the St George Rugby League Football Club’s unprecedented 11 successful premierships in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 which is thought to be a world record in any elite sporting achievement, and supplemented by 13 successive years without defeat at Jubilee Oval between 1954 and 1966.
Jubilee Oval is culturally significant at a State and potentially National level due to the high esteem the place holds by Rugby League supporters and potentially the wider community for its sporting memories created by the achievements of the St George Rugby League Football Club from 1950 to the present day.
Transcript from official listing
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