The Prindiville Stand has been demolished and the WACA Ground’s new all-abilities playground will take its place, as the Ground opens to the community through the WACA Ground Improvement Project (WGIP).
The Prindiville Stand designed by Hanlin & Young Architects officially opened in November 1984 as the initial stage of the Ground’s first major redevelopment to commemorate the Centenary of the WACA Ground. Named after Bernie Prindiville, past President of the Western Australian Cricket Association, the stand became home to WA Cricket’s administration offices.
Prindiville was a dedicated servant of cricket in WA, and during his decade-long tenure as President he led the fundraising initiatives for the first Test match in Perth in December 1970 and was a key mover in raising $19 million towards the redevelopment of the Ground.
The Prindiville name will be retained on the Nelson Crescent side of the new administration which will be named the Prindiville Building, preserving an important part of WA cricket history.
The demolition took 15 weeks to complete, with tonnes of material including steel staircases, concrete seating, walls, wiring, and pipework removed from the 1500m2 site, which is just larger than an Olympic swimming pool.
Brajkovich Demolition is committed to recycling up to 95% of this material, through crushing facilities and their large salvage yard in the Swan Valley. WA Cricket has also salvaged museum artefacts, memorabilia and re-usable catering equipment from the decommissioned stand.
The Prindiville Stand will be replaced with an inclusive all-abilities playground, café and part of the new pavilion as the WACA Ground is transformed into a community and sporting hub with cricket at its heart.
“Too often, sporting facilities are designed with a focus purely on high performance rather than community and the demolition of the Prindiville Stand is a major step towards this Ground becoming a place every member of our community no matter their ability and age can enjoy and create long-lasting memories,” said WA Cricket CEO, Christina Matthews:
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, the Hon Patrick Gorman MP said, “the WACA Ground is at the heart of the East Perth community and serves as an important place to recognise the history of cricket in our State as well as the future potential of the area.
“The installation of an all-abilities playground as part of the project will ensure families from all over Perth can enjoy our city.”
The WGIP commenced in August 2021 with the oval lengthening to accommodate Australian rules football, with the East Fremantle Sharks calling the WACA Ground home for the next two Western Australian Football League (WAFL) seasons.
The Inverarity Stand has been demolished to make way for the resort-style swimming pools and the iconic light towers are currently being upgraded to new LED coloured lights.
The $115 million WGIP is jointly funded by the Australian Government, Western Australian Government, City of Perth, WA Cricket and Cricket Australia.
It is anticipated to create 120 jobs in the construction phase and 250 ongoing jobs when operational.