York Park

York Park is a football venue located in Launceston in the state of Tasmania that presently serves as a secondary home venue for Hawthorn in the Australian FL and the primary home ground for North Launceston in the Tasmanian FL.
==Construction and early years==
Originally swamp land, the venue was developed in 1873 and opened in 1874 as the Launceston Showgrounds. In 1881 the Launceston City Council took ownership and started to turn the precinct into a recreation area. By 1886 cricket was being played there, but not football as the Winter rains constantly waterlogged the ground possibly due to it's previous life as swampland. It was originally named Inveresk Park.
In mid 1901, Launceston council approved a motion to rename the ground York Park after the then Duke of York, Prince George, who had visited Tasmania during the Federation celebrations earlier in the year. It would be just nine years later that he would become King. By that time a bowling green and tennis courts had been added to the precinct.
==Football arrives==
After World War 1, the Launceston council looked to further improve the precinct and held a competition for a new design for a prize of 20 pounds (a lot of money in those days). The expanded facility was opened in 1921, but it was stil incomplete. That completion came in 1923 and the first game was a challenge match between teams from the north and the south of Tasmania. At some later point in time Launceston would start playing its home games at the venue. Heavy floods in 1929 destroyed a cycling track in the precinct but it was rebuilt and in the 1930's the Launceston clubs would celebrate it's most successful period. After World War 2 twelve ornamental trees would be planted at the venue to remember the local footballers who were lost during the war.
==Expansion work==
In 1960, Tasmania would host Victoria in an interstate match - this game would be significant as it would be the first time Tasmania would defeat Victoria in such a match. It attracted a then record of 15,000 people. In 1964 a stand on the southern side of the ground was completed with another added in the 1970's. By this time it was North Launceston who were playing their home games at the venue as Launceston had moved to Windsor Park in 1968. It remained a country venue with cars parked on the fence blowing their horns when a goal was scored - even in the 1990's when North Launceston were playing in the Tasmanian FL.
But this started to change in 1998 when the Australilan government promised funding for an expansion. Despite the local member losing his seat, the promise was kept and a $6.4 million upgrade commenced with the intent of bringing it up to Australian FL standard. This included the construction of the new Gunns Stand which included corporate facilities, five light towers to television standard and a water and drainage system. This was followed in 2003 by a grant from the Tasmanian government to put a roof over the terrace seating in order to host the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
==The AFL arrives==
Before the 2003 work, Hawthorn started it's relationship with the venue. In 2001 it played one home game there and in 2002 made it two. In 2003 St Kilda joined in. One of the original stands was demolished in 2005, replaced by an extension of the Gunns Stand. It would during this period that the short lived Tasmania Devils would play the ocasional home game during it's time in the Victorian FL.
In 2006 the number of AFL games peaked with five games and one pre season game. But it would be in 2006 that the Sirengate controversy took place. The siren was consequently replaced and the old one is now on display at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, either at Royal Park or at Inveresk. In 2007 Hawthorn became the only AFL tenant after signing a sponsorhsip deal with the Tasmanian government.
In 2008 an arson attack destroyed part of the heritage listed Northern Stand. The roof was preserved and moved to nearby Invermay Park in order to make room for a new stand with more coporate facilities and improved facilities for the press and for the umpires. This work brought the capacity up to 21,000.
==More recent work and plans==
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, York Park hosted AFL finals for the first time in 2021. Both elimination finals were played at the venue. It was announced in early 2022 that plans were afoot for another expansion bringing the capacity to over 27,000 and including retractable seats for a conversion to a rectangular configuration. This plan is provided money comes from the federal government and that the Launceston council hands the venue over to the state government in its Stadiums Tasmania agency. The retractable seating provision may be in place in case the AFL decides not to grant Tasmania an AFL club license soon.
==Other uses==
Since football became the prominent sport at the venue, York has nevertheless continued to host cricket and as mentioned the 2003 Rugby World Cup - a single game between Romania and Namibia. Soccer has also been played at the venue including pre season games in the National Soccer League and the A League. In the cricket York Park hosted a T20 match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Sydney Thunder.
Concerts have also been held at the venue - dating back to Ike and Tina Turner. Elton John was there in late 2007. Billy Graham hosted one of his events at York Park, and motorcycling daredevil team the Crusty Demons performed theit stunt filled show there in 2006.
Category:Venues