Melbourne Cricket Ground

National Heritage List inscription date 26 December 2005

And I can't wait for Christmas time, because the day after is Boxing Day
And you'll know where to find me, ten rows back at the M.C.G
Right behind the bowler's arm.
Behind The Bowlers Arm by Paul Kelly

Gallery

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Aerial view of Melboure Cricket Ground Boxing Day Test Match 2005 Boxing Day Test Match 2005 Boxing Day Test Match 2005 Boxing Day Test Match 2005

The home of Australian sport

Whether it involves zinc cream and sun in the Boxing Day cricket test, or meat pies and scarves for mid-winter football games, the MCG is the much loved home of Australian sport.

For pure drama, emotion, historic events and crowds, you need look no further than the `G’, as it is lovingly known. Since 1853 the Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted many important events, as well as many `firsts’ in Australian sporting history—particularly in relation to cricket and Australian Rules Football.

The inaugural Victoria versus New South Wales first-class cricket match was played at the MCG in March 1856. The first appearance by an English cricket team on Australian soil occurred when HH Stephenson's All England XI played XVIII of Victoria at the MCG, beginning on New Year's Day 1862.

The first test match between Australia and England began at the MCG on 15 March 1877, with Australian batsman Charles Bannerman scoring the first century in test cricket in Australia's first innings.

Sir Donald Bradman, Australia's greatest cricketer and generally regarded as the best player of all time, had a remarkable record at the MCG. In the 11 tests he played there he scored nine test centuries in 17 innings, averaging 128 runs per innings. He also made 19 centuries in domestic first-class cricket at the MCG.

It was also the scene of the first bicycle race in Victoria, in 1869, and the first major national cycling event, the Austral Wheel Race, in 1886. The first Australasian Athletic Championships were held on the MCG in October 1893.

The origins of Australian Rules Football

The MCG witnessed the birth of Australian Rules Football when cricketer Tom Wills devised the game to keep teams fit during the winter season. Football has been played on the hallowed turf since 1859, but it became a regular venue for the sport from the late 1800s

The MCG is the home ground of the Melbourne Football Club. Ron Barassi played for this club from 1953 to 1964, and is widely regarded as the club's greatest player. He was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996 and elevated to the status of 'Legend' of the game.

Venue for international events

As well as hosting international and domestic cricket and Australian Rules football games, the MCG was the centrepiece of the 1956 Olympic Games—the first Olympics held in the Southern Hemisphere. The Melbourne Olympics were held during a period of extreme international tension but became known as the 'Friendly Games' and left an enduring legacy not only for Melbourne and Australia but also for the Olympic movement. At the Melbourne Olympics, thousands of spectators cheered legendary sprinter Betty Cuthbert as she won three gold medals. In 2006 the G played host to the Commonwealth Games.

But this spiritual home for Australian sport has also drawn huge crowds for religious conventions (the all-time MCG attendance record, estimated at 130,000, was set during the visit in 1959 by the American religious leader, Billy Graham), as well as for visits by musical odysseys such as the Rolling Stones and U2.

The MCG has assumed an identity beyond that of a sporting venue. Its importance to the community lies in experiencing the place through the events it hosts. The MCG embodies Australia's love of sport and its inclusion in the National Heritage List ensures its unique values will be protected for the future.

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