At Saturday's inaugural West Coast Football Extravaganza AFL Tasmania has made a special announcement in respect of the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
AFL Tasmania General Manager, Scott Wade announced on behalf of the Board of Management of AFL Tasmania that the famous Queenstown Oval, 'The Gravel', is to be inducted into to the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame as "special category" induction.
The Gravel Oval of Queenstown on the West Coast of Tasmania.
The formidable West Coast of Tasmania has it's `capital' at Queenstown which is famous for many things wrought by the establishment of one of the most hardy mining communities in the 1800s. Football is the epitome of the strength, toughness and resilience of this famous town. The local teams, and there were up to 10 at the height of the mining boom in the mid 1900s play football on the only gravel oval in Australia and have done so for more than 100 years.
The Gravel, as it is known, was laid with silica until 1969, when smelters were still in use for mining. The oval was laid with gravel because of the difficulty in establishing grass fields in the barren environment created by the heavy metal smelters of Queenstown. As well, maintenance of any surface in the cold and extremely wet conditions found on the West Coast made, what seems on the face of it madness, to be the only solution for this community which became the equal of any other in Tasmanian football at it's zenith in the 1940s to 1960s.
In making the announcement AFL Tasmania's General Manager, Scott Wade, said:
Australian Football on the West Coast once rivalled the three main leagues in Tasmania (NWFU, NTFA & TANFL) for much of the last century, however, over the years "life" and "industry" changes have made it impossible for the quality of football on the West Coast to remain as it was.
The Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame is the project whereby AFL Tasmania not only appropriately enshrines the many great individuals that have significantly contributed to Tasmanian football, it is the project that is enabling us to "tell the story of Tasmanian football" in the process.
This year AFL Tasmania has determined to initiate a "Special Category" induction for the the first time. What better way to recognise the unique contribution of the West Coast football community to Tasmanian football than by inducting 'The Gravel' oval of Queenstown!
In the coming weeks further inductees will be announced including:
Categories - A memorable game; A legendary team; and a great club.
Individual inductees
Inductees who are elevated to Legend or Icon status will be announced at the induction ceremony.
The formal induction ceremony for the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame will be a gala function conducted at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart on Friday 6 July 2007. More details and bookings can be made at AFL Tasmania offices in Hobart and Launceston.
For more information please contact:
Scott Wade - 0419 024 406
Daniel Smedley - 0418 114 414
Last Modified on 19/03/2007 15:05