 | |
 Interactive map of Queen Elizabeth Oval | |
| Full name | Queen Elizabeth II Oval |
|---|---|
| Former names | Camp Reserve (1853–1879) Upper Reserve (1880–1953) |
| Location | Bendigo,Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 36°45′20″S144°16′32″E / 36.755644°S 144.275562°E /-36.755644; 144.275562 |
| Capacity | 10,000[1] |
| Field size | 168 m x 124 m (Australian rules football) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Renovated | 2001; 25 years ago (2001) |
| Tenants | |
| Bendigo Football Club (VFL, 1998-2014) Richmond Football Club (AFLW) (2020) Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup) South Bendigo Football Club (BFL) Sandhurst Football Club (BFL) Bendigo & District Cricket Association | |
  Location of Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo area | |
| Ground information | |
| International information | |
| Only women's Test | 25 January 1985: Australia v England |
| As of 8 September 2020 Source:CricketArchive | |
Queen Elizabeth Oval (QEO) is a sportsstadium located inBendigo,Australia primarily used forAustralian rules football andcricket. It was opened in 1897 asUpper Reserve before being renamed in 1954 in honour of theQueen of Australia, QueenElizabeth II.[2][3]
The Bendigo recreation reserve was initially known as the GovernmentCamp Reserve in 1853,[4] and this area was reserved for public space under the name ofPall Mall Reserve, Bendigo.[5]
This reserve was later referred as theUpper Reserve for many years before being renamed in 1954 in honour of theQueen of Australia, QueenElizabeth II.[2][3]
In 1858, a famous foot race took place on the Camp Reserve between Hayes and aboriginal runner, Sheppard for £200 over 200 yards, with 5,000 people present in which Hayes won by three yards.[6]
In 1869, the Andrew's Society held their sports day on the Camp Reserve.[7]
Tenders for the new grandstand at the Upper Reserve were published by the Bendigo City Council in November 1900[8] and the plans were drawn up by the Bendigo City Surveyor, Mr J W Richardson, with a seating capacity of 1500 people.[9] The tender for the full erection of the grandstand was awarded to Mr G A Davey at a cost of £2546.[10] The new grandstand was used for the first time on Wednesday, 19th June 1901 in anAustralian Rules football match between Bendigo Football Club andSouth Bendigo Football Club.[11]
The Upper Reserve hosted touring cricket teams as early as 1897.[2] It was renamed in April 1954 in honour ofQueen Elizabeth's visit to Bendigo earlier that year.[3] The ground hosted twoWorld Series Cricket exhibition matches in 1977 and 1979.[2] During the 1990s oneList A and twofirst-class matches were held at the ground.[12][13] It also hosted oneWomen's Test cricket in 1985 between Australia and England.[14] In June 2025, it was announced that a statue ofBarbara Rae, the highest scorer at Australia's first ever women's cricket match in 1874, would be erected at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.[15]
Bendigo Football League (BFL) teamsSandhurst andSouth Bendigo play home games at the stadium. The ground is also used for BFL finals series. The Oval hosted theBendigo Football Club throughout its time in theVictorian Football League (VFL), from 1998 until 2014.[16]
In 1988 the oval hosted an internationalassociation football match betweenAustralia andNew Zealand.[17] The venue also played host to theRugby sevens competition at the 2004Commonwealth Youth Games.[18]
On 29 February 2008, at an NAB Challenge Cup game under lights, there was a blackout in the final quarter.[19]
In 2011 the ground was redeveloped at a cost ofA$2.2m. The upgrade included a new terraced seating section, capable of holding 900 people, the installation of all-weather grass, lighting being upgraded toAustralian Football League (AFL) standard, and a new electronic scoreboard and big screen being installed. Asbestos in the grandstand was also removed.[20]
