Carisbrook (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Carisbrook Stadium) was a major sporting venue in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
venue, it was also used for other sports such as
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
,
football,
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
and
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
. In 1922, Carisbrook hosted the very first international
football match between
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The hosts won 3-1.
Carisbrook also hosted a
Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game concerts before rugby matches in the 1990s. In 2011 Carisbrook was closed, and was replaced as a rugby ground by
Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza in North Dunedin, and as a cricket ground by
University Oval in
Logan Park.
History
Located at the foot of The Glen, a steep valley, the ground was flanked by the
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to collectively as the South Isl ...
and the
Hillside Railway Workshops, two miles southwest of Dunedin city centre in the suburb of
Caversham.
State Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbere ...
also ran close to the northern perimeter of the ground.
Carisbrook was named after the estate of early colonial settler
James Macandrew
James Macandrew (1819(?) – 25 February 1887) was a New Zealand ship-owner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1853 to 1887 and as the last Superintendent of Otago Province.
Early life
Macandrew was born in Scotland, prob ...
(itself named after
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
). Developed during the 1870s, it was first used for international cricket in 1883, when Otago hosted a team from
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, and for
Test cricket
Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...
from 1955. It hosted rugby union internationals from 1908.
Floodlit since the 1990s, it could cater for both day and night fixtures. Known locally simply as "The Brook", it was branded with the name "The House of Pain", due to its reputation as a difficult venue for visiting rugby teams.
[New Zealand farewell the House of Pain in style](_blank)
Sydney Morning Herald The stadium was home to both the
Highlanders in
Super Rugby and
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
in the
ITM Cup through each side's respective 2011 season. It also hosted 38
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
test matches.
It is also the former home of
Otago cricket, which moved to the
University Oval at
Logan Park in the north of the city after its redevelopment in the early 2000s. Between 1884 and 2008 Carisbrook hosted 252
first-class cricket
First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
matches, including, between 1955 and 1998, 10
Test cricket
Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...
matches.
It was also the home ground of
Otago United
Southern United, previously known as Otago United, is a semi-professional football club based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Founded in 2004, they play their home games at the Logan Park and Forsyth Barr Stadium. It is the southernmost football clu ...
in the
New Zealand Football Championship, which moved to the lower-capacity
Sunnyvale Park for the 2008–09 season.
Stands
The ground's final regular capacity was around 30,000, but it hosted crowds as high as 42,000 with temporary seating.
Until 1998 the sides of the Caversham bypass motorway allowed a free view of the ground and was known as the "Scotsman's Grandstand". Occasionally trains would slow to a crawl or stop on the track above the stadium, allowing passengers to watch. In 1998 a new stand and corporate boxes were built that blocked the view.
Partly due to Dunedin's relatively large number of tertiary students (20,000 of the city's 120,000 population), Carisbrook had a unique atmosphere.
This was enhanced by the terraces, an uncovered concrete embankment at the eastern end of the ground.
Retirement and recycling
On 9 August 2006, a proposal was announced that would see Carisbrook retired and a 30,000 capacity covered stadium built in
Dunedin North
Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, ma ...
, close to other major sporting facilities such as
Logan Park and the
University Oval.
Construction and ownership of the new $NZ 198 million stadium,
officially named the
Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza, would be overseen by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust.
Until the new stadium was completed, all international and
Super Rugby games were still held at Carisbrook.
The last international game was expected to be the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
versus
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
Tri Nations match on 12 July 2008. However, the All Blacks returned to Carisbrook to play
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 13 June 2009 and finally
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
on 19 June 2010.
This game meant that the All Blacks had played every major test-playing nation at Carisbrook. A later test match, destined to be the last at the ground, was scheduled between New Zealand and Fiji as a fundraiser for the
Christchurch earthquake appeal on 22 July 2011.
On 11 May 2011 the
Dunedin City Council
The Dunedin City Council ( mi, Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Ōtepoti) is the local government authority for Dunedin in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Dunedin. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Dunedin is Jul ...
decided that Carisbrook would be sold after the
2011 Rugby World Cup. Demolition work was begun at the start of 2012, with the floodlight towers being dismantled and sent up to
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
for use by the new temporary
Christchurch Rugby Stadium at Addington Showgrounds, to allow that city a first-class ground while
AMI Stadium awaits rebuilding. Originally the floodlights were to be reused at the
University Oval for day/night cricket matches. The corporate box stand, which was only 14 years old, was always designed to be dismantled for use elsewhere, and there are proposals to move parts of the structure to University Oval and some to Queenstown's Stadium. The turnstile building on Neville Street is a category I
historic building
This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and man-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In many i ...
and would be protected during any potential developments on the site.
Carisbrook was sold to the Dunedin City Council in 2009 for $7,000,000. It was sold on in 2013 for $4,700,000.
Historic events
*1884 2 February – First major cricket match at Carisbrook, Otago v Tasmania
*1886 22 November – First international cricket match at Carisbrook, Otago v Australia
*1908 30 May – First Otago Rugby defeat of international side, Anglo-Welsh
*1908 30 June – First Rugby Test at Carisbrook (NZ v Anglo-Welsh)
*1922 17 June –
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
's first full international football (soccer) match, a 3–1 win to
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
over
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
*1924 9 August – First Rugby League Test at Carisbrook (NZ v
England Lions)
*1930 21 June – First All Black defeat at Carisbrook (by Great Britain)
*1936 1 August – First
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...
match at Carisbrook
*1955 11 March – First cricket Test at Carisbrook, New Zealand v England
*1987 May–June –
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...
games (Italy 18, Fiji 15; Ireland 46, Canada 19)
1991 September 21st Otago wins NPC Final against Auckland -
*1992 12 March –
Cricket World Cup (New Zealand vs India)
*1992 27 September – First extra time in a rugby match in New Zealand (Otago 26, North Harbour 23)
*1993 July – Rugby, New Zealand v Australia, largest attendance at the ground, 42 000.
*1996 3 March – First
Super 12 match at Carisbrook (Otago Highlanders 57, Queensland 17)
*1998 25 October –
National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to:
* National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides
* National Provincial Championship (2006–present)
The National Provincial Championship, o ...
Division 1 Final (Otago vs Waikato)
*1998 18 December – Last cricket Test at Carisbrook, New Zealand v India
*1999 29 May –
1999 Super 12 Final (Highlanders vs Crusaders)
*1999 12–21 November – Group stage matches and one quarter-final of the
FIFA Under-17 Soccer World Championship
*2001 11 August – First win by Australia over the All Blacks (23–15) at the venue
*2005 27 August – The last International Rugby match (All Blacks 31, South Africa 27) before the
NZRFU deemed Carisbrook to no longer be a suitable venue for International Rugby
*2008 12 July – After a 3-year absence of International Rugby at Carisbrook a Tri Nations match between All Blacks and South Africa was played. At the same time this was South Africa's first win at Carisbrook after beating the All Blacks 30–28.
*2010 19 June – The last official rugby Test against a "Tier 1" nation was played at the ground (All Blacks vs Wales), with the All Blacks winning 42–9.
*2011 3 June – The final Highlanders match at Carisbrook saw the
Western Force
The Western Force is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia, currently competing in Super Rugby Pacific. They previously played in Super Rugby from 2006 until they were axed from the competition in 2017. F ...
defeat the Highlanders 21–14.
*2011 22 July – The All Blacks defeated Fiji 60–14 in the final Test match, which served as a fundraiser for
Christchurch earthquake relief.
*2012 January – Dismantlement begins with floodlight towers being sent to
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
.
See also
*
Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza
*
The Edgar Centre
*
Logan Park, Dunedin
Logan Park is a sporting venue in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It lies on land reclaimed from the former Lake Logan.
Features
The park contains both Football and rugby grass and artificial pitches, known as both Dunedin Artificial Turf a ...
*
University Oval, Dunedin
The University of Otago Oval is a sports ground located at Logan Park, Dunedin, New Zealand, and owned by the Dunedin City Council. The ground was originally owned by the University of Otago, but ownership was transferred to the city council ...
*
List of Test cricket grounds
One hundred and twenty-one grounds have hosted Test cricket since the first officially recognised Test match between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1877. The grounds are listed in the order in which they were first used as a venue f ...
References
External links
Carisbrook Stadium TrustOur Stadium Visionaries ClubStadium of Dunedin BlogOtago Rugby History
{{Super Rugby stadiums
1883 establishments in New Zealand
2013 disestablishments in New Zealand
Defunct association football venues in New Zealand
Defunct cricket grounds in New Zealand
NZHPT Category I listings in Otago
Rugby union stadiums in New Zealand
Rugby World Cup stadiums
Sports venues in Dunedin
Test cricket grounds in New Zealand
1992 Cricket World Cup stadiums