The historic Sandover Medal Walk has been brought back to life at Subiaco Oval at a community open event today.
The reimagined walk features the names of all Sandover Medal winners from 1921 to present etched into the pavement circling the heritage-listed playing field.
Future winners will continue to be added on site, with names progressively spiralling outward.
The Walk, which was previously located along Roberts Road and Haydn Bunton Drive prior to the demolition of the former Subiaco Oval stadium, ensures Subiaco Oval continues to be recognised as the historic home of WA football.
“The Oval at Subi East demonstrates how reimagining underutilised spaces in established neighbourhoods can really deliver quality urban infill projects,” said WA Lands Minister, John Carey.
“This Oval precinct has given renewed purpose in the area for sports, recreation, and connecting people.
“Infill projects allow us to be strategic in providing amenities where people live and work. The Oval’s central location, close to the Perth CBD, public transport and schools, enables great access to these new state of the art public facilities for the local and wider WA community.”
Subiaco Oval Gates are now home to the WA Football Hall of Fame and key historic information of the site, and an open-air museum celebrating Western Australian football is located at the Subiaco Oval Pavilion.
The landscaping makeover, known as The Oval, has also delivered an array of community amenities and assets.
New youth recreation spaces provide parkour equipment, nature play zones and imaginative re-use of old stadium structures play equipment.
The new landscaping also includes a Noongar Six Seasons Bidi, designed in partnership with the Subi East Elder Group to embed Noongar knowledge and culture within Subi East.
It will be opened for the first time and it celebrates the Noongar six seasons, linking all things natural with cultural heritage on the development site and beyond.
“As a football-mad State, Subiaco Oval holds a special place in the hearts of Western Australians as a focal point of our history for more than a century,” said Deputy Premier, Rita Saffioti.
“With the reimagining of the Sandover Medal Walk, we’re really excited to celebrate the legacy of this iconic venue and the champions who have graced the field.
“Beyond acknowledging remarkable individual achievements, The Oval precinct as a whole pays tribute to the rich footballing heritage of our State, from the original seating restored from the oval and heritage plaques, to commissioned public artwork and signage.”
The Oval, a new mixed-use residential precinct, is central to the first stage of development within Subi East.
It will transform the land around Subiaco Oval into a vibrant and connected community that celebrates the cultural heritage of the area and blends the unique character of Subiaco with new high-quality buildings and public spaces.
