Kooyong Stadium

Kooyong Stadium, at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, is an Australian tennis venue, located in the Melbourne suburb of Kooyong. The stadium, which was built in 1927 and has undergone several renovations, has a seating capacity of slightly more than 5,000. At its peak the stadium was capable of hosting up to 15,000 patrons.[2]

Kooyong Stadium

Centre Court in January 2014
Location	489 Glenferrie Road Kooyong, Victoria
Coordinates	37°50′18″S 145°01′55″E
Owner	Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club
Capacity	5,000
Surface	Plexicushion
Construction
Opened	1927
Renovated	1934[1]
Tenants
Kooyong Classic Australian Open (1972–1987)
Website
www.kooyong.com.au

Image of the exterior grandstand (North) showing iconic lettering and broadcast boxes.

History

Kooyong was the venue for the Australian Open, whenever that tournament was held in Melbourne, becoming the permanent venue from 1972 to 1987. It was the last Australian Open venue to play on grass courts. The tournament was moved to the hard courts of Melbourne Park in 1988.[3] Now a hard-court surface, it remains the venue for the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament.[2]

Kooyong has also hosted several Davis Cup ties and finals, including the 1986 Davis Cup Final which saw Australia defeat two-time defending champions Sweden 3–2 in late December. The stadium hosted a tie for the 2016 Davis Cup against the USA in March 2016 on a portable grass court.[4] In 2019 the club demolished the upper western and southern stands, revising the seating capacity to approximately 5,000.[5] The venue had previously been capable of seating 8,500 spectators.[6]

Concerts

The venue has also hosted several concerts:

• On 24 October 1971 Elton John performed a concert there.[7]
• In February 1972, English rock group Led Zeppelin held a large open-air concert at the venue as part of its Australasian Tour.
• On 13 January 1973 Black Sabbath performed a concert there.
• On 17–18 February 1973, The Rolling Stones played three shows there as part of their 1973 Pacific Tour.
• On 16 February 1985, famous Greek singers George Dalaras & Dimitra Galani with their band, performed a concert there.
• In February 1986, Bob Dylan performed three concerts there.
• In November 1987, David Bowie performed four concerts at the venue.

See also

• List of tennis stadiums by capacity

References

1. http://www.mbemalvern.com.au/mhs/gallery/kooyong-tennis-stadium/
2. "A Rich History". Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
3. "Australian Open at Kooyong Stadium". Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
4. "Davis Cup clash between Australia and United States to be hosted at Kooyong". ABC News. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
5. "Former world No.1s, grand slam champs descend on Kooyong Classic". Herald Sun. 29 October 2019. The club has started an $18 million redevelopment, which includes returning the stadium to its 1930s form ahead of major clubhouse and site improvements in 2020. A reduced capacity crowd of more than 5000 [results] in what organisers hope will provide a "boutique atmosphere" at the former home of the Open.
6. "Kooyong: Demolition taking Australia's spiritual home of tennis back to basics". The New Daily. 18 July 2019.
7. "Elton John Tour 1971". JPJ Audio. Retrieved 5 October 2017.

External links

Media related to Kooyong Stadium at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website