Celebrating the Melbourne Cricket Club and its iconic home – the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
14 November 2013 - The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) will celebrate its 175th anniversary on 15 November this year.
Founded in 1838, the MCC acts as venue manager of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and has evolved into an integral part of Melbourne life, with membership one of the most keenly sought-after in Australia.
MCC president, Paul Sheahan, comments on the significance of the Club and its iconic home: “The MCC is more than just a large group of members based at the MCG. For almost two centuries, the MCC has funded and managed the largest and most attended stadium in Australia and today we also operate as a heritage preserver, tourism operator and custodian of public parkland.”
Through its close involvement in the redevelopment of the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Northern Stand, Aurecon has played a key role in ensuring that the project reflects community aspirations, ensuring that the ‘People’s Ground’ meets and exceeds social and regulatory expectations.
As such, Aurecon congratulates the Club on its enduring legacy and is proud to share in this stadium’s enduring success.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground ‘at a glance’
- The MCG receives over three million visitors annually. It has a seating capacity of 100 024 comprised of 95 000 seats and standing space for over 5 000 people.
- The tenth-largest stadium in the world; the largest in Australia; and current holder of the world record for the highest light towers at any sporting venue, the MCG enjoys a status as one of the world's greatest sporting venues which offers exceptional viewing, comfort, amenities and levels of sustainable design.
- The main roof has 1 100 tonnes of structural steel and 5 300 lineal metres of steel cable supports 6 000 sq. metres of glass roof area, 14 000 sq. metres of metal deck roof and 2 900 tonnes of other structural steel.
- The MCG was the first stadium in the world to have its annual number of visitors equal to the city’s population.
- The highest official attendance for a sporting event recorded at the MCG was in 1970 when 121 696 spectators watched Carlton and Collingwood contest the Victorian Football League (VFL) Grand Final.
- The MCG was the centrepiece stadium of both the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
- The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and on the Australian National Heritage List and is referred to within Victoria as the ‘Spiritual Home of Australian Sport’.
For more information about the MCC’s 175th anniversary, keep an eye on www.mcc.org.au/mcc175 and the MCC’s social media channels.
