I Remember When with Milton Rendell

Do you remember when Midland Oval was busy and full of action?

I was the president of the Midland Football Club in 1985 and I remember attending a meeting of the combined sports and youth associations of Swan on the future of the oval and how the sports were to be relocated as part of the long-term future of Midland.

Midland Oval served us well but it was a struggle with the basic facilities that were on offer and for the clubs to survive and thrive, things also had to change.

The sports that attended the meeting were able to move to more modern facilities and have grown since then.

For example, the Midland and Morrison Road Bowling Clubs now enjoy excellent facilities, cycling operates from the Perth Speed Dome, and Swan Districts Baseball Club and Midland Tennis Club have far better facilities as does Midland Football Club which has had recent success.

The Midland-Guildford Cricket Club relocated to Lilac Hill and enjoyed more success financially as well as hosting tour games and in recent years the T20 ladies cricket.

That meeting was a window to the future for our local sports and we can today declare that the changes made have been a success.

Although at times we wanted Midland Oval to continue to host the sports, the reality is that the success and survival of the clubs may never have occurred if we had stayed.

Today Midland Oval still serves as an important part of our landscape, that being the link from the heart of Midland to the shopping precinct.

As someone who played on the oval and spent many hours running around it, the oval has served us well and provided many of us with great memories.

With the plans for redevelopment of the oval, part of me will be sad when it is gone but I know the importance of the location to the infrastructure of the area.

This is the final piece of the plan from so many years ago, when the sporting clubs of the time were given an opportunity to grow, survive or thrive in better locations better suited to their needs.

If you have a story or memory to share please let us know at memories@realestateplus.com.au.

Milton Rendell, chief executive officer Real Estate Plus

Image: City of Swan Local History Collection & Remember Midland