Queens Park is a park in Invercargill, New Zealand, and was part of the original plan when Invercargill was founded in 1856. The park is 200 acres (0.81 km2) in extent. It is just north of the city centre, bounded by Queens Drive to the east, Kelvin Street to the west, Gala Street to the south and Herbert Street to the north. The Gala Street entrance features the Feldwick Gates, built in 1924 and named after John Feldwick, brother of MP Henry Feldwick.[1]
 A tree in Queens Park with a plaque commemorating the centennial of the United Ancient Order of Druids | |
 | |
| Address | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Location | Invercargill, New Zealand |
| Ground information | |
| Establishment | 1975 (first recorded match) |
| International information | |
| First WODI | 6 March 2010: New Zealand v  Australia |
| Last WODI | 7 March 2010: New Zealand v Australia |
| First WT20I | 18 February 2011: New Zealand v Australia |
| Last WT20I | 5 March 2014: New Zealand v  West Indies |
| As of 30 September 2020 Source: CricketArchive | |
The park has an 18-hole golf course, a botanical garden, an aviary and sports grounds. It is also the home to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery and the Southland Astronomical Society Observatory. The cricket ground in the park is the home ground of the Southland cricket team, and is also regularly used by the Otago cricket team for first-class and one-day matches.[2] However, in September 2021, the cricket ground was stripped of its first-class status due to drainage issues.[3] The park also gives its name to one of Invercargill's association football clubs, Queens Park A.F.C.
On the northern edge of the park are Waihopai School (formerly Waihopai Primary School) and Southland Boys' High School. Despite being within the bounded areas of the park, neither are considered a part of it.
Notable events
editThe park co-hosted (along with Southland Boys' High School) the 2006 State Twenty20 Cricket Knock-Out Tournament, on 10–12 November 2006.
The final round of the tournament was set to be played at Queens Park but due to bad weather only 4 of the scheduled 9 matches took place.
The weekly Saturday Invercargill parkrun takes place at Queens Park. Organized by volunteers, the 5 km run welcomes all runners with all fitness levels.[4][5] In July 2020, the Invercargill parkrun become one of the first in the world to resume after Covid-19 halted the weekly event in early 2020.[6]
References
edit- ^ Tohill, Mary-Jo (29 January 2019). "Feldwick Memorial Gates - a portal to Invercargill's past". Southland Times. Stuff.co.nz.
- ^ Queens Park, Invercargill at CricketArchive
- ^ "Southland cricket ground stripped of first-class warrant of fitness status". Stuff. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "home | Invercargill parkrun | Invercargill parkrun". www.parkrun.co.nz. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "People of all abilities take part in volunteer-run parkrun in Invercargill". Stuff. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Invercargill parkrun among 'first in world' to resume". Stuff. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2021.