Pratten Park

Located in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield, Pratten Park is a historic sporting complex with a rich history that dates back to its official opening on 12 September 1912 by the Governor of New South Wales, Frederic Thesiger.

The park is named after Herbert Pratten, an alderman and then mayor of Ashfield. It is perhaps best known as the original home of the Western Suburbs Magpies rugby league team, who played there from 1912 to 1966 and then sporadically from 1971 to 1973 and in 1977 and 1985. Pratten Park has hosted an impressive 353 first grade rugby league games, with the first ever rugby league match being played on the 24th of August 1912 between Western Suburbs and Annandale. Hosting National Soccer League matches, the ground was also the home ground of Sydney Olympic FC for a brief period in the 1980s. In addition, the ground has been used for lower league NSW Soccer matches. The highest recorded attendance of a rugby league match was during a 1964 New South Wales Rugby Football League season game between Western Suburbs and St George, attracting 12,407 people, while a soccer game in 1984 between Sydney Olympic and APIA Leichhardt FC attracted 13,556 people. Although the facilities at Pratten Park are basic, the small grandstand in the north-western corner was restored after many years of disrepair and was reopened in late 2007. The rest of the ground is surrounded by grass hills. For cricket enthusiasts, the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club still calls Pratten Park home. Over the years, the club has had