Adelaide Oval’s Historic Trees: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Adelaide Oval is as much a part of the city as the River Torrens or Mount Lofty. It’s where many of our epic sporting contests have been played out in winter and summer.

And throughout the sporting spectacles some very old and gnarled tenants have been silent witnesses to the daily activities of ground staff at Adelaide Oval.

While there have been a lot of changes at the Oval, the Pepper Tree at the back of the Bradman Stand is a link with the ground's earliest past. It’s where Mary, the horse that used to pull all the heavy machinery was tethered. Machinery like the roller used to prepare the Oval's first test match pitch when we played the Poms.

The old Pepper tree’s bark has done its best to hide the tethering ring which dates back to a time when there was very little shade for the sports fans.

We caught up with curator, Les Burdett, as he and his ground staff scarified the oval after another demanding cricket season. It's been Les’ 35th successive season, having started here as an 18-year-old in 1969.

And he reckons he never grows tired of the views, which include the famous Moreton Bay Fig Trees on the mound:

“The soil for the mound was taken from the banks of the Torrens when they were building the Torrens Lake. They had to put the soil somewhere so they figured they could build a mound here at Adelaide Oval. That happened about 1898. Then they decided that they'd put some trees in and the Ficus or Moreton Bays grow very quickly.”

So quickly that by 1933 the Moreton Bays at the scoreboard end were providing plenty of shade for the 50,000 spectators who filled the ground to see the famous bodyline series.

By then there'd been a few additions to the marvelous canopy at the scoreboard end. Some with very regal beginnings which are commemorated on old tin plaques which are locked in a losing battle against the constant twisting of century old fig trees.

“We had a visit from the Duke and Duchess of York who came over to open the Federation of the Australian Parliament and whilst they were here they planted the two magnificent trees back in 1901.”

For cricket and footy fans the Port Jackson figs and their Moreton Bay cousins are as much a part of Adelaide Oval as the heritage stands and scoreboard. Prior to the planting of the trees, punters would perch themselves on Montifore Hill - and watch major sporting events for free.

“People used to sit on Montifore Hill and actually be able to view the oval. They were non-paying customers. So the tree were planted to block them out and the legacy of that was this magnificent canopy of trees.”

The ground's many historic trees feature in the regular weekday morning tours of Adelaide Oval. For details contact 8300 3800 or for more info email info@postcards-sa.com.au