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| Above: The official opening of Parramatta Stadium on March 5, 1986. Full citation below. |
The former Parramatta Stadium (1986-2016) was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on March 5 1986.
It replaced Cumberland Oval, which by the early 1980's became run-down, and in 1981 the grandstand was burned to the ground as Parramatta fans celebrated their first NSWRL Premiership on September 27, 1981.
Source: Jones, M. 1986. "35,000 Royalists: The Queen packs 'em in at Parramatta". The Daily Telegraph, March 6: 5.
As for the opening itself, a crowd estimated at up to 35 000 gathered at the stadium.
The Queen was accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Premier of NSW, Neville Wran and Federal Sports Minister (and local Federal Member) John Brown were among the political dignitaries present.
Source: Andrews, M. 1986. "But, says Sterling, little has changed:. The Daily Telegraph, March 17:2.
The first event held at the stadium was a NSWRL (now NRL) round 2 fixture between Parramatta and St George on March 16, 1986. This featured a special pre-game ceremony. Below is a video containing highlights of the game and the pre-match ceremony, posted on the NRL's YouTube Channel. There are clippings at the start, with an overview of construction and the official opening by the Queen.
Parramatta defeated the 1985 Grand Finalists 36-6.
This year also marks 10 years since the stadium was closed, demolished, and rebuilt as Western Sydney Stadium. Its last event was on August 29 2016, when Parramatta and St George-Illawarra (originally St George) played in Round 25 of the regular season. These were the same teams who had played the first sporting fixture on the ground three decades earlier. Parramatta, as they did in 1986, beat St George-Illawarra 30-18.
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