Nunawading Stadium

History

The Nunawading Basketball Centre, arguably the most famous basketball venue in Australia during the 70’s and 80’s, was first mooted in the mid 1960’s. Located on the East Burwood Reserve, Burwood Highway, East Burwood, the Centre has become a byword at home and overseas for basketball and associated facilities.

The $8 million dollar centre (2008 Insurance Replacement Value) is unique in Australia because it has been built and paid for by basketball patrons money under the administration of the Nunawading Amateur Basketball Association (NABA).

The NABA is a non-profit community advancement company and has administered and paid for the building of the basketball centre from 1969 to the present and all the profits made are put back into the centre and basketball.

Since 1970, the centre has provided the community with a major sporting asset which ratepayers haven’t had to fund. It is the home of the Melbourne East Basketball Association Inc (MEBA) which runs competitions for 800 teams (7000 players) per week, playing each day for 48 weeks of the year. The MEBA runs Representative Teams for both Juniors and Seniors under the name of the Nunawading Spectres.

In 1963 the Melbourne East Boys Basketball Association was founded and by the mid 60’s had grown to 91 teams of junior boys and open age men. In 1966, with pressure for more courts for the rapidly expanding competitions, the Association formed a Stadium Building Sub-Committee which presented a submission to the Box Hill Council for a central stadium in the eastern suburbs.

It appeared certain that a four court stadium would be built and paid for by the Council at Surrey Drive in Box Hill South, but when negotiations were in an advanced stage, the Albert Park Basketball Stadium directors made a counter application to the Box Hill Council stating that the long standing policy of the Victorian Basketball Association to control and build stadiums around Melbourne should be maintained. Confused by the conflicting correspondence from the two basketball sources, the Council abandoned the venture.

On a Sunday morning in 1968, Reg Stacker invited the Mayor of Nunawading, Councillor Keith Rooney together with members of the Association’s Building Sub-Committee to discuss stadium development over a cup of tea in Reg’s kitchen. Following that meeting, Mr Rooney said he would try and get the Nunawading Council to provide a site under lease and a cash grant of $6000 for the proposed stadium.

The Sub-Committee formed a Co-operative to raise $100,000 to build the original two court centre. The Nunawading Basketball Centre was officially opened on 24 July 1970 by the Victorian Premier Dick Hamer.