York Park (known under naming rights as University of Tasmania Stadium or UTAS Stadium) is an oval-shaped sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct of Launceston, Tasmania, Aestralia. The stadium is used primarily for Australian rules football and hosts regular matches in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The area was swampland before becoming Launceston's showgrounds in 1873. In the following decades the grounds were increasingly used for other sports, including cricket, bowls and tennis. In 1919, plans were prepared for the transformation of the area into a multi-sports venue. From 1923, the venue was principally used for Australian rules football by the Northern Tasmanian Football Association, becoming the ground of the North Launceston Football Club. The ground also hosted occasional inter-state football matches. Visiting mainland football clubs regularly played mid-season or end-of-season matches at the ground.
As part of a long-term agreement with the Tasmanian Government, the Hawthorn Football Club have played between two and five home AFL matches each season since 2001. Previously the St Kilda Football Club played two home games a year at the ground between 2003 and 2006. The venue hosted its first AFL finals match during the 2021 AFL finals series. York Park will become a home ground to the Tasmania Football Club upon the club's entry into the AFL in 2028.
As well as football, York Park has hosted other sports and several concerts and other entertainment events. The venue was redeveloped in 2005 at a cost of $23.6 million, and as of 2025 is currently undergoing a $130 million redevelopment to accommodate four home games per season for the Tasmania Football Club, who will enter the AFL in 2028.
York Park has been home to the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame since 2009.
History
The area now known as York Park was originally "swampy, sour, and choked with weeds". After European settlement, it was used for landfill before becoming the Launceston showgrounds in 1874. By 1881, of land (now York and Invermay Parks) had been taken over by the Launceston City Council "for the purpose of recreation, health and enjoyment". The area was ready to be used for two cricket games by the end of 1886. Cricketers were full of praise for the ground, but because winter rain caused it to become waterlogged, footballers (Australian rules) were often unable to use the facility. to prove their fidelity to the monarchy. A bowling green and tennis courts were completed by 1910, along with the main oval which was used for state school sports. was in use by September of the same year.
On 4 May 1923 The Examiner reported on that "Work on the grandstand was completed for the opening of the 1923 football season, when the game was transferred from the NTCA Ground to York Park. Work on the grandstand and the seating round the oval has been proceeded with at top speed, and spectators at the game tomorrow should have little to complain of." In the 1930s the Launceston Football Club, who played regularly at the ground, won six consecutive premierships before World War II intervened. As a consequence of the war NTFA matches were cancelled after the 1941 season, not to resume until May 1945. Three years later, 12 ornamental trees were planted at the ground, in memory of NTFA players who had lost their lives in the war.
In 1960, York Park was the venue of a football match in which Tasmania defeated Victoria for the first time. The match was attended by a record crowd of approximately 15,000. Four years later, the southern stand (demolished in 2004) was completed. In the 1970s another stand was added, capable of holding 650 spectators and incorporating sales kiosks and committee rooms. Other improvements added were five television standard light towers, a watering and drainage system able to disperse up to of rain an hour, and 85 in-ground sprinklers capable of rising .
In 2003, the Government of Tasmania allocated $2 million to erect a roof above 6,000 terrace seats, in readiness for the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup; this meant that almost all of the seating area was protected from the weather. In 2004, the ground became known as Aurora Stadium as the result of six-year naming rights sponsorship deal with Aurora Energy. These gates, and the heritage-listed Northern Stand, have been placed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register as culturally significant to the state.
upright=1.5|right|thumb|Northern Stand after fire damage in 2008. The stand was consequently moved to the nearby Invermay Park in 2010.|alt=A grassed sporting oval with an old stand with a yellow and red roof, filled with spectators
In March 2008, an arson attack destroyed part of the Northern Stand, causing between $300,000 and $500,000 damage. In December 2008 the Launceston City Council proposed a $7 million development for a replacement Northern Stand. The project includes the relocation of the old Northern Stand's heritage roof into part of the redevelopment of facilities at Invermay Park. The old structure at York Park will be replaced with a 2,125-seat grandstand which will include three AFL compliant changerooms, an AFL umpire changeroom, a corporate facility for 936 people in corporate boxes, suites and function rooms, coaches boxes, along with statistician, timekeepers and print media rooms. Post-match press conference, drug testing, and radio rooms will also be included. The stand has increased the ground's capacity to 21,000 and the seating capacity to 13,825. These works were designed by Tasmania-based architects Philp Lighton Architects. The Australian Government was expected to contribute $4 million, the Tasmanian Government $2 million and Launceston City Council $500,000. The Hawthorn Football Club asked for a "sizeable" contribution from the AFL towards the development, and Inveresk Precinct Authority chairman Robin McKendrick has indicated that a contribution of $1 million was possible.
Redevelopment
As the Tasmanian Government sought to secure a license for a Tasmanian team in the Australian Football League (AFL), redeveloping York Park became an active pursuit of the government.
In March 2022, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein announced the government intended to pursue a significant redevelopment of the stadium, stating a redevelopment could occur within five years, though making it contingent on the state government's $65 million contribution being matched by the federal government, as well as ownership of the stadium being transferred from the Launceston City Council to the state government-run Stadiums Tasmania agency. The federal funding was secured in April 2023 in an announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Shortly after this announcement, the Tasmania Football Club was approved for entry into the AFL for the 2028 season.
In November 2024, the Launceston City Council voted to transfer ownership of the stadium from the council to Stadiums Tasmania, paving the way for construction works on improved matchday facilities to commence and bringing umpires rooms, changing rooms and other facilities to Australian tier 2 sporting guidelines. Major construction at the stadium commenced in September 2025.
The redevelopment will include a new centre-west stand incorporating function, corporate and media facilities, a new seating bowl in the lower section of the western stand and a revitalised eastern stand. It is expected be complete in 2027, and will result in a total stadium capacity of 17,500.
Sports and events
Australian rules football
right|thumb|Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide AFL match in 2007|alt=Two young male athletes contest the football. One is wearing a light blue, black and white sleeveless shirt and white shorts, while the other is wearing a brown and gold striped sleeveless shirt and brown shorts.
Australian rules football is the main sport played at the stadium which has hosted Australian Football League (AFL) games since 2001, when the state government started paying interstate clubs to relocate their home games. Melbourne-based Hawthorn played one game in 2001 and two in 2002, and in 2003 were joined by another Melbourne team, St Kilda. In 2004, it was estimated that the cost to the government per game was between $300,000 and $500,000, but Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon stated that the government was making a profit on its investment, estimating that each game injected between $1 million and $1.5 million into the Tasmanian economy.
The number of AFL matches peaked in 2006, when Hawthorn played three home games and one pre-season game, while St Kilda played two home games. The games drew an average crowd of 17,108, with a record attendance of 20,971 for the match between Hawthorn and Richmond.
left|thumb|Gunns Stand during Hawthorn vs Brisbane AFL match in 2009|alt=A two tier stand and scoreboard filled with people in the backdrop of an oval grass playing surface.
A major controversy occurred at York Park when, in the round 5, 2006 match between St Kilda and Fremantle, the final siren was too quiet to be heard by any of the umpires; play was restarted in error, and in the subsequent confusion St Kilda levelled the scores. After a protest, the AFL Commission convened and overturned the result, awarding Fremantle the victory. The stadium's sirens were replaced, and the old ones were put on display at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.
In 2007 York Park benefitted from a five-year, $16.4 million sponsorship of Hawthorn by the state government. Under the sponsorship agreement the stadium is the venue for five of Hawthorn's matches each year—one pre-season and four premiership games. Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has expressed interest in his club playing higher profile teams, such as Collingwood, at the stadium. The ground also hosted occasional Tasmanian Devils Football Club home games in the Victorian Football League, from 2001 until the club's demise in 2008.
Hawthorn Football Club
are the AFL club with the longest tenancy at York Park, having played up to four relocated home games per season at the venue since 2001, and having exclusivity over the ground since the mid-2000's. The club made repeated extensions of its partnership with the venue, culminating in agreement that will last to the end of the 2027 season. In 2026 the AFL ended Hawthorn's practice of playing home games at York Park beyond the expiration of the deal in 2027. As of the end of the 2024 season, Hawthorn have won 61 of the 82 premiership matches it has played at the venue, one of the league's most successful win-loss records.
Tasmania Football Club
As part of the AFL ending Hawthorn's tenancy at York Park in 2027, the league cited the need for the venue to become a home ground to the Tasmania Football Club (nicknamed the Devils), who enter the competition in 2028. The Devils will initially split home games between York Park and Bellerive Oval in Hobart, before shifting Hobart-based matches to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium in 2031.
Other uses
York Park hosted its first international sporting fixture in the group phase of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, when Romania and Namibia played in front of 15,457 spectators. As a soccer venue the stadium has hosted one National Soccer League match and three A-League pre-season games. In addition to pre-season matches, Aurora Stadium has also hosted regular season A-League matches: on 1 February 2012, Melbourne Victory played Gold Coast United FC in a regular season A-League game in front of a crowd of 5,268 people and on 12 January 2013, Melbourne Victory played against Central Coast Mariners in front of a crowd of 6,238 people. Inveresk Precinct Authority chairman Robin McKendrick has stated that ground authorities are attempting to win hosting rights for Australian national soccer team matches. On 30 December 2017, the ground played host to its first ever Big Bash League match when the Hobart Hurricanes took a home game to York Park with the Sydney Thunder being their opponents. The Thunder won by 57 runs in front of 16,734 fans.
Western United FC has also played home games at the stadium.
Among non-sporting events, before its redevelopment the stadium hosted an Ike & Tina Turner concert and a Billy Graham religious revival meeting.
Elton John performed at York Park during his Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live Tour at the end of 2007; this remains his only appearance in Tasmania as of August 2009.
Structures and facilities
right|thumb|Stadium map|alt=York Park is located next to a road, with its biggest stand near the road. There are seven different stands surrounding the perimeter of the grassed oval, with varying shapes and sizes.
York Park is an oval-shaped grassed arena surrounded by several different stands, the largest being the two-tier Gunns Stand on the ground's western side. The stand originally had a capacity of 2,500, which was increased by an extension in 2005 to 5,700.
The stand has two corporate box areas, the Gunns Function Centre and the Corporate Function Centre.
Immediately north of the Stand is the Aurora Function Centre, which also houses coaches' boxes,
and is next to the heritage listed Northern Stand connecting the Northern, Southern and Eastern Terraces. The stands have a collective capacity of 6,000, bringing the ground's total seating to 11,700.
The Railway Workers Hill is a small, uncovered stand located at the eastern side of the ground between the Northern and Eastern Terraces. The ground has a parking capacity of approximately 2,500, from the use of large grassy areas at the adjacent Inveresk site, with an option of street parking.
York Park has often been criticised for its large playing surface, which is blamed for producing unattractive low-scoring football. Prior to the start of 2009, only 11 of 28 matches saw a score beyond 100 points. The ground is also known for its strong wind, which hinders the accuracy of long-distance kicks that are propelled high into the air.
A grant of $50,000 from the Tasmanian Community Fund in 2005 helped the Launceston City Council and AFL Tasmania construct a permanent Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame at York Park. The ground was chosen as the site because it is regarded as the home of Australian rules football in Tasmania. AFL Tasmania initiated the Hall of Fame nomination process, and since 2005 various clubs, players and grounds have been inducted. The Hall of Fame opened to the public on 21 February 2009. As of May 2009, $23.6 million had been spent re-developing the stadium.
Crowds
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:right"
|+ Average AFL attendances
! style="width:75px;"| Season
! style="width:75px;"| Average
|-
|2022
|12,060
|-
|2021
|9,213
|-
|2019
|13,922
|-
|2018
|12,578
|-
|2017
|13,197
|-
|2016
|13,855
|-
|2015
|13,851
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2014
| 13,825
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2013
| 13,238
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2012
| 15,688
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2011
| 15,716
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010
| 16,173
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2009
| 17,420
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2008
| 17,528
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007
| 17,403
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2006
| 17,108
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
| 15,772
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2004
| 16,615
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2003
| 16,707
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2002
| 16,589
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001
| 17,460
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| Total
| 16,849
|}
The ground's record attendance is 20,971, at an AFL match between Hawthorn and Richmond on 18 June 2006. This match occurred before the Northern Stand was damaged and the stadium's capacity reduced. An AFL match between Hawthorn and St Kilda on 8 August 2009 saw a capacity crowd of 20,011, the largest crowd since the fire. Excluding matches played with reduced capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium's lowest AFL attendance is 8,263 for the match between Hawthorn and on 25 April 2026.
The highest recorded attendance for a soccer match is 8,061, when Melbourne Victory played Adelaide United on 16 July during a 2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup match. The Billy Graham religious revival meeting on 17 March 1959 attracted 17,000 attendees, a record for a non-sporting event at the ground.
550px|centre|thumb|York Park during the half-time break of an [[A-League pre-season game in July 2006|alt=View of a grassed sporting field and a variety of small stands. Some people on field and in the stands.]]
The highest recorded attendance for a Rugby Union match is 15,457, when Romania played Namibia on the 30 October 2003 during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Attendance records
Top 11 sports attendance records
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%;"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
!No.
!Date
!Teams
!Sport
!Competition
!Crowd
|-
| align=center|1 || align=center|18 June 2006 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 20,971
|-
| align=center|2 || align=center|8 August 2009 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 20,011
|-
| align=center|3 || align=center|9 August 2008 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 19,929
|-
| align=center|4 || align=center|31 May 2008 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 19,378
|-
| align=center|5 || align=center|4 July 2004 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 19,223
|-
| align=center|6 || align=center|29 April 2012 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 19,217
|-
| align=center|7 || align=center|29 July 2007 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 19,114
|-
| align=center|8 || align=center|26 August 2006 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 18,836
|-
| align=center|9 || align=center|26 May 2007 || align=center| vs. || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 18,112
|-
| align=center|10 || align=center|30 July 2016 || align=center| vs. Carlton || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL || 18,112
|-
| align="center" |11
| align="center" |30 October 2003
| align="center" |Romania vs. Namibia
| align="center" |Rugby Union
| align="center" |Rugby World Cup
|15,457
|}
<sup>Last updated on 19 June 2025</sup>
Sources
- AFL Attendance Records
References
:References using The Examiner may require subscription for access.