TCA Ground

The TCA Ground is one of two grounds in Hobart's domain, and although it's no longer Tasmania's home of cricket, it is still the home of the TCA. In January 2001, an estimated crowd of over 18,000 fans attended an AC/DC concert. It hosted a World Series Cup game in 1985 for an attendance of 6,500, and attracted a record crowd of 10,882 for the 1978/1979 Gilette Cup final, which Tasmania won for the first time.

The HC Smith Stand (Members Stand) was built in 1880 and another part was added on in 1908. Is now home to the North Hobart Cricket Club. The small stand next to it is known as the Ladies Stand (built 1894) which has been blown over twice in 1947 and 1995 and was renovated by Work for the Dole crews in 1999. The large concrete grandstand on the western side is known the Powell Pascoe Payne Stand named in honour of three life members of the Hobart FC. The smaller stand next to the Smith Stand is unnamed and was built in 1954. The old wooden building on the eastern side of the ground (now the visitors change rooms) is the former TCA Bowls club built in 1907 or 1911. It was the Hobart Clubrooms from 1945-1970 when the new Club room was built beneath the Powell Pascoe Payne Stand in completion for the 1971 season. The concrete change rooms next to the PPP Stand were constructed by volunteer labour by members and supporters of the Hobart FC also completed for the start of the 1971 season. The ground was home to the Hobart FC in the TANFL from 1945-1982 when it was forcibly ejected from the ground because of the small playing surface and because of the damage to the pitch areas during the football season. Hobart hosted matches at the ground in 1995 and 1996 in the Statewide league before resuming playing at the ground from 1998 o the Present in the SFL The ground was also used for Greyhound racing up until the early eighties. Reminders of this are still there with old kennel quarters for the Dogs still standing at the Northern end of the ground and the undercover standing area between the Smith Pavilion and the PPP Stand being the former bookmakers ring.

The ground fell into a disgraceful state of disrepair up until 1999 when with a combined grant with the Federal Government and the Hobart City Council the stadium was done up through the National Trust to resemble an original village green cricket ground. However this meant changes such as all stands and buildings were to be painted in original Federation colours and advertisement hoardings were not permitted to be fixed onto any structure within the TCA.