Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, also known as Park 16, is a park located in the Southeastern Park Lands of the

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n capital of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. It is bordered by

Fullarton Road Fullarton Road is a main road in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. Route It runs north–south in a straight line from the eastern edge of the CBD to the south-eastern suburbs of the city. Its northern beginning is at the intersecti ...

Greenhill Road Greenhill Road is a major road in Adelaide, South Australia, that provides a connection to the eastern and hills suburbs. Its western section, running along the south side of Adelaide Parklands, forms part of Adelaide's City Ring Route. Route ...

East Terrace __NOTOC__ East Terrace marks the eastern edge of the Adelaide city centre. It is one of the main north–south thoroughfares through the east side of the city. Although the terrace essentially runs north–south between North Terrace and Sout ...

and Wakefield Road. It hosts a variety of major events throughout the year, the most prominent of which have been the Formula 1 from 1985 to 1995, and from 1999 the

Adelaide 500 The Adelaide 500 (also known as the VALO Adelaide 500 for sponsorship reasons) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide, South Australia between 1999 to 2020 and again from 2022. It is someti ...

. This race was cancelled in 2020 for the 2021 season, because of the

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first confirmed case in Australia was identified on 25 Januar ...

, but returned in December 2022.

History

The park's most prominent feature was the Victoria Park Racecourse, formerly the home course of the Adelaide Racing Club prior to its amalgamation with the South Australian Jockey Club; the main track was 2,360 metres long, with the longest home-straight of any horse racing track in Australia. Jack McGowan 1896 Victoria Park on Jack Spratt

Jack McGowan 1896 Victoria Park on Jack Spratt

Iconic races such as the Grand National Hurdle and the Adelaide Grand National were run on the track and won by South Australia's leading cross-country jockey Jack McGowan of Brooklyn Park in the late 1800s. Following the rejection of a proposal to upgrade horse and motor racing facilities in early 2008, the SAJC vacated the premises, moving their home course to

Morphettville Racecourse Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing course for the Australian state of South Australia, incorporating two separate tracks. It is situated in the Adelaide suburb of Morphettville, and is about 10 km from the Adelaide city cen ...

. The 1950s-era SAJC grandstand was demolished, as was a large brick wall adjacent Fullarton Road and other utility buildings. The heritage-listed 1880s-era grandstand will be refurbished as part of a $16 million upgrade of the park's facilities. The park remains one of the venues for the Adelaide International Horse Trials. In August 2008, the Adelaide City Council announced plans to turn Victoria Park into a "people's park", incorporating wetlands, community sporting facilities,

walking track A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

s and temporary motor racing facilities. Part of the

Adelaide Street Circuit The Adelaide Street Circuit (also known as the Adelaide Parklands Circuit) is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the Adelaide central business district in South Australia, Australia. The "Grand Prix" version of t ...

was built in the northern portion of the park. Temporary grandstands and other facilities were erected whenever

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

events were hosted there. The Australian Grand Prix took place from 1985 to 1995, and a one-off

Le Mans series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...

event, the " Race of a Thousand Years" on 31 December 2000. The circuit hosted the

from 1999 until 2020; its cancellation for 2021 was announced due to the

, and declining attendance.Adelaide 500 Supercars race cancellation prompts calls for replacement events
''ABC News'', 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020. In 2020, the government established a

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

testing site inside the park. The Adelaide 500 returned as the final round of the 2022 series.

Description

Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi is also known as Park 16. It is located in the Southeastern Park LandsVictoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16)
adelaideparklands.com.au

References

{{AdelaideRacing Horse racing venues in Australia Parks in Adelaide Sports venues in Adelaide