Beaton Park Stadium is an Australian basketball centre in
Gwynneville, New South Wales. It was the home of
National Basketball League side
Illawarra Hawks between 1979 and 1998, and is the home to
local basketball in
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...
. It was nicknamed "The Snake Pit" during its time with the Illawarra/Wollongong Hawks.
History
After the stadiums construction in 1965, a game between Illawarra and the Sydney Paratels opened the stadium.
In 1979 the stadium was used as the
Illawarra Hawks home stadium during the inaugural season of the
National Basketball League. The Hawks remained at the venue until the opening of the 6,000 seat
Wollongong Entertainment Centre in 1998, though they continue to train at the stadium and use it for pre-season games.
The stadium has in the past hosted multiple
Australia Boomers and
Opals
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silicon dioxide, silica (SiO2ยท''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3% to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6% and 10%. Due to the amorphous (chemical) physical structure, it is classified as a ...
exhibition games in the past, as well as the
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters is an American Exhibition game, exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 ...
, the
United States women's national basketball team and multiple
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
college teams.
References
{{NBL Arenas
Illawarra Hawks
Defunct National Basketball League (Australia) venues
Basketball venues in Australia
Sports venues in New South Wales