Kardinia Park plaza name to honor indigenous people

Image: Kardinia Park Stadium Trust

The new northern plaza at Kardinia Park in Australia will be named Djilang Plaza to honour the traditional owners of the land on which the stadium sits.

Djilang Plaza, which is set to welcome up to 14,000 spectators through the gate of the newly built stand of the venue in South Geelong, Victoria, will recognise the Wadawurrung name for the region.

Kardinia Park (also known as GMHBA Stadium due to naming rights) is a sporting and entertainment venue located within Kardinia Park, which is currently undergoing major renovations.

The stadium, which is owned and operated by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, is the home ground of Geelong Football Club and A-League football club Western United FC.

Gerard Griffin, CEO, of Kardinia Park Stadium Trust welcomed the decision to name the plaza after the Wadawurrung name for the region, meaning a “tongue of land,” representing the unique way Geelong and the Bellarine sits on the edge of the bay.

He said, “We listened deeply during the consultation process with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to include two bespoke significant artworks as part of the Stage 5 redevelopment. The connection between culture, community and land has been honored and elevated through these artworks, along with the naming of the plaza – Djilang Plaza.”

Kardinia Park has been a meeting place for Wadawurrung for thousands of years, with gatherings for all aspects of traditional cultural ceremonies and rituals. The naming of the new Djilang Plaza will ensure this continues today.

Facing Moorabool Street, outside Gate 1 at the northern end of the stadium, Djilang Plaza will welcome thousands of spectators to the venue every year, helping spread stories of Wadawurrung.

Led by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust as the naming authority, the naming process involved significant consultation with the community and key stakeholders, including Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, working with Geographic Names Victoria.

Overseen by the Trust, the Stage 5 Redevelopment will deliver a new 14,000 capacity, two-tier northern stand, new northern entry plaza, sports museum, function room and a suite of technology upgrades.

Patrons will enjoy world-class facilities with the venue hosting Australian rules football, T20 cricket, football, concerts and many other community activities which makes Kardinia Park so important to Geelong and the entire region.

Construction on the Stage 5 Redevelopment continues and once complete will increase the overall stadium capacity to 40,000.

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