My earliest memory of Eden Park is sitting in the now-demolished South Stand, watching Martin Crowe confidently step forward to belt a ball for four. As it sailed across the boundary line and into the fence the packed stands erupted in a cacophony of flailing arms and screams. He’d go on to score a blistering century against the men in green and gold to open the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

The hallowed turf of Auckland’s Eden Park has formed an iconic part of the New Zealand landscape for over a century; a ground consecrated by blood, sweat, mud and tears.  

From swamp to international stage

Eden Park has existed as a sports ground since 1900. Back then it proved more testing swamp-land than test match arena. Auckland’s early settlers named the area Cabbage Tree Swamp, and what was swamp most of the year became a fully-fledged lake with winter flooding. But by 1914 the ground was drained, pasture sown, volcanic litter cleared and two magnificent ovals were formed.

Almost since its inception the park has served a dual sporting role. Cricketers initiated playing there, with the ground becoming the home of Auckland Cricket in 1911. The Auckland Rugby Union leased the turf in 1913, officially making Eden Park its headquarters in 1925.

Standing witness

New Zealand sport has experienced some of its proudest and some of its most humiliating moments at ‘The Garden of Eden’. In 1956 our cricketers chalked up their first ever test win against the West Indies. Only a year earlier they’d fallen for 26 – the lowest score in test history. And who could forget Richard Hadlee hitting a ball out of the stadium in 1992, or the Black Caps successfully chasing down 336 against Australia in 2007. 

It’s said that the building of the South Stand in 1959 marked a turning point for Eden Park, heralding an age in which the ground would increasingly become synonymous with the oval-ball game. However, even before construction began the stadium had a rich rugby legacy. 

In 1921 the park hosted its first international rugby match against South Africa; the Springboks claimed victory with a three-point margin in front of a crowd of 30,000. Then, in 1930, the first Lions Tour to Eden Park saw a remarkable 45,000 people pack into the bank.

This number was eclipsed in 1956 with the All Blacks' historic test and series win over the Springboks. Close to 65,000 supporters teemed into the arena (and trees, rooftops and every other possible vantage point) to watch New Zealand triumph – and hear Peter Jones make his celebrated post-match declaration that he was absolutely "buggered".

Some of the Eden story has been a little stormy. Auckland’s ‘tropical’ weather saw the only international of 1975 transform Eden Park back into a lake – the match against Scotland came to be known as the ‘Water Polo’ test. During the infamous Springbok Tour of 1981 ‘all hell broke loose’ when fighting erupted outside Eden Park and the pitch was flour-bombed by a low-flying plane.

But then there’s that not-insignificant matter of Grant Fox lining up a goal to win the first ever Rugby World Cup. An All Blacks’ feat not (yet) repeated. But with a Rugby World Cup at home in 2011, and a final scheduled for Eden Park, there’s plenty of folklore still to be written.

Building on up

Demolition began on the stadium’s South Stand in August of last year. Towering cranes now dominate the local skyline, with work well underway on a $240 million redevelopment. The work includes a new three-tier, 21,500 seat South Stand with 50 corporate boxes.

Once completed, Eden Park will boast an unroofed two-tier East Stand (replacing the terraces) with space for 8,600 people. Extension of the ASB Stand, with a 2,000 seat lower bowl, will take the stadium’s total capacity to 60,000 – this will be reduced to 50,000 post-World Cup.

Naturally there’s been concern about traffic chaos as fans stream in and out of the stadium; anyone who’s attended a match at the ground knows you often have to trawl Mt Eden’s suburban streets to find the right gate. To rectify the problem the Eden Park Redevelopment Board has promised an internal concourse and an elevated plaza leading to the nearby Kingsland Station, as well as a bus terminal in the park’s southwest corner.

There’s no doubting this is an ambitious project, but the redevelopment board remain confident they’re on track: "To date every key stage has been delivered on schedule, and every indication is that the project will remain on schedule for delivery by the end of 2010. This leaves ample time for final Rugby World Cup 2011 preparations".

Let’s hope the All Blacks of 2011 can capture some of that Eden Park magic.

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Article by Caleb Starrenburg, an Auckland-based freelance journalist.