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Eureka Stadium
Eureka Stadium (known under naming rights as Mars Stadium) is an Australian rules football and cricket stadium located in the Victorian suburb of Wendouree, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) north of the Ballarat city centre. It is part of the Eureka Sports Precinct.
As of 2026[update], Eureka Stadium is the home of the North Ballarat Football Club in the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) and the North Ballarat Cricket Club in the Ballarat Cricket Association (BCA). The Western Bulldogs have also hosted Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) matches at the ground since 2017.
The first permanent oval used by the North Ballarat Football Club was established in 1963 in the centre of the defunct Ballarat Showgrounds harness racing track formerly used by the Ballarat and District Trotting Club as its main venue between 1952 and 1966. A new all-weather oval (dimensions 170 by 140 metres (560 ft × 460 ft)) replaced the harness racing track in 1990, complemented by a new sports club and club pavilion (The North Ballarat Sports Club) which was constructed on private land to the oval's northern flank.
Between 1990 and 2015 the oval was used for a range of purposes although mainly as an Australian rules football and cricket venue. It annually hosted the Ballarat Gift (Athletics Carnival) and the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society's show-ring events during their annual Show.
During the 1990s and early 2000s various proposals to play AFL football at the ground had been discussed by the Ballarat football community, media, and business groups in isolation. However, in 2008 a proposal to develop the stadium for use by AFL team North Melbourne and the North Ballarat VFL team was put forward to the Victorian State Government by the Ballarat Council and the North Ballarat Sports Club. The proposal received support from the ALP Government during the 2010 state election with the LNP opposition only providing conditional support. After the election the new LNP Government quickly abandoned the proposal. The Ballarat Council, media, sports groups, tourism and business groups continued a united lobby under a promotional campaign titled "Think Big Ballarat" until the 2014 state election when the ALP State Opposition announced that they would fund the development as an AFL Level 3 stadium with the first AFL seasonal game to be played from 2017 if elected. Once elected, the new ALP government immediately committed funding in the 2015 State Budget allowing the first stage of development of the stadium to commence.
In order to accommodate grandstands and other facilities the oval was completely rebuilt and re-oriented to a NE-SW axis in preparation for the first stage of construction. The rebuilt oval incorporated state of the art irrigation and drainage, a 4000-capacity grassed spectator berm on its south-eastern flank, and four 37 metres (121 ft) light towers partially rigged to illuminate the playing arena to 300 lux (sufficient for non-televised State level Australian Football night competition).
From April 2017 to June 2018 the City of Ballarat and North Ballarat Sports Club negotiated for Council to purchase the club's freehold land title to ensure that the newly built stadium and existing sports club would be co-developed and future-managed as a singular entity. In June 2017 naming rights for the venue were granted to Mars Confectionery Australian division.
The facility today remains the home of the North Ballarat Sports Club including the Greater Western Victoria Rebels of the Talent League and the North Ballarat City FC of the Ballarat Football League. It is also used as a venue for Central Highlands Football League and Ballarat Football League for both seasonal games and finals in addition to hosting two AFL and one AFLW seasonal games per-year since 2017.
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Eureka Stadium
Eureka Stadium (known under naming rights as Mars Stadium) is an Australian rules football and cricket stadium located in the Victorian suburb of Wendouree, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) north of the Ballarat city centre. It is part of the Eureka Sports Precinct.
As of 2026[update], Eureka Stadium is the home of the North Ballarat Football Club in the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) and the North Ballarat Cricket Club in the Ballarat Cricket Association (BCA). The Western Bulldogs have also hosted Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) matches at the ground since 2017.
The first permanent oval used by the North Ballarat Football Club was established in 1963 in the centre of the defunct Ballarat Showgrounds harness racing track formerly used by the Ballarat and District Trotting Club as its main venue between 1952 and 1966. A new all-weather oval (dimensions 170 by 140 metres (560 ft × 460 ft)) replaced the harness racing track in 1990, complemented by a new sports club and club pavilion (The North Ballarat Sports Club) which was constructed on private land to the oval's northern flank.
Between 1990 and 2015 the oval was used for a range of purposes although mainly as an Australian rules football and cricket venue. It annually hosted the Ballarat Gift (Athletics Carnival) and the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society's show-ring events during their annual Show.
During the 1990s and early 2000s various proposals to play AFL football at the ground had been discussed by the Ballarat football community, media, and business groups in isolation. However, in 2008 a proposal to develop the stadium for use by AFL team North Melbourne and the North Ballarat VFL team was put forward to the Victorian State Government by the Ballarat Council and the North Ballarat Sports Club. The proposal received support from the ALP Government during the 2010 state election with the LNP opposition only providing conditional support. After the election the new LNP Government quickly abandoned the proposal. The Ballarat Council, media, sports groups, tourism and business groups continued a united lobby under a promotional campaign titled "Think Big Ballarat" until the 2014 state election when the ALP State Opposition announced that they would fund the development as an AFL Level 3 stadium with the first AFL seasonal game to be played from 2017 if elected. Once elected, the new ALP government immediately committed funding in the 2015 State Budget allowing the first stage of development of the stadium to commence.
In order to accommodate grandstands and other facilities the oval was completely rebuilt and re-oriented to a NE-SW axis in preparation for the first stage of construction. The rebuilt oval incorporated state of the art irrigation and drainage, a 4000-capacity grassed spectator berm on its south-eastern flank, and four 37 metres (121 ft) light towers partially rigged to illuminate the playing arena to 300 lux (sufficient for non-televised State level Australian Football night competition).
From April 2017 to June 2018 the City of Ballarat and North Ballarat Sports Club negotiated for Council to purchase the club's freehold land title to ensure that the newly built stadium and existing sports club would be co-developed and future-managed as a singular entity. In June 2017 naming rights for the venue were granted to Mars Confectionery Australian division.
The facility today remains the home of the North Ballarat Sports Club including the Greater Western Victoria Rebels of the Talent League and the North Ballarat City FC of the Ballarat Football League. It is also used as a venue for Central Highlands Football League and Ballarat Football League for both seasonal games and finals in addition to hosting two AFL and one AFLW seasonal games per-year since 2017.