Wet weather training at its finest... Boys being boys!

Construction of the Raiders Centre, a state-of-the-art facility which opened early 2020 with an outlook across the historic Northbourne Oval playing field.

Raiders Holiday Clinic for kids aged 5 - 12 on the historic Northbourne Oval playing field.

Braddon and Turner, aerial view from Haig Park looking south to City Hill and Mulwala Hostel. 
Department of Capital Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953. 
ACT Heritage Library

Canberra City, Reid and Braddon, aerial view from City Hill looking northeast. 
Department of Capital Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953.
ACT Heritage Library

Turner, Braddon, Canberra City and Reid, aerial view from Haig Park looking southwest to Parkes and Barton. Department of Capital Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953. 
ACT Heritage Library

Canberra City and northern suburbs, aerial view from Reid looking north. 
Department of Capital Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953. 
ACT Heritage Library

Braddon and Reid, aerial view from Moore Street, Turner looking southeast to Anzac Park. 
Department of Capital Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953.
ACT Heritage Library

The Raiders NRL team and invited guests celebrating the 2020 Raiders Season Launch at the state-of-the-art Raiders Centre. Opened in early 2020 with funding from the ACT and NSW Governments, the facility offers sweeping views across the historic Northbourne Oval playing field.

Northbourne Cricket Club versus Yass at Northbourne Oval in the mid to late 1930's 
From Images and Stories about Cricket, by Alan Foskett.

Northbourne versus Yass, late 1920's and Northbourne Cricket Club, 1935-36 
From Images and Stories about Cricket in Canberra and District by Alan Foskett.

Raiders NRL Pre-Season Training, Season 2026.

Raiders NRL Pre-Season Training, Season 2026.

Rugby League Park was the moniker of Northbourne Oval when I had close association with the venue. From ground announcing to refereeing and a weekly family dinner at the then adjacent ACT Leagues Club, I spent many afternoons and nights at the ground as a teenager - particularly covering junior Canberra Raiders and local rugby league on the way to becoming a sports journalist. - Bevan

I have vivid memories of the ‘cottage’  where the administration was based on the way through to the field and interviewing the likes of Laurie Daley and Brad Clyde for community radio while playing Jersey Flegg or SG Ball on the way to becoming greats of the game.

A fond moment was another Raider legend Jason Croker posing for a photo as a 17 year old - holding himself parallel to the ground from a goalpost upright. Taken by Mick Toal, we had to do a follow-up piece in the next week’s Rugby League Times (the then weekly league lift out in The Canberra Times) because readers doubted the authenticity.

It was 100% the real thing. We joked in the follow-up if Toots was any taller he’d make a good crossbar, and be straighter than the ones at Rugby League Park! - Bevan

Perhaps the most controversial match I covered was in the 1989 Molonglo Shield A-grade finals series between Queanbeyan Blues and Woden Valley Rams.

The bungles started when a timekeeping error blew the half time siren 5 minutes early, resulting in the second half being shortened by the same amount.

The referee didn’t hear the initial full time siren and play was allowed to continue - the bell went twice more before being acknowledged by the whistleblower.

Amid the confusion, the Rams scored the match winning try in the knockout final. Blues coach John Osborne protested, and the ACT Rugby League committee ordered a midweek replay.

But this decision was overturned by the governing Canberra Raiders, sparking a walkout from by the Blues at the Les McIntyre Medal presentation night at the Jamison Inn.

The Blues did eventually have their protest heard by a Raiders committee, but failed. The Rams went on to the grand final at Rugby League Park, going down to West Belconnen - the first of the Warriors threepeat in that competition. - Bevan

Northbourne Oval
Department of Captial Territory Collection, Pictorial Record of Canberra 1951-1953
ACT Heritage Library

My memories stem from living with my family in the caretaker's cottage from the late 1940's to the late 1960's. My father, William Bills, was the caretaker there.

In the 1950's all codes of football were catered for, even to the extent of weekend tournaments from regional towns such as Captains Flat and beyond.  Cricket was also provided for and I recall a local cricket side captain advising where and how to roll the wicket! - Allen

Also held on the grounds were occasional organised boxing rounds and fetes.

Later activities varied and included car shows and a vintage car performance by the Canadian Hell Drivers whereby cars were driven over ramps through walls of flame and the like.

In those days maintenance of the grounds was labour intensive. There were no pop-up watering systems and line marking was done by pushing a wheeled cylinder of lime solution under pressure from a hand pump.

Living there was handy to schools, shops and pictures at the Civic Theatre. The pine trees provided tinder and dead cones as fuel for the open fire, fuel stove, laundry tubs and chip bath heater in the earlier days. Also, the pines hosted certain mushrooms which were attractive to some migrants.

To my knowledge there is no written account of events at the Oval. - Allen

“20 years ago, with Scotty and Nige from 104.7, I held Canberra’s biggest-ever rain dance to try and break a drought — everyone stood on the Oval and danced for rain!”
— Tim the Yowie Man