Erskineville Oval It is on part of land granted to Nicholas Divine in 1794 and John Thomas Campbell in 1825 (then on-sold to William Hutchinson in 1829). The land remained undeveloped due to protracted lawsuits until in 1885 when 22 acres, bounded by Ashmore, Binning, Swanson, Copeland Streets and Mitchell Road was proclaimed as Macdonaldtown Park (Fox Avenue also runs through the centre of the park behind the oval). The name was changed to Erskineville Park when the municipality name changed to Erskineville in 1892.
A sports ground for cricket and football was built in the park, and the football ground was later enlarged for Australian football matches. It was the home ground for the Newtown Australian football club from July 1903. It was constructed in an east west configuration.
This ground is not the current Erskineville Oval. The original ground was built where the housing commission flats are now located west of the ground. In 1937 it was decided to resume the land on which the ground was built for public housing but there was a recognition to retain a sports ground. With the urging of Jim Phelan (after whom the Phelan Medal is named) the new ground was constructed, specifically designed for Australian football, on its present site.
It is interesting too, to note the small spectator seating clusters, probably on the eastern side of the ground.
The ground was lost to the game when the Newtown club, who had the lease, folded and was not taken up by the league or another football body. A short time later, efforts were made to have it as the home ground for Sydney University but by then the horse had bolted.
Erskineville Oval hosted the Newtown Jets home games in the Sydney premiership from 1913 to 1954 and is a current training ground of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Erskineville Oval was upgraded for local community and South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club (SSDRLFC) sporting use, with stadium, park and lighting work improvements, under a proposal presented to Council after a Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP announcement in April 2006.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Club made the Oval their main training base during the $19 million Sydney City Council funded redevelopment of Redfern Oval during 2008/2009.
Source: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/HistoryAndArchives/SydneyHistory/ParksHistory/ErskinevilleOval.asp