It’s already considered one of the most picturesque playing grounds in the north-east, But the Benalla Gardens Oval is about to get a facelift.
When you think of an ideal cricket oval, you think of a pristine ground with leafy deciduous trees and an elegant white picket fence.
The Gardens Oval has two of the set, but a white picket has not marked the ground’s boundary for over 80 years.
However, after years of back and forth with the relevant authorities, the Benalla Gardens Oval Committee has been given the all-clear to erect a new white picket fence.
Committee member Ross Runnalls, who has been leading the charge in the last few years, said getting the approval was a weight off his shoulders.
“We finally have a permit,” Runnalls said.
“In 2017, we started the process, but the idea has been rattling around for a bit longer than that.
“It’s just going to sit well in that environment.
“They were popular in Australia until people found that picket fences were difficult and expensive to make.
“So they disappeared, and people had other alternatives, but now, with plastics and colour-bond steel, they have re-emerged again.”
Materials have been ordered for the fence, and construction will start in late February.
While it may seem like the project is flying along at lightning speed, behind the scenes, Runnalls says there’s been a lot going on.
“We realised that we’re in a heritage area, so we had to apply for a permit from Heritage (Victoria),” he said.
“It was a lengthy process, but we kept at it.
“Each time we got a knockback, we just kept plugging away.”
Some of the conditions of the heritage approval for the picket fence are that the fence can not be a copy of the previous one, and the pickets must have flat tops, not pointy ones.
To meet these standards, the fence will have its railings on the outside, the opposite of the previous interaction.
The fence will also be 1.4 meters closer to the wicket than where the fence stands now.
This is a precautionary measure to ensure that none of the Elm Plane Trees that surround the Gardens Oval, some of which are close to 160 years old, will be damaged in the building process.
While Benallaites will undoubtedly be excited to see the oval reach new heights, the project comes at a cost.
The Benalla Gardens Oval Committee is looking to raise $100,000 to build the fence and is calling on support from the community to reach this goal.
If you donate $250 or more to the cause, a plaque will be attached to the fence with the name of the sponsoring individual, couple, family, club or organisation.
The plaque can also be dedicated to the memory of someone who may have spent time on the oval.
Rundalls said that each donation of $250, on top of the original donation, earns you another plaque, so you can dedicate one for each family member, even your pets.
The Benalla Gardens Oval Committee members said they would like to thank Sean Ginnivan, the previous facility co-ordinator who submitted the first permit application through Benalla Rural City Council.
They would also like to thank Peter Davis, the council representative on the Benalla Gardens Oval Committee, whose enthusiasm for the project was second to none.
For Runnalls, the effort was worth it to see the Gardens Oval in full glory.
“We’re hoping that there is a lot of nostalgia,” he said.
“I mean, it’s probably one of the reasons we kept playing cricket because it’s just a lovely place to play.”
To make a donation to the project email, benallagardensoval3672@outlook.com for details.