Right here at Hensley Athletic Field, you are standing on a piece of Australian sporting history. This isn’t just another field. Hensley Athletic Field holds a special place in the hearts of athletes and sports enthusiasts alike.
Hensley Athletic Field is primarily a track and field athletics field. It is located on Denison Street in Eastgardens. But it also serves as a ground for association football in Sydney. Dunbar Rovers NPL and Hakoah Sydney City East call Hensley Athletic Field their home ground. The field has a capacity of 1,000 people.
But here’s a fascinating fact. Hensley Athletic Field was the first in Australia to have an all-weather synthetic athletics track installed in 1973. Imagine the excitement and anticipation that surrounded the unveiling of this groundbreaking facility. Before 1973 the track was initially rubberised bitumen.
The story of Hensley Athletic Field begins with the Randwick Botany Harriers. In 1965, they secured a 21-year lease on this very site. What’s even more surprising is that this location was once a former tip. The club transformed it into a sporting ground. The 3M company laid a tartan track. The club paid it from the proceeds of their licensed venue.
The first Little Athletics Centre in NSW, Randwick Botany, was founded here in December 1968.
The official opening of Hensley Athletic Field took place in October 1973. It hosted the selection trials for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. The track hosted multiple NSW Championships through the 1970s. This was until a synthetic track was laid at ES Marks Athletics Field.
Originally, the track at Hensley Athletic Field was green. It featured seven lanes and a 200m straight.
The field is named after Cecil ‘Chic’ Hensley. He was a prominent distance runner in the 1940s. He was an esteemed coach and administrator from the 1950s onwards. As an athlete, Hensley won the NSW Marathon title. He was also Mayor of Botany. Dick Corish served as Secretary for Randwick Botany Harriers for six decades. The street where Hensley Athletic Field is located is named after him.
Randwick Botany Harriers returned the track’s management to Botany Council in 1982. This was because they were unable to service their lease obligation. The club continued to use the venue for training until the early 2000s.
After years of neglect, Botany Council resurfaced the track in 2010. It now has six lanes for 400m. It also has eight lanes for the final 200m.
The track was resurfaced again in 2020.
Today, Hensley Athletic Field is not open for public use. However, Randwick Botany Little Athletics and a local soccer club use it.
The track is a Spurtan BS surface. It is a World Athletics Class 2 Certified Facility. Hensley Athletic Field stands as a testament to the enduring power of sport. It is a community hub where athletes of all ages can come together to pursue their dreams.