Extract date: 22/03/2026
| Name | Strauss Cricket Ground |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Park |
| Place Id | 24929 |
| Place Type | Park or Cemetery |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 9 November 2017 |
| Location (Datum GDA94) | |
| Latitude: -12° 40' S (Decimal degrees -12.67372) | |
| Longitude: 131° 04' E (Decimal degrees 131.07642) | |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Noonamah | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Litchfield Council | |
| Alternate Names | |
| WWII Noonamah Cricket Pitch and OvalHeritage Place | |
| History/Origin | Strauss Cricket Ground takes its name from the nearby Strauss Airfield, which was named in honour of Captain Allison Wayne Strauss of the United States Army Air Corps, who was killed in action over Darwin on 27 April 1942. The cricket ground was constructed in late 1942 by members of the 27th Australian Infantry Battalion, one of many Australian and Allied units stationed in the Firdan (Noonamah) area during World War II. A small working party from the battalion cleared the oval immediately south of Strauss Airstrip and constructed a standard concrete cricket pitch by hand, using cement and locally sourced materials. The ground formed part of a wider network of recreational facilities established near wartime airfields and camps south of Darwin to support the fitness, morale, and wellbeing of service personnel. Although constructed by an Army unit, the cricket ground remained in regular use throughout the war by personnel from military units stationed at Strauss and nearby airfields. Inter-unit and inter-service matches were held on the ground, often as organised events supporting wartime charities such as the Australian Comforts Fund, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army. Following the end of the war, the cricket ground, like many associated camps and facilities in the area, was abandoned and gradually became overgrown. The site was largely forgotten until 2002, when remnants of the original concrete pitch were rediscovered beneath soil and vegetation. In the early twenty-first century the ground was cleared and revived as a commemorative sporting site, hosting annual Anzac Day cricket matches involving military and local teams. In April 2004, members of the Strauss family travelled from the United States to unveil a commemorative plaque beside the pitch. The cricket ground was declared a heritage place in 2007 - WWII Noonamah Cricket Pitch and Oval. Source: Northern Territory Government. (n.d.). WWII Noonamah Cricket Pitch and Oval. Northern Territory Heritage Register. https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/heritageregister/f?p=103:303::::NO:P303_PLACE_ID:592 |
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 09/11/2017 | Date added to the Register (Certified Plan S2017/113) |