Suncorp Stadium History

Suncorp Stadium has a rich history within the Brisbane landscape. Below is a timeline of the history of the site since the mid-1800s.

A physical history wall is also located in the venue on Level 5 North outside the Paddington Room. Visit the wall on Level 5 next time you're in or simply scroll down to view the history of the venue!

 

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1842

The former Moreton Bay Penal Settlement (est. 1825) is made available to free settlers.

The following year the North Brisbane Burial Grounds are established on this site, then beyond the boundary of the town shown in this map.

 

1843 – 1875

Brisbane expands rapidly surrounding the Burial Grounds which have become overcrowded.
 

The Brisbane General Cemetery at Toowong is officially opened in 1875 and burials mostly cease on this site.


 

1876 – 1910

The redundant North Brisbane Burial Grounds become overgrown.

The Queensland Government plans to redevelop this site as a recreation ground to serve the surrounding densely populated suburbs.


 

1910 - 1914

Relatives are advertised for by the Queensland Government and given the opportunity to have the remains and memorials moved to another cemetery at the Government’s expense.

505 headstones from this site are placed in storage in a reserve created behind Christ Church, Milton. Those not claimed by the relatives are broken up in early 1930s and used as fill.


 

1914 - 1918

In 1914, the former Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Jewish burial grounds are gazetted as Lang Park, named after the Reverend John Dunmore Lang who was instrumental in bringing migrants to directly to Brisbane in 1849.
 

During World War I, Lang Park is used as a parade ground.


 

1920S

In addition to cycling, Lang Park hosts numerous athletics carnivals. Here, C. O’Neill competes in the discus.


 

1930S

From 1934 Lang Park became the home of Queensland Soccer Council who subleased the grounds from the Queensland Amateur Athletics Association.


 

1940S

The cycling track is clearly visible in this panorama taken in 1949, the year a new track is opened at Kelvin Grove.


 

1950S

Since the 1920s, the Wirths’ Circus were annual visitors to Lang Park.
 

Their elephants were a favourite attraction and the community were saddened in 1956 when Carley died and was buried at the Hale Street side of the Park.


 

1957

Lang Park became the headquarters for Queensland Rugby League.


 

1962

The Queensland Government established the Lang Park Trust allowing the QRL to undertake improvements and administer all activities at Lang Park. Construction of the Frank Burke Stand commences.


 

1974

Lang Park severely impacted by the Brisbane floods.


 

1980

The Aboriginal community’s relationship with the site continued when Rugby League Immortal, Arthur Beetson lead Queensland onto the field for the very first State of Origin game.


 

1994

The Frank Burke Stand replaced by the Western Grandstand and Lang Park renamed Suncorp-Metway Stadium.


 

1999

The Queensland Government announces plans to undertake a $280 million redevelopment of the venue.


 

2003

The redeveloped Suncorp Stadium reopens.


 

2003

Suncorp Stadium hosts nine games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.


 

2006

Suncorp Stadium holds its first concert since the redeveloped venue re-opened.
 

British singer, Robbie Williams played two full-house shows.


 

2008

Suncorp Stadium hosts both the semi-final and final of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.


 

2011

Suncorp Stadium receives significant damage as a result of the Brisbane floods Major repair works as a result of the flood costing $16 million were completed the following year.


 

2013

Attendances since the redeveloped venue opened passed the 10 million mark.


 

2015

Suncorp Stadium hosts seven games of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.


 

2015

Record venue attendance record established with 52,500 fans attending State of Origin 3.


 

2017

Major upgrades to the Stadium including the unveiling of new Super Screens.


 

2017

Hosts its first ever boxing event - a WBO welterweight title fight in front of an Australian record 51,026 fans - won by Brisbane’s Jeff Horn.

 

2017

The Kangaroos and Jillaroos complete a historic double winning the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup Finals on the same day at Suncorp Stadium.


 

2018

Ed Sheeran breaks the previous attendance record at Suncorp Stadium not once, but twice during back to back shows. The new Stadium attendance record of 53,272 was set during the second show.


 

2019

Suncorp Stadium welcomes the inaugural NRL Magic Round to Brisbane. All 16 NRL teams played over one weekend at the ground with 134,000 patrons in attendance.


 

2019

Suncorp Stadium is the venue where Belinda Sharpe became the NRL's first female referee to officiate a full NRL match. In her 100th match as an NRL official Sharpe refereed the round 18 game between the Brisbane Broncos and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.


 

2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Suncorp Stadium held the last event before the Australian lockdown without crowds in attendance. The venue was the first to return with limited capacity before eventually also becoming the first Stadium in the world to safely welcome back a full capacity event.


 

2021

The Queensland Reds win the inaugural Super Rugby AU Championship in front of more than 40,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium capping off a season in which they remained undefeated at the venue.


 

2021

Suncorp Stadium hosts the once-in-a-lifetime NRL Grand Final between the Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs. This was the first time in the competition’s history that the Grand Final had been played in Brisbane following the relocation of the NRL Finals Series to Queensland.


 

2022

Suncorp Stadium is again inundated due to the Southeast Queensland floods. The venue implemented its flood mitigation process ensuring damage was minimised and incredibly was able to host a back-to-back weekend of events within 2 weeks of the extreme weather event.



 

Still to come...