Barlow Park

Barlow Park is a multi-sports facility and stadium in Parramatta Park, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

The Park is home of the Northern Pride RLFC offices, Cairns District Rugby Union, Cairns and District Athletics Association, Australian Sports Commission Development, Oztag, and formerly Cairns FC and Cairns District Rugby League.

Since 2008 it has been the home ground for the Northern Pride rugby league team who play in the State Competition Queensland Cup.

Venue
The ground comprises an IAAF international athletics facility, turf sports fields at the main Barlow and West Barlow parks, and a capacity of 15,000 people including a 1,700 seat grandstand with corporate and media facilities.

History
The Cairns Sports Centre (Barlow Park) was officially opened on Saturday the 5th of December 1987. It was named after James Aloysius Barlow, an alderman with Cairns City Council from 1955-1970. It has had various upgrades, notablya stadium extension which was opened on 13 August 2003. In 2024 a $10.9 million project installed LED lighting which increased the lighting capacity from 500 lux to broadcast standard 1800 lux and also installed a large video screen for scoring and replays. Further upgrades are proposed to enable the venue to be used for preliminary football matches for the 2032 Olympic games.

Prior to the development of the sporting complex, Barlow Park was a cricket ground, and in 1978 hosted a match between the West Indies and Cavaliers XI.

Events
Barlow Park has hosted athletic events, rugby union, soccer, rugby league matches and music concerts, including Midnight Oil (1997), Killing Heidi (2000) and two John Farnham concerts (2003).

Athletics
The Oceania Area Championships have been held at Barlow Park in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015. These events attracted athletes from around the world compete, as well as international sports people such as Sir Sebastian Coe. The venue also hosted the 2018 Australian All School Athletics Championships.

Cairns District Rugby Union
CDRU play matches at Barlow Park.

Super Rugby
There have been three Super Rugby pre-season trial games at Barlow Park.

International Rugby Union Games
On 21 June 1989 Queensland B played the British Lions during their tour to Australia.

National Premier Leagues Queensland
The FNQ FC Heat, later Cairns FC, played their National Premier Leagues Queensland home games at Barlow Park between 2012-2018.

FAA Cup
Four FFA Cup matches have been held at Barlow Park.

A-League
Two A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup matches have been played at Barlow Park.

Cairns District Rugby League
The CDRL play their grand final at Barlow Park. Prior to the development of Barlow Park in the 1980s, CDRL and Foley Shield rugby league games were played at Parramatta Park (now the Cairns Showgrounds).

Queensland Cup
The Cairns Cyclones Rugby League Football Club played 32 home games at Barlow Park between 1996 and 2000.

Since their inception in 2008, the Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club have played their Queensland Cup home games at Barlow Park. Average crowds were around 2,300, with attendances over 4,000 for matches against the PNG Hunters.

NRL Pre-Season Trials
The North Queensland Cowboys have played more than a dozen NRL pre-season trial matches. The record attendance at the venue was set at the 2004 Cowboys v Sea Eagles trial which attracted a crowd of 20,000.

NRL Telstra Premiership
Seven NRL Telstra Premiership Games have been held at Barlow Park. The first was on 16 June 2013 between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Gold Coast Titans, which attracted a crowd of 16,118. Two other NRL Telstra Premiership matches were played in Cairns at Cazalys Stadium in 2001.

International Rugby League Games
The stadium hosted three matches in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, including a double-header. Other international matches have been played, including the 1990 Les Chanticleers Tour, a trial match with New Zealand in 1994, and a qualifying match in the 2009 Pacific Cup.