Basin Reserve Trust
The Basin Reserve Trust is responsible for the operation and management of Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
The day to day operational activities are carried out by Cricket Wellington under a management agreement with the Trust. The Trust is comprised of four members, two elected by Wellington City Council including the chairperson and two members elected by Cricket Wellington.
Board of Trustees
- Alan Isaac, Board Chair
- Councillor John Apanowicz
- Mike Horsley (Cricket Wellington appointee)
- John Greenwood (Cricket Wellington appointee)
History of the Basin Reserve
The Basin Reserve is one of New Zealand’s most historic sporting grounds. Although the Basin Reserve is primarily a cricket ground, over the years it has also hosted hockey, rugby union, rugby league, football, cycling, rifle practice, band displays, dog racing, baseball, lacrosse, softball, open-air religious services, concerts, opera, jamborees, military displays and political and royal visits.
In 1998 the ground was registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Historic Area, the first sports ground to be recognised in this way.
The William Wakefield Memorial, located on the eastern end of the embankment within the perimeter fence of the Basin Reserve, commemorates William Wakefield, a key official of the New Zealand Company and a significant figure in the European colonisation of Wellington, and indeed, New Zealand.
The Basin Reserve Pavilion (often called the Museum Stand) was erected at the Basin Reserve in 1924 on the same site as the original Caledonian Stand, and opened in 1925. The Stand is a Category 2 Heritage Listed building and contains the Edward Dixon clock, a relic from the Caledonian Stand, the previous occupier of the site. The stand is the home of the New Zealand Cricket Museum http://nzcricketmuseum.co.nz/ and Cricket Wellington.
In the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan, Council committed $21.5m to upgrade the Basin Reserve. The overall vision is that the ground remains highly valued locally as a public reserve of unique character and is recognized as the premier International Cricket venue in New Zealand. The project aims are:
- Retain the Basin as the premier test cricket venue in New Zealand and celebrate the heritage of cricket.
- Enhance the Basin Reserve as a local recreation space by opening up the ground with better space for community activity.
- Strengthen the ‘village green’ feel of the Basin for all users and create a more connected and outward facing Basin Reserve with strong links to the new Memorial Park in the northwest, the Town Belt to the east, Kent and Cambridge Terraces to the north and Newtown to the south.
Reports
Annual reports and statements of intent are available on the Basin Reserve website.
Quarterly reports 2023–24
Quarterly reports 2022–23
Quarterly reports 2021–22
Quarterly reports 2020–21
Quarterly reports 2019–20
Quarterly reports 2018–19
Quarterly reports 2017–18