A rise of female participation in sport has led Mirrabooka Reserve, in Melbourne’s east, to redevelop its facilities.
Construction at Mirrabooka Reserve. Photo: Emily Wunhym
Located in Blackburn South, Mirrabooka Reserve has been in use for more than 50 years but has never had female change rooms. After two years of council planning and consulting with local sporting clubs, a $7.8 million construction project has begun to upgrade the facilities.
The mayor of Whitehorse City Council, Cr Kirsten Langford, said the old pavilion was “very old and very run down, and there wasn’t any gender equity when it came to the change rooms”.
Mirrabooka Reserve is home to two sporting clubs: Blackburn South Cricket Club and Blackburn New Hope Football Club (BNFC). In 2003, BNFC welcomed its first women’s soccer team, and has recorded a growth in female participation ever since.
According to BNFC vice president, Chiara McDowell, the club has “about 600 players in total [who] come down for training, and for games”. For BNFC, this upcoming season will consist of an extra girls’ team compared to last year.
McDowell said club members were excited about the new pavilion.
“We’re really pleased about it. Considering the size of our club, [the pavilion] was way too small for what we would really like, and we’re really looking forwards to a bigger place to be able to use,” she said.
A 2025 study conducted by RMIT found that female participation in the sport sector increased from 36 per cent in 2015 to 41 per cent in 2022.
An email response from Sport and Recreation Victoria states that, since 2014, $1 billion has been invested across more than 1840 community sports and infrastructure projects to upgrade facilities to be suitable for women and girls. These projects include change rooms, sports lighting and court upgrades. The redevelopment of Mirrabooka Reserve is planning to upgrade all these features.
The Victorian Government is funding $3 million of the $7.8 million project, via the Community Sport and Recreation initiative, while $2 million is being funded by the Commonwealth Government and $2.8 million from Whitehorse Council.
“We’re really grateful for the council support, and the government. All the funding we’re getting to do this really supports the growth of community sport and especially female participation,” McDowell said.
A Victorian Government spokesperson said the state’s investment was to ensure more women and girls could participate in the sports they love.
Cr Langford hihglighted the success of previous pavilion redevelopments in the surrounding areas, such as at Morton Park and Terrara Park in the Whitehorse community, and how they had supported women in sport.
“I think when you have that sort of environment then it’s inevitable that you’ll have increased female participation because they’ll feel comfortable and safe. That improved infrastructure has helped attract additional women and retain the current women in sport,” she said.
The redevelopment is a part of a larger, 15-year masterplan for the Wurundjeri Walk area. According to the Whitehorse Council, the masterplan aims to provide a diverse range of recreational experiences for both the local and broader community.
McDowell hopes the new pavilion will “build a better and stronger community at our club”.
The project is expected to finish on time at the end of this year.
