McLean Oval’s Grand Opening

2021 is proving to be a good year for the Harden Hawks with the 100-year celebration on the cards and the grand opening of McLean Oval just this past weekend.

“A community effort” would be the central theme around this four-year project as over $1 million in funding efforts has been raised for new facilities, built by local businesses and tradesman.

Three rounds of government funding were granted of $132,000, $730,000 and $112,000 and just last Saturday morning, Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke announced that an additional $28,000 has been secured.

The latest amount is part of the state government’s Crown Reserves Improvement Fund, which aims to “benefit the community, boost our economy and contribute to the cultural, sporting and recreational life of NSW”.

The ribbon cutting. Video: Christopher Tan.
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At the Oval, the money will help install disabled ramps to allow better access, include petition showered doors for the ladies changeroom, as well as fix up new oval fencing along the outer boundary.

Speaking to The Times on the grand opening day, Steph Cooke MP said it was Hawks’ Junior Rugby League President Kai Steele and his committee that deserved high praise for such an asset to the community.

“McLean Oval has been a much-loved facility right here in the centre of the Twin Towns.

The Oval had reached the end of its use for life and needed a substantial upgrade,” she said.

“What Kai, the committee and the community has done, is create a venue to be worth more than a million dollars in terms of its upgrades.

“It has also future-proofed this facility to ensure that it will be around for many generations to come.”

Hilltops Council Mayor Brian Ingram added the upgrades will both attract and accommodate out-of-towner teams.

“The project has been a long time coming and it is a complete credit to the community here, on the way they managed to pull it together.

Getting up on the grandstand and looking over the oval, it’s fantastic,” he said.

“We will be able to attract more games as well as bigger teams to come out here and that creates an economic boost.

“With a facility like this, it proves to others that we can accommodate and the word ‘accommodate’ was one of our drawbacks previously. Hopefully with this, we’ve grabbed their attention again.”

On the Saturday morning, many were in Hawks colours and cars were filling up the carpark as the canteen was busy and away on the grill.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, committee members, Steph Cooke MP, Mayor Brian Ingram, Councillor John Horton and Hawks stalwart Pat Walsh gathered in-front of the new grandstand to listen to Kai address the crowd.

“Welcome to the McLean Oval, home of the Harden-Murrumburrah Junior and Senior Hawks.

My name is Kai Steele and I am the McLean Oval project coordinator and also a very proud junior president,” Kai said.

And before he could even finish that opening sentence, Mr Steele can be seen in tears as he reflects on quite the feat.

“This project has been built by the community, for the community and will be looked after by the community,” Kai continued.

“It’s been one heck of a journey and learning curve in the last few years. I remember the first meeting with council and the look on our faces of the doubts and concerns you would have seen straight away.

“We signed a project to say we were responsible to deliver it and we are all volunteers with different fields of expertise. We had no idea how we would deliver it.”

Adding a little humour to it, Steph Cooke MP recalls the many times Kai would ring her.

“I don’t mind admitting that Kai has my mobile number and every time he rings me, I would think, do I answer the call,” she joked.

“But every time I did it goes ‘Steph, the project is going really well but we are a bit short on this and that. We need to apply for some more funding, would you back us?’ And my answer was always a yes.

“Of all projects across my electorate, which there are literally hundreds, I have never known someone [Kai] to be so on the ground, day in and day out, to make sure something of this magnitude is delivered.”

One major highlight of the facility upgrades is the white picket fencing inspired by stalwart Pat Walsh.

With funds raised by the community for the fence along with volunteer labour, 170 people have purchased plaques to have their names and details of their involvement in the club on the 1.8m PVC Fence panel.

Christopher Tan