The Gabba is one of Australia’s premier cricket and sporting stadiums located in the city of Brisbane, Queensland. Many of the original First Test cricket matches between Australia and England were played at this stadium. Matches have been won, records have been broken,with Australians always coming out in full-force to support their team. The Gabba was home to the first rugby league match played in Brisbane in 1909 when Australia defeated New Zealand. Visiting sports fans should place The Gabba high up on their Brisbane itinerary.
The Gabba offers tours which can be arranged in advance, where visitors can discover the rich sporting heritage of the stadium or book a ticket for one of the matches. Queensland cricket team, the Brisbane Lions and Brisbane Heat, all reside here and are thrilling to watch with the atmosphere palpable on match days. During Australian summer months, many of Australia’s International Cricket Matches are played at The Gabba. If visiting during this time, try to acquire advance tickets. The stadium is close to the Queensland Maritime Museum. Discover the city’s trading port history and climb aboard the warship Diamantina to explore below deck. Alternatively, jump on a ferry boat to the beautiful City Botanic Gardens, Queen Street Mall or continue walking to the amenities of vibrant South Bank. Located 30 minutes’ walk from The Gabba is an iconic Brisbane landmark, Story Bridge. It’s the longest cantilever bridge in Australia which connects Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley. It stands at 80 metres above the Brisbane River, and for the adventurous guided walks can be taken to the top of the bridge to view stunning city panoramas. The vistas stretch all the way out to the western Scenic Rim and Moreton Bay, so don’t forget to bring a camera.
There are several bus stops surrounding The Gabba stadium. It’s easy to walk from Maritime Museum Ferry Terminal in 15 minutes or South Bank Parklands in under 30 minutes. On major sporting event days, many modes of public transport offer free rides to the stadium from Brisbane with proof of ticket. Park Road on the Gold Coast, Cleveland and Beenleigh lines is the closest rail station to The Gabba, situated around 1.3 kilometres away.
The stadium is named after Woolloongabba, the suburb of Brisbane in which it lies. It was first used for cricket matches in 1895-96 where a match took place between the teams of “The Press” and “Parliament”. Today, the stadium hosts International cricket matches, Australian football, athletics, cycling and rugby league and union games.