First sod turned at Chris Lane Memorial Field
The first sod has officially been turned at the highly anticipated Chris Lane Memorial Baseball Field, with construction starting soon at Boeing Reserve in Strathmore Heights.
The field is named in memory of young Essendon Baseball Club player and Moonee Valley resident, Chris Lane, who was tragically killed in 2013 when in the USA on a baseball scholarship, aged just 22. It will be Australia’s first purpose-built Little League field, and will accompany the Essendon Baseball Club’s existing facilities at Boeing Reserve, as part of Council’s Boeing Reserve Master Plan.
Mayor Samantha Byrne was joined for the official sod turning ceremony by:
- Mr Frank Dinoto (on behalf of Mr Danny Pearson MP)
- Moonee Valley Councillors – Deputy Mayor Jacob Bettio, Cr Narelle Sharpe and Cr John Sipek
- Council’s CEO Helen Sui
- Chris Lane’s Mother, Donna, Sister, Andrea and Niece.
- Baseball Victoria CEO Chet Gray
- Essendon Baseball Club President Tony Cornish
This project has been 9 years in the making, and has been tirelessly advocated for by the Essendon Baseball Club.
Construction will kicks off shortly on the field with the project in early 2023.
The project has been made possible with a generous donation of $130,000 from Major League Baseball USA, $100,000 from Sport and Recreation Victoria, with the remaining funds provided by Council and the Essendon Baseball Club. A generous additional $250,000 donation from Musco Lighting has supported lighting for the project.
Council is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our residents, and part of this is providing quality sporting facilities for our community. We are sure that the Chris Lane Memorial Baseball Field will inspire future generations of young baseball players in Moonee Valley for many years to come.
