NEW ELLIS PARK STADIUM

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Cachet: The cachet shows an aerial photograph of Ellis Park Stadium, its red seating bowl and grey roof structure captured from above with the green pitch sitting bright at the centre and the surrounding Doornfontein neighbourhood visible in the background. Gold foil text reading "Inauguration / Ingebruikneming / Ellispark Stadion/Stadium / 15.5.82" runs across the lower left corner of the photograph, giving the cover a formal, commemorative finish that suits the occasion of a stadium opening.

Info card

DIE NUWE ELLIS PARK STADION Met die amptelike ingebruikneming van die nuwe stadion te Ellispark op die 15de Mei 1982 word 'n nuwe era in Transvaalse rugby betree. Rugby het na Suid-Afrika gekom toe unies gevolg, W.P. in 1883, Griekwaland-wes, O.P. 1888en Transvaal in 1889. W.P. Bill Taylor is as eerste president van die T.R.V.U. gekies en Teen November 1908 stel die President van die Unie, J.H. Crosby aan die Stadsingenieur John Dowell Ellis, na wie Ellispark vernoem is, voor dat 'n ou steengroef in Doornfontein in sportgronde omgeskep word. In 1927 het argitek Gordon Lief het planne opgetrek, gras is geplant en die huurkontrak is op die 11de Junie 1927 sedert 1965, is die bou van 'n wêreld-standaard stadion vir ondersteuners van die spel aangevoer, en na drie jaar voltooi. Mag u heerlike en langdurige genot put uit u eie ELLIS PARK. THE NEW ELLIS PARK STADIUM With the official inauguration of the new Ellis Park stadium on May the 15th 1982 Transvaal rugby enters a new era. Rugby came to South Africa when Hamiltons club in Cape 1875 was formed in 1889 at the Cape. Soon various unions followed, W.P. in 1883, Griqualand West 1886, E.P. 1888 and Transvaal in 1889. W.P. Bill Taylor was elected first president of the T.R.F.U. and games were played at the old Wanderers club. In November 1908 the president of the union, J.H. Crosby suggested to John Dowell Ellis, an engineer to the Town Council, after whom Ellis Park is named, that an old brick quarry in Doornfontein should be converted into sportfields. In January 1909 a positive reply came from the "Dorpsraad" and Committees were instructed to draft a lease but they dallied beyond 1912 while school children and soccer teams played in the red dusty clay at Ellis Park. In 1927 the president G. Devenish and T.F. Tucker revived the issue. Architect Gordon Lief prepared plans, grass was planted and the lease contracts were signed on June 11, 1927. The first match took place in 1928 between Transvaal and Natal. Under leadership of J.Z. le Roux president since 1965, a new world-class stadium for supporters of the game was mooted and achieved in 3 years. The stadium seats over 70 000 and has 250 private suites. May you spend many enjoyable hours at your own ELLIS PARK in the years to come. Mercury, Jhb.

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 15 May 1982 in Johannesburg, marking the official inauguration of the new Ellis Park Stadium. The stadium takes its name from John Dowell Ellis, a Johannesburg city engineer who in 1908 suggested converting an old brick quarry in Doornfontein into sports fields. It took nearly two decades from that first suggestion before architect Gordon Lief's plans finally turned the site into a working ground in 1927, and the rebuilt stadium opened on this cover's date seats over 70 000 people.

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