Basin Reserve

Basin Reserve is fondly known today as the spiritual home of New Zealand cricket, but originally the Basin Reserve was a shallow lake set to be joined by canal to Wellington Harbour and used as a marina. A massive earthquake in 1855 raised the area 1.8 metres, transforming the lake into a swamp. After a few years, suggestions started coming from locals that the area would be a perfect spot for a cricket ground, and the Council agreed.In 1863, prisoners from the nearby Mount Cook Gaol set to work draining the land and New Zealand’s premier cricket ground was born. Over the years, the Basin Reserve has been host to sporting events from competitive wood chopping to athletics, and of course that most Commonwealth of pursuits, cricket. A quintessentially Wellington tradition is the emptying out of offices on the Friday afternoon as the capital’s citizens enjoy the first day of a test cricket match at the Basin Reserve.As one of the few large areas of unoccupied flat land in the city, the Basin Reserve is also a popular venue for large events like music concerts and civic occasions. Today the Basin Reserve is one of the world’s top cricket grounds and is also the home to the NZ Cricket Museum.