Sydney’s iconic Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park will be transformed into Sydney Swans HQ, a world-class sporting and community hub, following successful negotiations to re-enliven the project.

The dream, first announced in October 2018, will finally become a reality.

The announcement comes just weeks following the historic announcement of the Sydney Swans being awarded a licence to join the AFLW competition in late 2022.

Over the past decade the Sydney Swans have sought to identify and develop a world class training and administration facility in close proximity to the SCG.  The facility would secure the club’s long-term home and critically, provide wide ranging community benefit and access. That vision was realised when the club announced it had secured the lease on the Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park in 2018.

In April 2020, with works weeks from commencing, the Swans and its partners were forced to surrender the lease, owing to the unprecedented uncertainty related to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over recent months, the Sydney Swans and its partners have worked closely with the NSW Government and Greater Sydney Parklands to re-enliven the project. 

Shovel ready, works on the project are set to commence immediately – providing an important boost to the NSW economy.  

A re-enlivened Sydney Swans HQ was a key pillar of the Swans’ successful bid for an AFLW licence, with the project set to deliver men’s and women’s elite training facilities.

When complete in late 2022, the Sydney Swans HQ will be home to the Sydney Swans elite men’s and women’s teams, as well as more than 700 young athletes, boys and girls, engaged in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

An international standard netball court and training facility will be constructed, catering to community and elite players, while also providing valuable infrastructure for the 2027 Netball World Cup, to be hosted in NSW.

Community sits at the core of the project. In addition to providing a new meeting place for the Swans community of more than 50,000 members and our more than one million fans, the Sydney Swans HQ will also be home to Indigenous focused not-for-profits’ the GO Foundation and Clontarf Foundation. It is intended that an Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donor centre is housed within the facility, which could become an important blood collection hub in Sydney’s east.

Royal Hall of Industries - Latest Renders

See some of the most up to date renders of Sydney Swans HQ at the Royal Hall of Industries
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Sydney Swans Chairman Andrew Pridham said he was excited to see the project finally come to life.

“The COVID pandemic has provided significant challenges, but it is testament to the importance of the project and the passion of those behind it, including the NSW and Federal Governments that it will become a reality.  Not even COVID-19 was a match for the spirit and determination of the Sydney Swans Football Club.

“This is such a significant project and one that should provide great excitement not just for the Sydney Swans community, but for supporters of women’s sport and for the broader community who will have the opportunity to engage with the club and the Royal Hall of Industries like never before,” he said.

“This will be a truly iconic, world class facility and we want to share it with the community.

“This is the most significant project undertaken by the Swans since the move to Sydney in 1982. The Sydney Swans HQ at the Royal Hall of Industries, provides a long term home for our men’s, women’s and academy programs, all within a drop punt of the SCG.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for both our club and the community,” Pridham said.

Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the NSW Government was delighted the Sydney Swans could move forward with its dream for a world-class sporting and community precinct.

“I am thrilled the Swans have been successful in their bid to enter the AFLW competition next year, and this project will be a critical step in fostering our female and male stars of the future,” Mrs Ward said.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, it’s important we continue to work to deliver sporting infrastructure that will also provide great community benefits.” 

 The project is supported by the Sydney Swans Foundation, NSW Government, the Commonwealth Government and the AFL.

KEY OUTCOMES:

  • Elite training facilities for the Sydney Swans AFL and AFLW programs.
  • Home for 700 boys and girls engaged in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy program.
  • International standard netball court and training facility, available to community and elite netball programs.
  • Rent-free headquarters of the GO Foundation, Clontarf Foundation and potential site of an Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donor centre.
  • On site café, museum.
  • Outdoor plaza area for year-round fan, community and public use.