Bulldogs greats Chris Grant, John Schultz and Tony Liberatore were among 200 VIP guests at Whitten Oval this week for the much anticipated opening of the Bulldogs Museum.
“The dream of a Bulldogs Museum is finally a reality,” President Peter Gordon said at Monday night’s opening.
“Our relationship with Whitten Oval - our spiritual ground - is unique, we are extremely fortunate because we have preserved and progressed so much. The new Museum allows us to celebrate the past and move forward with confidence.”
Bulldogs Chief Executive, Simon Garlick, was equally thrilled by the opening.
“Our quest for a Museum started in 2005. Since then, our heritage committee, together with the Forever Foundation, have been working tirelessly on preserving, archiving and cataloguing our memorabilia, so it’s been a long journey and we are extremely excited by the outcome,” Garlick said.
Past players, Life Members, patrons and special guests gathered for the official opening of the Museum which is now open to the public.
Members and fans now have the opportunity to get down to Whitten Oval and get up close and personal with the prized 1954 Premiership Cup as well as various other items of memorabilia showcasing the history of the Club since its inception 130 years ago.
The Whitten Oval precinct now includes:
- Twelve themed cabinets with artefacts from our collection celebrating our icons, Brownlow medallists and various era’s;
- A Decade Wall showcasing the history of the Club from the 1880’s to today;
- A Hall of Fame display honouring those whose involvement and contribution to our club has been significant, memorable and worthy of celebration; and
- A number of paintings including the Team of the Century and the Warriors of the West by the country’s premier sports artist Jamie Cooper.
One person who was unable to attend last night’s opening was the Club’s No 1 female ticket holder, the Hon Julia Gillard MP. The Prime Minister did however, sent a personal video message which was played to those in attendance.
“I wish I could be there with you tonight as you celebrate another proud night in Bulldogs history and another great moment in the revitalisation of the Whitten Oval.”
“This new museum recognises what all the sons and daughters of the west already know – that the Whitten Oval will always be the home of the Bulldogs, I look forward to visiting the new museum soon and I hope you have left plenty of room in the trophy cabinet for the years to come,” the PM said.
The club also took the opportunity to launch the Bulldogs Bequest Society at the event with Chief Executive Simon Garlick expressing the importance of the program and its role in assisting the long-term security of the Club.
“The Bulldogs Bequest Society is another important strategy for the club to look after its long-term future, to forever ensure our children, grandchildren and generations to come have the same opportunity to experience something great and be a part of something special: the red, white and blue,” Garlick said. For more information on the Bequest Program, please click here.
Entry to the Museum is FREE to all, a gold coin donation is encouraged.
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am - 2.00pm
