Carrara Stadium, Cricket field in Gold Coast, Australia
Carrara Stadium is a multipurpose venue on the Gold Coast with natural grass and seating for around 25,000 people. The venue hosts cricket matches and athletics events, with stands that wrap around the playing area.
The site began as Carrara Oval in 1983, initially home to a rugby union club from Nerang. Four years later, the facility expanded and developed into a larger stadium capable of hosting different sporting events.
The playing field is officially called Laver Oval, named after Bill Laver, long-time chairman of the Albert Shire. The ground's nickname, the "Curse of Carrara", came from poor crowds during the Brisbane Bears years, blamed on weak public transport access and the team's results.
The complex offers 700 parking spaces on-site and another 400 beneath the nearby sport and leisure center. Visitors should expect a longer approach depending on event size, as the stadium area can be busy during larger fixtures.
The floodlights installed in 1989 were never paid for: Christopher Skase's company Qintex collapsed and he fled to Spain. Liquidators found it cheaper to leave the lights standing at Carrara than to recover them, so the towers remain part of the ground.
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