High on the hill in Greensborough sits a building that has quietly witnessed five decades of basketball dreams, community growth and thousands of games played. Today it is known as the home of the Diamond Valley Basketball Association, but its story began long before the first basketball bounced on its courts.
In 1964, the Shire of Diamond Valley was established to support the rapidly growing northern suburbs of Melbourne. As the region expanded, a Civic Centre was constructed in Greensborough in 1972, serving as the headquarters for the local council. That building remained the council’s home until 1994, when council amalgamations saw the creation of the Shire of Nillumbik.
Around the same time, basketball was growing rapidly across the Diamond Valley region. In 1974, representatives from the local basketball clubs gathered to discuss the future of the sport in the area. With guidance and support from prominent basketball figures Ken Watson and Lindsay Gaze, the clubs agreed to unite and form a new association that could support the area’s expanding basketball community.
The following year, in 1975, the Diamond Valley Basketball Association formed its first committee. Led by inaugural president Harold Patterson, alongside Ron Collins and Val Clyne, the group worked closely with council to develop a dedicated sports facility that would support the region’s growing participation.
In 1976, that vision became reality.
A new sports stadium was built on land adjacent to the council offices in Greensborough. The facility opened with two basketball courts, four badminton courts, six squash courts and eight table tennis tables — a multi-sport venue designed to serve the broader community.
For more than two decades, from 1976 to 1998, the stadium was operated by the council, with Brian Harvey managing the facility. During the 1980s, the popularity of basketball continued to surge. Additional courts were added to help meet demand, but even then the appetite for court space often outpaced capacity — a sign of just how quickly the sport was growing across the region.
In 1998, council moved to outsource stadium operations and appointed the YMCA to manage the venue. A decade later, in 2008, management was retendered and Belgravia Leisure was appointed to oversee operations.
While management structures changed, one constant remained: the Diamond Valley Basketball Association’s commitment to ensuring the stadium could continue to support the needs of its players, clubs and community.
In 2014, DVBA prepared a comprehensive 50-page report outlining the future development of the stadium and began actively lobbying council for improvements and investment in the facility.
The following year, in 2015, DVBA submitted a tender application to manage the stadium, demonstrating the association’s strong commitment to shaping the venue’s future. That same year, council awarded management to Clublinks Leisure.
Determined to keep improving the environment for its members, DVBA also took action directly. In 2017, the association received approval to undertake several short-term improvements at its own cost. These included repainting stadium walls, upgrading the playing surface on Court 1, installing new signage, adding a video screen and scoreboards, and introducing new stadium seating.
At the same time, DVBA continued advocating to local and state government for the long-term redevelopment the facility needed.
That advocacy began to pay off.
In 2017, council engaged architects to develop concept plans for additional courts and announced it had applied for state government funding. Council also committed $10 million within its four-year budget toward the redevelopment, part of a proposed $16.5 million project.
In 2018, the Victorian State Government announced additional funding support for the redevelopment of Diamond Valley Stadium, bringing the long-awaited upgrade closer to reality.
Meanwhile, stadium management continued to evolve. In 2020, council again tendered operations and appointed Align Leisure as the venue manager.
After years of planning, advocacy and investment, the major redevelopment was completed in 2022. The upgraded stadium now provides a modern home for the Diamond Valley Basketball Association and its thriving community of more than 5,000 members across 20 domestic clubs.
Today, the stadium stands as more than just a sports facility. It is a place where generations of players have learned the game, friendships have been formed and the Diamond Valley basketball community has grown stronger year after year.
In 2026, as the Diamond Valley Basketball Association celebrates 50 years, the stadium remains at the heart of that story — a home built through vision, perseverance and the shared passion of a community that continues to grow.
