In response to a request from Fitzroy Council approximately 39 acres (15.78 ha) of land in Fitzroy North was temporarily reserved for public recreation.

The Collingwood Commercial Cricket Club was given access to 9 acres (3.6 hectares) of the reserve. The following year, The Prince of Wales Cricket Club was given access to 6 acres (2.4 hectares), directly to the south of the Collingwood ground.

The 2 cricket clubs amalgamated to become the Fitzroy Cricket Club.

In 1877 the Victorian Football Association was formed and in 1883, the Mayor of Fitzroy chaired a meeting to form a football club. The newly formed Fitzroy Football Club negotiated with the cricket club to share the oval in Edinburgh Gardens. Cricket and football continues to be played at the ground today.

The land that forms the modern-day Edinburgh Gardens was permanently reserved as a site for a public park and garden.

The plan form of the cricket ground oval was largely fixed in its present configuration by 1887. Additional sporting facilities were provided with the establishment of the tennis club in 1888.

By the early 1900s the area around the oval was intensively developed with two main grandstands, a tennis club pavilion, entrance pavilions, a gymnasium to the rear of the 1888 grandstand and a number of smaller buildings including toilet blocks. By 1925 there were 5 tennis courts.

In 1934 the cricket ground was extended eastwards by 26 feet (7.9 metres), pushing the main north-south path eastwards to its present alignment.

In the late 1930s trees to the north of the tennis courts were removed due to the shadows thrown on the courts and the interference of the tree roots with the surface and two additional courts were built, bringing the number to 7.

By the 1970s the oval was being used for local club cricket and football only, and most of the buildings were allowed to fall into a derelict state.

In 1977 the 1905 grandstand was destroyed by fire. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s works associated with the sports precinct focused on broader community use, rather than sporting club use.

The community room is added as an extension to the east of the grandstand.

Yarra Council passes a resolution to officially name the grandstand 'Fitzroy Football Club Grandstand'.