New park named in honour of island sports icon Dudley Eve
A new park has been unveiled celebrating Bermudian sports icon Dudley Eve.
Dudley Eve Park officially opened on the corner of Court Street and Dundonald Street in Hamilton after years of development.
Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, met the Eve family and other Corporation of Hamilton members to unveil the new park.
Alfred Eve Jr, the second eldest son and oldest living child of Mr Eve, thanked the city for turning what was once a makeshift playground into a fully fledged park.
He said: “Hopefully the park will enable people to come visit, explore, and have a good look at what Dudley Eve was about.”
Alfred “Dudley” Eve was a renowned cricketer and footballer who helped create the island’s first racially integrated football league – a league that later became the Bermuda Football Association.
Mr Eve grew up on the property for 20 years from 1942 and helped shape the land into a small playground for neighbourhood children.
He was induced into the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and had the Dudley Eve Trophy competition named after him in 1978.
Mr Eve was also instrumental in jump-starting the careers of some of Bermuda’s top athletes.
Mr Gosling said: “He was affectionately known as ‘the gentle giant’ and was known for his exceptional organisation skills – particularly with regards to football.”
He added: “Each night in 2009 when we were running for election, I would walk pass this particular plot and think of just what could be done with it.
“The naming of the park today coincides with the completion of works which includes the addition of a further staircase at the Court Street side of the park to improve access and security for park goers.”
Dudley Eve Park has a plaque on its eastern entrance that honours the legacy of Mr Eve, as well as a QR Code that directs users to a video detailing his contribution to Bermuda.
The steps also showcase a near-complete mural painted by Alshante Foggo as a part of Hamilton’s Vivid Public Art Initiative, which pays tribute to Mr Eve.
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