The ground was an open park overlooking Cook Strait and the Pacific Ocean and was therefore exposed to Wellington's regular strong winds.

[3] The Millard Stand replaced the Western Bank, a section that was so popular that fans would camp at the ground overnight to ensure they could sit there.

[3][7] Lalanne's review of the match declared it to have been "a nightmare spectacle", with the extreme winds causing the closure of most of the newly-built Millard Stand, numerous errors in gameplay and touch kicks that were pushed behind the kicker.

[3][7] New Zealand eventually prevailed 5-3 in the lowest-scoring game of the tour, after Don Clarke made a sideline conversion by kicking almost parallel to the try line, with the wind curling the ball between the posts.

In 1923, Athletic Park hosted the inaugural final of the Chatham Cup, New Zealand's principal knockout association football (soccer) tournament.

[8] Athletic Park also played host to other non-sports events, including a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1986[9] and various rock concerts.

[citation needed] In March 1980, Fleetwood Mac played what was described by Grant Harding of Hawke's Bay Today as "the worst concert ever" at the ground.