Push Ball – A most unusual sport!

Pushball :- Volunteers v Police – Photo SLWA

The winners of the first Push Ball competition in Coolgardie on 12 July 1905.
Back Row: W Sowerby – P Kiely – E Millane – D M Strickland – F P Strickland – M Noonan – C H Field
Middle Row: C C Monaghan – H C Pearson – C P Bloom (Capt) – J Beaton – W Maynard.
Front Row: J Kearney – W Crannage – F Plummer – V Gray.

Of all these, so far as is known, only two are in the Goldfields – Jack Beaton & Frank Plumber (who sent in the photograph). Six of the players were playing members of the Coolgardie Football Club. Push Ball was played with a ball six feet high. It was blown up in Kalgoorlie and taken to Coolgardie by rail then taken by all of the children of the ‘Old Camp’ to the recreation ground. One of the opposing teams was composed of police of which ‘Baby’ Young was a member. On one scoring occasion, both ‘Baby’ and the ball were hurled through the goalposts. The ‘gate’ was over £100.

Pushball is a game played by two sides on a field usually 140 yards (128 m) long and 50 yd (45.7 m) wide, with a ball 6 feet (1.83 m) in diameter and 50 lb (22.7 kg) in weight. The sides usually number eleven each, there being five forwards, two left-wings, two right-wings and two goal-keepers. The goals consist of two upright posts 18 ft (5.5 m) high and 20 ft (6.1 m) apart with a crossbar 7 feet from the ground. The game lasts for two periods with an intermission. Pushing the ball under the bar counts 5 points; lifting or throwing it over the bar counts 8. A touchdown behind goal for safety counts 2 to the attacking side. It was mostly played by men but there were a few ladies teams and some games with a smaller ball for children usually in school matches. The injury rate for players was very high and the ‘rules of play’ were somewhat ‘fluid’!!

Its a Goal!!! – Push Ball – Photo SLWA

These two photographs were from a game in June 1905 in Kalgoorlie and was between ‘The Volunteers’ and ‘The Police’. I’m assuming that the volunteers are volunteer policemen. The police I would say, are on the right hand side. There wasn’t a result to say who won on the day. This match is between Railway v Tramways in the same month in 1905

Railway v Tramway – Photo SLWA

The game was invented by M G Crane of Newton, Massachusetts, USA  in 1891. It no doubt came to the Goldfields from the USA with the miners. It was most popular from 1923 to 1955 before the game was retired due to its increasingly rough nature. Both in the United Kingdom and the USA the game was also played on horseback and was called: “horse soccer”, “equine soccer”, and “hoofball” but I can find no evidence of it being played on horses in the goldfields.

Men Horses and a Big Ball!!!!  This photograph show a mounted match to raise funds for charity and was held at the WACCA in Perth Western Australia on the 6th April 1930. Note the players are all in uniform and the horses look a bit confused (:

Men Horsers and a big Ball – Photo SLWA

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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