The Crack of Leather on Willow! - Cricket

This weekend has been a big event for all sporting enthusiast from Rugby to Football and of course the cricket.

The first recorded cricket match in Australia took place in Sydney in December 1803 and a report in the Sydney Gazette, on 8th January 1804 suggested that cricket was already well established in the infant colony. The first tour by an English team to Australia was in 1861–62, organised by the catering firm of Spiers and Pond as a private enterprise. A further tour followed in 1863–64, led by George Parr and was even more successful than the last. In 1868 a team consisting of Aboriginal player became the first Australian team to tour England. The Team played 47 matches, winning 14 drawing 19 and loosing 14.

Aboriginal Cricket Team 1868

Cricket on the Goldfields of Western Australia was hugely popular and even the smallest of townships seemed to have it own team

Here are just a few of our early ‘Sporting Hero’s

Coolgardie Cricket Team 1900

Kalgoorlie Cricket Team 1895

Waterfall Cricket Team 1908

Menzies Cricket Team 1935

Ladies Cricket team Kalgoorlie

Cricket team 1899 Kanowna

Coolgardie Cricket Team 1900

Big Bell CrickeT Team

Lakewood Cricket Team 1951

Test Cricket is not a light-hearted business, especially that between England and Australia.
Donald Bradman

Bush Cricket by John Terrill:-

Bush Cricket by John Terrill

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Bio
Latest Posts

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.

Latest posts by Moya Sharp (see all)

From Kalgoorlie to the Somme: The Sacrifice of Private James Valant Turner - 26/04/2025
Builder of Dreams: Sir James Connolly’s Western Australian Legacy - 26/04/2025
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Comments

David Kessell says

18/08/2015 at 12:22 am

Hi

Great to see you pages and photos. I haven’t been back to Kunanalling for a few years now, but there was a bitumen cricket pitch still present one time I was there. I was on the north side of town. I should imagine it is still fairly obvious but not sure. I will look for some pictures for you.

David

- Moya Sharp says
  
  18/08/2015 at 10:36 am
  
  Hi David Have you seen the book ‘Kunanalling and Beyond’ by Ray Bounsell? Its a great read. Im sure the cricket pitch is still there, well my husband is anyway! Would love a photo if yu have one. Kindest regards Moya