Burwood Cricket Club: a history worth exploring
Updated: Jul 3
It has recently been discovered that the Burwood Cricket Club had been in existence at least as long as the city of Burwood itself. Until the last few months, it was thought that the Club had reached its centenary and this milestone would be well-deserved cause for celebration.
However, the club can trace its history to at least 1873 and so this year the Club intends to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
To ensure the research is professional and thorough, the Club plans to engage a qualified historian to fully document the history of the Club and seek to find more about the men and women who have contributed to the Club’s longevity and success.
The first white settlement in the region we now know as Burwood was in 1858 when the region was called Ballyshanassy, after the then Premier of Victoria, John O’Shanassy. The location was briefly known as Norwood (possibly from 1874) and then gazetted as Burwood in 1879.
The Norwood Cricket Club had existed from the 1870s and this became the Burwood Cricket Club in 1879 when the name of the local government area was changed. Hence the Burwood Cricket Club has been an integral part of Burwood since its establishment.
Those associated with the Club will be aware that the Gilmour Trophy takes pride of place in the clubrooms. The Trophy was inaugurated in 1891 as a magnificent silver cup that was awarded to the winner of an annual challenge series between the Box Hill and Burwood Cricket Clubs.
Anyone associated with the club in earlier decades are invited to contribute their memories to the historical record.
It is also likely that families of former club members may have been left memorabilia that can be displayed in the club rooms in purpose-built showcases planned to be constructed for the 150th celebrations.
The Burwood Cricket Club is excited by what lies ahead and welcomes those who wish to partner with us.
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