Interstate Soccer in Australia

Today, interstate soccer is an irrelevancy. While Rugby League's State of Origin contests represent that game's pinnacle, there exists little desire for state versus state contests in association football. In previous eras intercolonial and state matches were afforded a deal of importance and it is a matter of record that the first recorded serious competitive fixture in Melbourne was an intercolonial contest between Victoria and New South Wales played at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday 16 August 1883. A 2-all draw was followed by a goalless game two days later at South Melbourne Cricket Ground.

This will eventually be a list of every recorded state game played up to 1920 -- though who knows, it might be extended to included them all eventually.

It is organised by year and the state versus state games are at the top of each listing while some of the minor games (state versus selections) are italicised and listed below them

Until 1900, the states are technically colonies but hopefully I can be forgiven for not confusing the issue by attempting to clarify it.


1883
Victoria 2 NSW 2, East Melbourne Cricket Ground, 16 August
Victoria 0 NSW 0, South Melbourne Cricket Ground, 18 August

1884

NSW 4 Victoria 1, Association Cricket Ground, 26 July

NSW 1 Victoria 2, Association Cricket Ground, 28 July

1885 

Victoria 3 NSW 0, East Melbourne Cricket Ground, 16 July (sometimes reported as 4-0)

Victoria 2 NSW 2, East Melbourne Cricket Ground, 18 July

1886

NSW 4 Victoria 1, Association Cricket Ground, 10 July

NSW  (Scotch) 0 Victoria  1, the Agricultural Ground, 12 July

NSW (English) 0 Victoria  3, the Agricultural Ground, 14 July 

1887

Victoria 2 NSW 2, East Melbourne Cricket Ground, 16 July

Victoria (Prahran & South Melbourne) 2 NSW 0, Melbourne Cricket Ground (?), 18 July
Victoria (Carlton & Melbourne Rovers) 2 NSW 2, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 20 July

1888
NSW 1 Victoria 2, Association Cricket Ground, 28 July

Sydney District 1 Victoria 1, Association Cricket Ground, 30 July
Sydney 1 Victoria 1, Association Cricket Ground, 30 July
Sydney Metro 1 Victoria 0,  Association Cricket Ground, 30 July
 [only one of these can be right!] 
Northern District v Victoria. Newcastle Cricket Ground, 2 August 

1890
NSW 1 Queensland 3, Botany, 17 August 

(The game was eventually called off after NSW player Logan broke his lower leg in a collision with Queensland player Menzies, who also suffered broken ribs. Thanks OzFootball timeline.)

NSW 0 Queensland 1, Ashfield Recreation Ground, 24 August

Northern District 0 Queensland 4, Hamilton, 21 August

1898
Queensland 2 NSW 3, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 6 August

Queensland 3 NSW 2, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 13 August

Howard v NSW, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 8 August
West Moreton 0 NSW 3, Ipswich, 11 August

1905
South Australia 5 Western Australia 1, Adelaide Oval, 22 April
South Australia 5 Western Australia 4, Adelaide Oval, 24 April
South Australia 1 Western Australia 0, Adelaide Oval, 29 April  

It is a singular fact that whereas all who took part in the match on behalf of South Australia were British-born, and had played in the United Kingdom, the visitors were natives of Western Australia, where "soccer" is one of the popular forms of winter recreation. The Advertiser 24 April 1905

1909
NSW 2 WA 2, Sydney Cricket Ground, 15 May
NSW 3 WA 1, Sydney Cricket Ground, 22 May 
Victoria 0 WA 3, East Melbourne Oval, 2 June
SA 4 WA 4, Jubilee Oval, 5 June
SA 4 WA 4, Jubilee Oval, 7 June 

1910
WA 2 SA 0, Perth Cricket Ground, 13 August 
WA 4 SA 1, Claremont Showground, 20 August
WA 1 SA 1, Fremantle Oval, 24 August 

1911
Tasmania 3 NSW 5, TCA Ground, 12 August

1912
South Australia v. Victoria, Adelaide, Jubilee Oval 22 June
South Australia v. Victoria, Adelaide, Hindmarsh Oval 24 June
NSW 3 Queensland 0, Wentworth Park, 24 June
NSW 6 Queensland 0, Epping Racecourse, 29 June
Victoria 8 Tasmania 1, MCG, 17 July
NSW 11 Tasmania 0, SCG, 20 July 
Queensland 1 NSW 2, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 14 August
Queensland 1 NSW 3, Exhibition Ground, Ipswich, 17 August

1913
NSW 2 Queensland 3, Epping Racecourse, 23 June
NSW 1 Queensland 0, Epping Racecourse, 28 June
Victoria 3 NSW 2, Fitzroy Cricket Ground, 16 August
Victoria 1 NSW 1, St Kilda Cricket Ground, 23 August 

1914 
NSW 0 Victoria 1, Epping Racecourse, 8 June (0-3 elsewhere)
NSW 2 Victoria 3, Epping Racecourse, 13 June
Tasmania 0 Victoria 2, New Town Sports Ground, 8 August 
Queensland 3 NSW 2, Union Grounds, Bowen Bridge, 12 August
Queensland 2 NSW 6, Union Grounds, Bowen Bridge, 13 August (possibly a rogue newspaper error)
Queensland 0 NSW 0, Sandy Gallop Oval, Ipswich, 16 August

1914 NSW team (click to see larger image)

1914 NSW team (click to see larger image)

 
1915
Northern NSW 2 Queensland 1, 26 June
NSW 4 Queensland 2, Sydney University Oval, 28 June
NSW South Coast 1 Queensland 4, Wollongong, 3 July

1920
Queensland 0 NSW 5, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 29 May
Queensland 2 NSW 2, Brisbane Cricket Ground, 5 June
NSW 3 Queensland 0, Wentworth Oval, 14 August
NSW 2 Queensland 0, Wentworth Oval, 21 August