Playing long balls into empty space since 2012.

First Kicks

This page is a list of the earliest signs of organised soccer in towns, regions and suburbs around Australia. It will simply list places with the earliest soccer date alongside. If you would like proof, ask in the comments below and I will respond with the evidence.


The list is nowhere near complete and nor are the dates final. Nor is it anything like authoritative. Much more work needs to be done before it is wholly reliable. Use it as a guide. Corrections will be gratefully received in the comments section below:






A

Airly 1908
Ayr 1927

B
Babakin 1925
Babinda 1928
Bacchus Marsh 1937
Balgownie 1890 (1883 according to club site)
Ballarat 1883
Ballina 1923
Balranald 1925
Baralaba 1922
Barellan 1914
Barmedman 1927
Bendigo 1902
Bilbul 1925
Blackheath 1923
Blayney 1926
Bogan Gate 1928
Boulder 1897
Bowen 1924
Boyup Brook 1925
Brandon Grove 1914
Bridgetown 1925
Brisbane 1875
Broadford 1925
Broken Hill 1912
Broughton Creek 1884
Buderim 1920
Bulli 1888
Bunbury 1905
Bundaberg 1896
Buntine 1926
Buragup 1928
Burra 1893
Bussellton 1923

C
Cairns 1895
Camden Haven 1922
Camperdown 1925
Canna 1929
Canowindra 1914
Carcoar 1953
Carlton 1884
Carnarvon 1910
Casino 1932
Casterton 1925
Castlemaine 1913
Cawarral 1895
Charters Towers 1890
Clifton Q 1912
Cloncurry 1929
Cobar 1913
Cobden 1926
Coffs Harbour 1926
Cohuna 1914
Colac 1926
Condong 1914
Coolamon 1925
Coonewirrecoo pre 1930
Cooroy 1926
Corrigin 1928
Cowra 1926
Croydon 1927
Cue 1896
Cullen Bullen 1912
Curban 1929
Cygnet 1914

D
Dalveen 1894
Darling Downs (outside Toowoomba) 1921
Darwin 1899
Dalby 1954
Dermallum 1926
Dimboola 1951
Dinmore (Bush Rats) 1892
Doodlakine 1928
Dorrigo 1928
Dubbo 1916
Dungog 1912

E
East Melbourne 1884

F
Forbes 1951

G
Gargett 1925
Gatton 1913
Gawler 1903
Geraldton 1912
Gerringong 1922
Gilgandra 1929
Glasshouse Mountains 1930
Glebe (Sydney)1895
Glen Innes 1920
Glenowlan 1902
Gnowangerup 1927
Goombungee 1913
Gosford 1925
Goulburn 1912
Goulburn Valley 1927
Gowrie 1897
Grass Patch 1930
Greta 1887
Gracemere 1913
Granville 1885
Grenfell 1952
Gunnedah 1921
Gutha 1928
Gwalia 1927
Gympie (e. 1880s) Rangers 1893

H
Hamilton 1886
Hay 1914
Hazeldene 1926
Helensburgh 1890
Henty 1951
Henwood 1924
Hillside 1929
Hobart 1879

I
Inverell 1921
Irymple 1912

J
Jerrabomberra (Canberra) 1914
Jervis Bay 1922
Junee 1925

K
Kalgoorlie 1900
Kandos 1912
Kangaroo Valley 1922
Katandra 1931
Katanning 1912
Katoomba 1889
Kendall 1922
Kenilworth 1923
Kentucky 1920
Kerang 1925
Kiama 1922
Kidaman Creek 1923
Kin Kin 1927 
Kingaroy 1928
Kleinton 1928
Korumburra 1895
Koumala 1924
Kulja 1928
Kyvalley 1914

L
Lake Biddy 1928
Lake Grace 1928
Lake's Creek 1912
Lambton 1885
Lancaster 1927
Lang Lang 1914
Lara 1925 
Latham 1929
Leongatha 1954
Lismore 1914
Longreach 1923

M
Maffra 1925
Maitland 1890
Malanda 1924
Maryborough Qld 1886
Maryborough Vic 1896
Marulen 1951
Melbourne 1883
Mendouran 1929
Merbein 1911
Mildura 1895
Millewa 1929
Minmi 1884
Mirani Q 1925
Mirboo North 1914
Mitchell 1912
Mittagong 1887
Molongolo 1927
Montville 1922
Mooloolah 1924
Moora 1914
Mooroopna 1931
Moree 1925
Mornington 1927
Morwell 1932
Moss Vale 1889
Mount Isa 1929
Mourilyan 1929
Murchison 1903
Murgon 1928
Murrami 1924
Mussellbrook 1927

N
Narrabri 1921
Narrandera 1924
Narrogin 1912
Narromine 1930
New Norfolk 1907
Newcastle 1885
Newdegate 1928
Newport 1923
Nhill 1914
Noosa 1925
North Arm 1921
North Coast NSW 1908 
North Coast (Q) Football Association 1921
Northam 1912
Nowra 1915

O

P
Palmwoods 1920
Parkes 1902
Parramatta 1880
Peak Hill 1929
Perenjori 1928
Perth 1892
Petersburg/Peterborough 1912

Q
Quirindi 1923

R
Renmark 1896
Richmond 1884
Rochester Vic 1913
Rockhampton 1884 (1881 pending)
Roma 1912
Rosa Brook WA 1936
Rosewood 1910
Rubicon 1924

S
Sale 1925
Scone 1938
Shackleton 1925
Singleton 1886
Skipton 1915
Somerset Dam 1938
South Melbourne 1884
South Yarra 1884
Southern Cross 1896
Spotswood 1913
Springwood NSW 1924
Stalworth 1932
Stanhope 1924
Stanley 1912
Sugarloaf 1894
Sunshine 1912
Swan Hill 1926

T
Tallandoon 1926
Tallawang 1935
Tammin 1926
Tannymorel 1913
Tenterfield 1921
Temora 1925
Terang 1954
Tintinara 1933
Tongala 1914
Townsville 1891
Townsville region 1897
Tresco 1928
Trundle 1928
Tullibigeal 1928
Tully 1933
Tumut 1935

U
Umberumberka 1912
Uralla 1920


W
Wallerawang 1923
Walloon 1910
Wallsend 1887
Wangaratta 1924
Warwick 1912
Wattamondara 1927
Wauchope 1916
Wellington NSW 1930
Werribee 1924
Werris Creek 1926
Wheatley WA 1930
Willah 1928
Williamstown 1884
Willyabrup 1928
Wimmera 1933
Wolgan 1922
Wollongbar (Experiment Farm) 1914
Wongan Hills 1929
Wonthaggi 1910
Woogaroo 1875
Woombye 1921
Woomera 1950
Wynnum 1921

X

Y
Yangan 1914
Yarck 1922
Yarloop 1904
Yarraville 1912
Yass 1935
Yallourn 1925
Yanco (Experiment Farm) 1923
Yenda 1924
Yeo 1926
Yeppoon 1895
Young 1912

Z
Zeehan 1975
Zillmere 1958

10 comments:

  1. Roy Hay has pointed out that soccer was first played in Geelong in 1884

    http://neososmos.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/soccer-in-geelong-is-more-than-hundred.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adelaide???????

      Delete
    2. Yes, Adelaide 1873 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/39296564

      The local football association adopted and trialled association rules in 1873

      Delete
  2. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/39301633

    We would recommend its friends to take advantage of the present excellent opportunity of deciding upon and promulgating a code worthy of general adoption throughout the colony; and suggest as the best basis upon which such a code could be formed the rules governing the play of the Football Association in England. We understand that delegates from the various Clubs in and near Adelaide are shortly to meet to discuss this matter; and it is to be hoped, in the interests of the physical development of our schoolboys, who will naturally follow in the wake of their elders, that the hybrid kind of play which has hitherto obtained will be abandoned (inasmuch as it is one that cannot possibly flourish) and a lasting set of rules be determined upon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sydney & Wollongong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sydney 1878 and Wollongong/Illawarra 1887

      Delete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. good find with Sydney.
    dare I say without trove in Sydney 1880 would remain as year zero

    ReplyDelete
  6. Without trove I'd be struggling! There are more bombshells to come via trove as well

    ReplyDelete
  7. Travis Faulks made this comment

    I hope you can add North Illawarra Rovers (from the Bulli area) to First Kicks, the first reference I have viewed from my research is from the Illawarra Mercury on 10th March 1888, where it describes a committee meeting taking place at Mr Dudley's Hotel Bulli on the 6th of March. Further on in 1888 in the Illawarra Mercury mentions briefly 3 matches (on 3 different occassions) between Fairy Meadow and Bulli Clubs and it is my hypothesis that the Fairy Meadow Club is Balgownie Rangers and the Bulli Club is the North Illawarra Rovers. But I need further evidence.

    Balgownie and Bulli are mentioned in the Illawarra Mercury on 27th of August 1889 when a game is played under a programme of sports at a Miner's Demonstration. Part of the artcile states "A football match was played on the race course in connection with the miner's demonstration, the opposing team's representing Balgownie and Bulli, the latter winning by three goals to nil."

    Finally I was wondering if you had come across the mention of football in an Illawarra Mercury article (on the 25th of July 1859) titled 'Festivities at Campbelltown'? I was searching through Trove and came across it, it only states that "the juveniles had some rare sport at football and other games" but I found it very interesting.

    ReplyDelete