By Lisa Hutton, a senior library service officer in the Local Studies section
Almost a century before Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy became household cricketing names, a group of Wollongong women were commanding the pitch in the 1930s, competing in the Illawarra Women’s Cricket Competition.
The first official organised women’s cricket match in New South Wales was between the Fernleas and the Siroccos, on 15 April 1887 at the Association Ground, now the Sydney Cricket Ground. A crowd of 600 attended and raised money for the Bulli relief fund set up to assist families impacted by the 1887 Bulli Mine Disaster.
Cricket’s popularity and acceptance as an appropriate sport for ladies waxed and waned over the next few decades but in1931, the Australian Women’s Cricket Council (AWCC) was formed to promote and support the sport. In the 1930s the first international matches were played between England and Australia.
One of the highly competitive Illawarra teams was the Gladstone Ladies Cricket Club who played at Gladstone Park, located on Gladstone Avenue, Coniston, and who were runners up in the 1934-1935 Women’s Competition.
Other teams in the Illawarra district competition included Mt Keira, Mt Kembla, Tarrawanna, Figtree/Unanderra, Bellambi, Corrimal, Port Kembla, Arcadians, Waratahs and Wollongong.
Several members of the Gladstone Ladies team were also selected to represent the region in the Illawarra Women’s Cricket Team playing against teams such as Goulburn, Central South Coast and Newcastle. A standout player for the Gladstone Ladies was Ruby Monaghan who was selected to represent NSW and then Australia in the first Test match against England in Brisbane, and in the second Test in Sydney in 1934.
The Illawarra Women’s Cricket team won the NSW Country Championships in 1931 at their first attempt in the competition and defended their title in Sydney in1932.
You can find many interesting stories and photos about sport in the region in Wollongong City Libraries online catalogue.