The lacrosse history in Australia goes back to the 19th century. In the different regions of Australia, like Victoria or Queensland, Lacrosse developed completely independently and sometimes it went down again because of the World Wars, but if you are interested in the exact facts, you can find them here.
Men Lacrosse history in Australia
Victoria
The Canadian Lambton L. Mount came as a 14-year-old boy with his family to the Victorian gold fields in 1853. It was 1875, after seeing a football final, that his childhood memories about lacrosse came back and he remembered what a superior game it is.
In April 1876, Lambton wrote in a letter to the Australasian Newspaper that he would import 40 lacrosse sticks from Canada and set up the Melbourne Lacrosse Club and thus lacrosse in Australia. The first practice game was in Albert Park on June 22, 1876. By 1879, four clubs with about 120 players were formed and they formed the Victorian Lacrosse Association in July 1879.
South Australia
The first stone was laid by the Adelaide Lacrosse Club on April 6, 1883 at the Prince Alfred Hotel. By 1887, three more teams have joined, today exist the North Adelaide and Knightsbridge (today Leabrook) and these four clubs founded the South Australian Lacrosse Association in 1888.
Lacrosse spread quickly in the still young province, more and more clubs were formed, more players and spectators, such as teams in Jamestown, Port Pirite and Kapunda were established.
The earliest records indicate that Lacrosse was first played on the goldfields in the 1890s. Only when two players from the Eastern States came to Perth in 1895 the formal bustle of lacrosse began. They founded two Perth
Lacrosse clubs in 1896. In 1897, two more clubs were added and in 1898, the first formal competition, which Mercantile won, was held.
Lacrosse became an integral part of this until a downturn in the gold industry and the outbreak of World War I signaled the demise of the teams. Even when attempts were made to revive the game in the 1930s and 1980s, it remained silent.
Queensland
The Brisbane Lacrosse Club was founded on May 2, 1887. With three clubs (Brisbane, Ipswich & South Brisbane) then the Queensland Lacrosse Union was constructed on February 14, 1888. Between 1889 and 1906 there exist record of interstate teams. In 1906, two interstate games against Victoria were held. The first game was won by Victoria, the second by Queensland.
From 1903 to 1908, many different lacrosse clubs were founded in the Greater Brisbane area, and a local competition began that lasted several years.
From 1910 lacrosse got many patrons in these regions so more and more stadiums, clubs and fields were created.
In the postwar period, everything was reduced to a small group of lovers of lacrosse. In the 80s, all existing clubs were gone. In the 90s and 2000s, it was then occasionally played around Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and Townsville and also a Queensland Lacrosse Association was put back into operation. There are now around 10 teams in Queensland again.
New South Wales
With the Sydney Lacrosse Clubs on July 19, 1883 lacrosse was etablished in New South Wales. Many lacrosse clubs were quickly founded in this region, such as North Sydney, Newtown, University and Waverly. In the 1930s, a NSW team formed and it was so strong that a Canadian guest team from Vancouver came to Sydney in 1934. Even during the World War II, lacrosse was played here on and on.
The Broken Hill Lacrosse Association was then constructed in 1909. After Lacrosse went back after the World War II, it was revived in the 90s. At first there were only a few mixed games, but soon a men team took part in tournaments again, Junior Lacrosse was able to gain a foothold and many new clubs were created.
Tasmania
In 1884 the NewTown Lacrosse Club was founded. In 1906, many interstate games were played with the Victorian teams. But in 1916 they left the premiership, as many men had to go to war and were killed there. 1932 Tasmania then played against Victoria as a kick-off event for a football match. But in 1940 it was complained that Lacrosse, though so popular before the Great War, is now extinct.
Women Lacrosse history in Australia
Prewar
The women lacrosse history in Australia began in 1904 when it was introduced as a school sport by a sports teacher in Melbourne. In 1907, women played in the Goldfields under the guidance of men.
The first recorded Lacrosse Club, was the Ladys Lacrosse Club of the St. George Ladies in News South Wales in 1913. In 1914, the first competition started with four teams. The women’s competition in NSW was probably suspended due to the First World War.
In 1931, the South Australian Lacrosse Association discussed the launch of Women Lacrosse.
In 1936, the Victorian Women’s Amateur Lacrosse Association was founded. Unfortunately, the women lacrosse went down a lot because of the World War II.
Revival of the Women Lacrosse
It was not until 1962 that lacrosse was resumed in Victoria. It came to four new teams and a newly reformed women’s association. The South Australian Women’s Lacrosse Association was constructed about the same time. From 1962 there was also promotion of women’s lacrosse, so as to create an inter-state agreement. A little later, the Australian Women’s Lacrosse Council (AWLC) was founded. The West Australians were also persuaded to form an association and join the AWLC.
Growth
In 1975, the Tasmanian Women’s Lacrosse Association was formed and later joined the AWLC.
Since 1978, the Senior National Championships takes place. In 1970, the first U 16 National Championship took place and 1982, the first U19 interstate game between South Australia and Victoria.
We hope we could give you an interesting insight into the lacrosse history in Australia. In the near future we would like to give you an insight, how lacrosse in Australia looks today. See you soon.
