Becoming A City: Sports

Bowls, croquet and tennis were popular sports which also had a social element. A croquet club for women was formed in 1902 and gained permission to establish a lawn in Queens Park. The Ipswich Bowls Club was formed in 1910 and also gained permission to use Queens Park although a formal lease was not secured until 1916. The curator of the park Fred Turley helped with laying out the green and was presented with a set of bowls as thanks when it was officially opened in December 1912. Three years later, when membership was about 90, a pavilion or club-house was opened, designed by architect Will Haenke. A second club was formed at Silkstone/Booval and gained permission for a green in Cameron Park in 1918.

Tennis was very popular for both men and women. Many private homes had their own court and a group of ant bed courts had been laid down in Queens Park in 1896.

A croquet club for women was formed in 1902 and gained permission to establish a lawn in Queens Park. The Ipswich Bowls Club was formed in 1910 and also gained permission to use Queens Park although a formal lease was not secured until 1916. The curator of the park Fred Turley helped with laying out the green and was presented with a set of bowls as thanks when it was officially opened in December 1912. Three years later, when membership was about 90, a pavilion or club-house was opened, designed by architect Will Haenke. A second club was formed at Silkstone/Booval and gained permission for a green in Cameron Park in 1918.

Roller skating had been popular since the 1880s and there were regular skating nights in Burnett Street Hall (near the Cutting) and Redbank School of Arts, and at Silkstone, Blackstone and Rosewood. The Martoo family opened a permanent venue, the Olympia Skating Rink in 1909.

The Ipswich Golf Club had been formed in 1897 and established a 9-hole course in what had been called the “Horse Park”, now Limestone Park. Women initially played on the same basis as men, but in 1905, “lady players” were admitted as associate members. There was also a special youth membership.

A club house was built in 1910 in Queens Park, opposite the course. The course was relatively rough but in 1903, golf expert Carnegie Clark visited Ipswich and advised that grass greens should be developed instead of “chipped” greens; this was done in 1904. A problem was that animals were allowed to graze in the park and the new couch grass greens had to be enclosed with wire fences. There were rules about what happened when the ball hit the fence and keen member George Brockwell Gill complained that it was “very frustrating when a nice mashie shot was spoiled because the ball hit a horse.

Several codes of football were played. British Association Football or soccer was popular at Blackstone.

The North Ipswich Reserve was the main headquarters for local cricket and it was extended and improved in 1905. There were a large number of local teams including some from workplaces and some sponsored by individuals such as the "Blair" team who played at a cricket pitch at James Blair's home "Coalfalls" in William Street at Woodend. Their great rivals at that time were the "Albert" team.

Horse racing continued to be popular and in 1910, Bundamba Racecourse promoted a "Great Racing Revival" with an Ipswich Cup prize of 500 pounds. Trotting was also popular at this time and Harry Cribb was a notable local breeder. He spent 23,000 pounds, literally a fortune, importing stock. [1]

Deebing Creek had an excellent cricket team, formed shortly after the Mission was established. It was partly funded by concerts held in Ipswich Town Hall, with residents of the Mission contributing some of the items. The Deebing Creek team initially competed in the Ipswich Cup competition. However this relaxed intermingling seems to have ended when the Protector of Aborigines placed greater restrictions on life at the Mission. Matches in Ipswich then became the exception rather than a regular activity. [2]

Early in the 20th century, long river swims were popular events. A large crowd gathered in 1905 to watch “several young ladies essaying a five-mile swim” (8km). The women were from Brisbane and arrived in Ipswich by train with a chaperone and representatives of the Queensland Swimming Association. [3]