Almanac Cricket: A History of Cricket in Woomera 1947 – 2014, Part 1: 1947 – 1951

 

David ‘Dick’ Turpin  is a Brisbane friend of Almanacker Allan Barden. During the late 60s early 70s David spent a few years working in Woomera when it was quite a thriving community.

 

David has researched and written a history of footy in Woomera from the years 1948 to 1992 which The Footy Almanac  published over 18 weeks earlier this year. You can read each part Here.

 

David has also completed a history of Woomera water polo and he has also written about baseball. 

 

Now it is the turn of cricket to receive  David’s extensive and authorative account in the Woomera from 1947 to 2014.

 

A History of Cricket in Woomera: 1947 to 2014

By David Turpin

 

Part 1: 1947 – 1951

 

O’Donoghue Oval 2014

 

Cricket In Woomera And Some Of Its Players

 

The first recorded cricket match involving a Woomera team was on the 16^th November, 1947 when a team of R.A.A.F. (Royal Australian Air Force) personnel travelled to Stirling just outside Port Augusta to play the Liquor Trades cricket team (is there something here we don’t know?). Although Woomera lost the match by 7 runs it was a sign of things to come. The captain of this side was Corporal Glaister.

 

A second match was organised a year later, on 12^th December, 1948. This time it was a combined Woomera side and their opponents were again the Liquor Trades cricket team (there is definitely something here we do not know; being the Liquor Trades perhaps the odd keg of beer fell off the back of a truck). Liquor Trades scored 147 and Woomera 74, a comprehensive victory for the hosts. One of the opening batsmen for Woomera was a Bill McGuire who figured prominently in Woomera sport in following years.

 

 

1948-49

 

This was the first season of organised cricket with 10 teams:

 

• Construction ‘A’
• Construction ‘B’
• R.W.E. Range (Long Range Weapons Establishment)
• R.W.E. Range ‘A’
• Pimba
• A.A.F. 1 (Royal Australian Air Force)
• A.A.F. 2
• A.E. (Royal Australian Engineers)
• Works & Housing ‘A’
• Works & Housing ‘B’

 

Grounds played on were: Clay Pan, Construction, R.A.E., R.A.A.F., and Pimba.

 

Woomera entered a team in the Country Carnival held in March 1949. The eventual winners were Whyalla with Woomera finishing a distant 23^rd.

 

R.A.A.F. Padre Stuart Calder in an interview during the carnival with the Adelaide ‘News’ described the cricket grounds in Woomera as follows:

 

There is no grass on rocket range cricket grounds. The teams there usually play in a temperature averaging 105° in the shade. There is no shade you cannot even see a tree. Hot winds constantly blow dust over the grounds.

 

A third match was played against Liquor Trades on 11^th December 1949. Woomera fared badly only scoring 55 of which R.A.A.F. Padre Stuart Calder top scored with 20.

 

 

1949-50

 

By the 1949-1950 season there was an organised Woomera Cricket Association competition with a proper drawn-up set of rules. The committee comprised: Chairman Lt. Col. Bryant M.C.; Vice Presidents A. D. Bouch Esq. D.S.O. & F Owens Esq.; Secretary/Treasurer Padre S. Calder; plus a representative from each team.

 

The 15 teams participating in 1949-50 were:

 

• Army Base
• Berg Construction
• Contractors
• 1 L.C.P.S. 1 ( 1 Line Construction Project Squadron)
• 1 L.C.P.S. 2
• R.W.E.R. Blues
• R.W.E.R. Colts
• R.W.E.R. White
• A.A.F. Woomera
• A.A.F. Koolymilka
• A.E.
• Works & Housing Black
• Works & Housing Gold
• Works & Housing Koolymilka
• Works & Housing Ponds

 

The initial winner of the Association competition for that season was 1 L.C.P.S. (Signals) (No. 1 Line Construction Project Squadron, Royal Australian Corps of Signals.) who defeated L.R.W.E. Range. Top scorers were A Merrill for Signals with 92 and A Henderson for L.R.W.E. Range with 60.

 

Coincidentally in September 1949 1 L.C.P.S. won the initial competition in the Woomera Football Association by defeating Works & Housing.

 

Woomera again entered a team in the Country Carnival in March 1950 and this time they won the championship from a strong Port Broughton side. In winning Woomera annexed “The Advertiser” Cup and the Chris Hartwig Challenge Shield which were presented to Bill McGuire on 16^th March 1950. The most successful bowler for the carnival was Woomera identity K Cook who took 51 wickets at an average of 7.5 (6/22 in one game). Cook also scored 129 in one game against Petersville. Some other batsmen who figured prominently were Merrill, Calder, and McGuire.

 

 The full team was: R Cook, J M Morgan, Padre S Calder, W McGuire (captain), M McKenzie, J Turnbull, B Badke, J Cocks, G Saint, A Merrill, L Patroney, S Williams and E R Warne.

 

 Woomera Country Carnival Side 1950

 

Opening batsman and captain of the side Bill McGuire had previously played district cricket for Essendon in Victorian Cricket Association. McGuire was also captain of the Works & Housing football team that won the 1950 Premiership against a strong R.A.A.F. side.

 

 

1950-51

 

By the 1950-51 season, the number of teams was down to twelve:

 

• 1 L.C.P.S. (1)
• 1 L.C.P.S. (2)
• Bergs Contractors, replaced mid-season by Village Colts
• Contractors
• Kooly Ramblers
• Kooly Rovers
• A.A.F.
• Village White or L.R.W.E.R. White
• Village Blue or L.R.W.E.R. Blue
• Works & Housing Gold
• Works & Housing Black
• Works & Housing Ponds

 

The ovals used were Koolymilka, 1 L.C.P.S, Pimple, Clay Pan, Woomera West, and RAAF. Most of these are now overgrown with saltbush and lost in time.

 

The committee elected for 1950-51 was:

 

• President – A D Bouch, Esq, D.S.O.
• Vice Presidents: Major Bennett, O.B.E. and Captain Henderson.
• Secretary Treasurer: Padre S Calder.
• Team Representatives: Berg Construction – G Shelton, Contractors – D Jamieson & J Carr, Koolymilka – H Martin & Miller, Lines Construction – Major Bennett, Sgt. Reilly, Sig. Walsh, L.R.W.E.R. – Captain Henderson & Sgt. Joyner, R.A.A.F. – L.A.C. Badke & L.A.C. Powell, Works & Housing – L R Warne, Bertram, Rofe, R Thomas & S Stewart.

 

In the opening round of the 1950-51 season Jack Carr of the Contractors Club scored 120 runs and took 7 wickets for 48 runs (7/48). Later in the season, Carr would lead Contractors to the cricket premiership over a Works & Housing Black side. He also went on later in 1951 to play in the successful Contractors Football Club premiership. Moving to Adelaide the following year, in 1953, he played on the wing in West Torrens last premiership side in the SANFL. He also played in a number of premierships with the West Torrens cricket club, one as captain, played a first-class match for South Australia v West Indies and won The Sir Donald Bradman Medal for Best Player in SACA Grade Cricket in 1963/64. He also played baseball at State level for South Australia and won a South Australian Darts Doubles Championship. In Melbourne, he played 235 games for the Kew cricket club and served as President for 9 years. He also achieved as a professional athlete winning the Woomera Gift and a sprint event at Glenelg. Jack was more than useful at golf, at one stage having a handicap of 9, and won a Portsea Pro-Am. Jack passed away in 2019.

 

In round two of the 1950-51 competition, Captain Arthur Henderson of Village Blue scored 159 runs.

 

In December 1951 bad news was received by the Association when the Woomera Welfare Club at Woomera West advised that because of their current agreement with the S. A. Brewery Company, they were unable to continue the supply of beer for meetings and social events. This severely curtailed fund-raising events.

 

No more beer!

 

In March 1951 Woomera was one of 42 teams which competed in the Country Carnival in Adelaide. The team was not as successful as the previous year and finished equal second to a team from Tumby Bay. K Cook again excelled as a bowler taking 52 wickets at an average of 9.88, best 8/62 and 7/58. Another bowler who excelled was Army Sergeant C Roselt who finished with an average of 9.61, best 3/3 and 6/22. The team was again captained by Bill McGuire who took 7/33 in a match against Petersville.

 

 Some Woomera Players 1952

 

More stories from Woomera by David ‘Dick’ Turpin can be read Here.

 

 

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