State League Round 1
12:00PM to
6:00PM Sat Apr 14, 2012
at Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve, 353 Midland Hwy, Huntly (between Carson & Sargent Rds)
This weekend marks not only the start of a brand new season of
Lacrosse Victoria competition but it
is also of great historical significance. When the
ten Men's and four Women's State League teams take the field it
will be the first time in 115 years that top level lacrosse has
been seen in the Goldfields region of Victoria.
Lacrosse enthusiasts in Australia have a lot to thank Victoria's
Goldfields for. It was the lure of Gold which brought the family of
a young Canadian, Lambton L. Mount, to Australia in 1853. Mount
would go on import 40 lacrosse sticks to Australia and organise the
first games in Melbourne in the late 1870's.
Bendigo Has Lacrosse History
Lacrosse players and supporters visiting Bendigo this coming
weekend to promote the sport and participate in the first round of
senior fixtures may be interested to learn that Bendigo enjoys a
long lacrosse history. Highlights include:
- Lacrosse commenced in Bendigo in 1883 with the formation
of the Bendigo Lacrosse Club, followed soon after by the Sandhurst
Club.
- Melbourne University Lacrosse Club visited Bendigo in
1883 for a match against the locals and repeated this visit on more
than one occasion in the years that followed. MCC Club also
played in Bendigo in 1886.
- The first Inter-colonial lacrosse contest ever staged in
Australia took place between the Sandhurst (Bendigo) and Deniliquin
lacrosse clubs at Echuca on 16th June 1886 with the Bendigo team
victorious 3 goals to nil.
- Bendigo hosted an international lacrosse match on August
14th, 1907 when Victoria played the visiting Canadian team.
The match was played on the Upper Reserve and attracted 3000
spectators with the Canadians winning 16 to 3.
- The Bendigo Lacrosse Association was formed in 1909 and
soon had five clubs competing in local competition. These
included Websters Lacrosse Club (pictured), YMCA, Bendigo,
Fire Brigades and Rowing Club. The Association maintained a local
competition until the intervention of World War 1 in 1914 and was
not revived until 1923
- Williamstown Lacrosse Club sent teams to play in Bendigo in
1924 in order to assist the revival of the game.
The last time Bendigo witnessed a major lacrosse event was when
International lacrosse came to Australia in 1907; the State
Lacrosse Associations in combination with the Melbourne Cricket
Club and the South Australian Cricket Association combined to
sponsor a visit by a team from Canada. The Canadians
started their tour in Brisbane and then travelled south playing
sixteen matches over a 3-month period in Sydney, Melbourne,
Bendigo, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth and Kalgoorlie. Canada won the
Test Series by 3 matches to 1.
Lacrosse continued to thrive in Bendigo into the early 20th
Century, as the below article below from The Argus 1910
indicates:
LACROSSE BENDIGO ASSOCIATION.
'The Bendigo Lacrosse Association has secured for the season
the use of the Agricultural and Lower Reserve grounds, and has
completed its arrangements for the premiership matches, which will
commence to-day, when "Websters will play the Fire Brigade's Club
and Y.M.C.A. meet Bendigo. Websters club, who last year were
premiers, have lost several good men, but have several good
recruits. Y.M.C.A. will hate a strong team despite losing Dr
Summons and a good defence player in Williams. Bendigo is
unfortunately likely to suffer owing to the local arrangement of
the half holiday, the majority of business places closing on
Wednesday afternoons while the banks have Saturday afternoon. Fire
Brigades are nearly all novices, but, being athletes to a man, they
will no doubt acquit themselves creditably. Two "oft" matches have
been played already this season'
- The Argus
Wednesday 4th May 1910
The re-introduction of the Bendigo Lacrosse Club into the
Lacrosse Victoria competition in 2008 was the first time in over 40
years that a lacrosse club has been active in regional
Australia. Fours years
on and Bendigo will
host is first major lacrosse event in 115 years, as Round one of
Victorian State League Men's and State League Women's competition
in what has been named the Super Round!
So to be a part of Australian lacrosse history get down to the
Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve, Bendigo on Saturday April 14 and
witness some of the best Lacrosse players in Australia light up the
Goldfield's Region with all of the skill, power and speed expected
of the best lacrosse league in Australia.
Don't miss this chance to witness history in the making, and you
never know, we may just get Canada back for a visit in the
future.
First game faces off at 12pm continuing all afternoon until
5pm.
Watch the action and enjoy the all day BBQ and sponsors
tents.
For further details please contact:
Chris Thompson- Secretary Bendigo Lacrosse Club - 0422 993 426
The event flyer can be found here
Location: Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve, 353 Midland Hwy, Huntly (between Carson & Sargent Rds)
-36.688244,144.315324,12|State League Round 1 |Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve, 353 Midland Hwy, Huntly (between Carson & Sargent Rds)
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