A 1900 story from Perth Boys School

At last count 637 cricket pitches in Western Australia had been located and photographed by me and others for the Abandoned Cricket Pitch project that started in October 2019. You can see most of them on Instagram with the site approaching its 1,000th post. In fact you’ll find pitches from all over Australia thanks to our many contributors.

Sometimes during research I come across a pitch whose abandonment is complete – built over, dug up, buried, gone.

One such pitch was at the James Street site of the Perth Boys School which opened in 1897. While it had obviously long since disappeared a 1900 letter to editor caught my attention.

Recently I mentioned the pitch to Steve Errington, a Perth Boys’ old boy and former president of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society. He put me on to the school’s centenary history written by JK Ewers.

It turns out the Headmaster during the transition to the James Street site was William T Rooney.

Mr Rooney himself was an athlete of considerable prowess and fostered sport in physical training in the school. There was at that time no organised inter-school sport. Lunch-hour games were played on the concrete pitch in the sandy school ground. Excitement always ran high when “Gropers” opposed “T’othersiders” for, in those days, considerable ill-feeling existed among boys according to the State from which they came.

Occasionally, cricket matches were played with Fremantle and Claremont. The most memorable match, perhaps, was the one on Weld Square when Perth Boys defeated a combined team from other metropolitan schools.

(Ewers 1947)

However, the enthusiasm for cricket was not shared by all as this letter, published in the Western Mail on 24 November 1900, suggests.

To the Sporting Editor.

Sir, – I would like to bring before the notice of the authorities, through your columns, the James-street School ground and cricket pitch. 

The ground is only a small one, with a cricket pitch in one corner near Roe-street. From half-past 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, Saturday included, not only the school boys, but also their teachers, indulge in knocking the ball all over the place to the great danger of the people living in Roe-street. 

Some of the neighbours even have to protect their windows with wire, but this does not of course, prevent danger to little children who may be running about out of doors. It was only a little while back that I got hit on the head while passing along Roe-street, and one of my children sustained a severe bruise on the back. 

I think it is about time this cricketing business was stopped. There will be somebody killed one of these days, and the authorities will want to know why a complaint was not sent in. 

I complained last year to one of the teachers, he being the chief one who knocks the ball into Roe-street, but the only satisfaction I received was downright impudence and blow. 

The other inhabitants of Roe-street and myself were thinking of getting up a petition to protest against this nuisance; but on second thought came to the conclusion that by inserting a letter in your paper more good would be done. –Yours, etc.,

A ROE-STREET NEIGHBOUR,

Perth, November 16

One of the star cricketers at the school in 1899-1900 was Jim Everett (no relation), who later represented WA in both cricket and football. Teachers E Bott and C Hamilton were, according to Ewers “accomplished cricketers in the Senior Cricket Association, and ever willing to give the boys encouragement and coaching.”

We don’t know who ‘knocked’ the ball that hit the Roe-Street Neighbour on the head but there are some likely suspects.

Perth Boys’ School 1847-1947 by John K Ewers was published by the Government Printer Perth in 1947. It’s a subtly beautiful book, I bought my copy on Ebay.

Note: “Groper” comes from Sandgroper the nickname Western Australians have given themselves. 

“T’othersiders” is the name Western Australians give to people on the other side of the country.