Origins
In 1799 four Missionaries took up 100 acre grants of land in the District of Dundas, as West Pennant Hills was then known. Samuel Marsden was a later land holder who owned land with a high point being Thompson’s Corner (then called Mt Wilberforce). The main roads in this area followed the tracks of bullock drays. In 1804 the largest land grant was given to Dr John Savage with his 290 acres covering much of West Pennant Hills. He ended up selling the land to work for the East India Company to avoid being on trial for not attending a woman in labour who later died. In 1845 a Wesleyan Chapel was built on land donated by John Pogson on New Line Road. The first school was opened in 1850.
Cherrybrook took its name from the 65-acre orchard of Joseph and Mary Ann Harrison. The land had been granted originally to Mary Russell during the 1820s. The South-Eastern corner of Cherrybrook lies within the orchard. In David Road, one of the areas original roads, Robert and Elizabeth Gallard established a small farm. The first sub-division happened in 1922 when land in Roberts’ Road was subdivided into 5 acre blocks for ‘Improved orchard and Farm areas’ – typically fruit trees (plums, nectarines, apples, Emperor Mandarins, oranges, persimmons, apricots and peaches being clearly marked on subdivision plans). In 1960, Sydney’s first display village, Cherrybrook Estate, was built in John Savage Crescent. Large scale land releases began in 1978.
Cricket has been played in this District as early as the 1850s – about 20 years after settlement. Cricketers’ of last century had many difficulties caused mainly by rough roads and grounds. In 1897 Kenthurst played at Rouse Hill and at the end of the game they found that the horses “had tired of waiting and made for home of their own account”. In 1895, in a match between Glenhaven and Glenorie at Glenorie Park, a fieldsman, James Stubbs, chased a ball into the outfield where he found a large black snake with a “spherical bulge half way along its length”. After calling ‘lost ball’ the batsman “smote the serpent on the head and the ball was recovered with a knife”. (Source: Alfred James: Golden Jubilee History 1976).
In the early days, family teams were common. The South Colah Cricket Club had 18 sons of Patrick and John Duffy of Thornleigh, Dural CC was sustained by the seven sons of Thomas Best, Pennant Hills CC by the 10 sons of Arthur Thompson and Castle Hill CC by the eleven sons of John James (source: Claire Schofield: The Shaping of Hornsby Shire 1988 p86).
The Fuggle family has a long and distinguished history in the local area. Along with the Hunt, Roughley, Best and Sippe families, the Fuggle family sustained the Dural Cricket Club throughout the 1890s. Dural Park (off Quarry Road) was the home ground of the Dural Club.
An extract from the ‘Cumberland Mercury’ records details of a game on Australia Day (then Anniversary Day) in 1878:
On Anniversary Day, a cricket match was played between South Colah and Peat’s Ferry Clubs on Mr. Boulder’s ground at Peat’s Bight. The gentlemen of the former club laboured under some difficulty having ridden 20 miles the morning of the match. On their arrival at the Ferry they met with a hospitable welcome from Mr. Lloyd, one of their opponents.
When the game commenced, there must have over 200 onlookers present including a large number of the fair sex. The Peat’s Ferry gentlemen won the toss at once went to the wickets and were all put out for 82 runs.
After adjournment for luncheon, the South Colah players were put out for 59 runs after a long and tedious game and the Peat’s Ferry players in their second innings scored only 20 so that South Colah needed 44 to win
Amid tremendous excitement, they were put out for 43 and the match ended in a tie. As the game progressed, the wind became more boisterous so that it was impossible to pitch the ball with anything like precision and, owing to the rough crease and fast bowling, several of the players sustained injuries upon which the young lady visitors were most assiduous in their attention.
At the end of the match, the players adjourned to a large marquee where an excellent dinner was provided. After the dinner dancing was indulged in right good earnest till midnight and on breaking up preparatory to starting for home, Mr. Osborn, in a very neat speech, thanked the Peat’s Ferry gentlemen for the kind manner in which they had been treated.
Source: Alf James, HKCA Jubilee History 1926/27 – 1975/76 page 1.
The Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Cricket Association (HKCA) was formed on 11 March 1926 after a meeting at the Hornsby Masonic Hall). This is now the site of the Meriton building (right next to Quaffer’s Liquor) The first clubs were; Hornsby United, Hornsby Railways, P A James Pty Ltd, St. Ives, Galston, North Hornsby, Pennant Hills, Normanhurst, IOOF, Cheltenham and Evening Continuation School. The first century was scored by John Copes of Cheltenham A (Source: Alfred James: Golden Jubilee History 1976 p 9). The HKCA was renamed The Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Hills District Cricket Association in 1988/89.
