Club History

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.”

West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club

Parramatta District Junior Cricket Association (PDJCA)

1930-31 – our first season as a Club (West Pennant Hills) when we played C Grade (26 teams in 3 Divisions) against Westmead. The game was most likely played at Parramatta Park. Our first Team was:

W Bowerman, F Shields, J Blissett, W Ross, G Blissett, L Blissett, William Allum, M Shields, Warwick Franks, G Booth, H Booth. Source: Cumberland Argus 6/10/1931.

1931-32 – played C Grade and shared North Rocks Park (cnr. North Rocks Road and Farnell Ave North Rocks) with Carlingford A Grade.

1932-33 – played C Grade with 29 teams in 4 Divisions

1933-34 – again played C Grade with 33 teams

1934-35 – C Grade, Division 1 containing 33 teams

1935-36 – no team was entered but there was a team called Carlingford Wanderers in B1. It is not known if this was an offshoot.

1936-37 – no team entered

1938-39 – we were back playing B1, Division 1 with 22 teams. Season info follows:

• Graded players were: V Clifton, E Collins, l Smith, F Bowerman
• E Collins – 8 innings, 296 runs @ 37 (high score 78).

1939-40 – played B1 Grade, Division 2 with 24 teams. Information from this season:

• Graded players: L Smith, L Pogson, S Franks, F Bowerman
• S Franks had the bowling figures with 38 wickets @ 14.9 (101 overs, 557 runs)

1940-41 – played B1 Division 1 with 18 teams. Information from this season:

• Graded players: S Franks, D Smith, L Smith, I Williams, William (Bill) Allum
• S Franks had the batting figures with 19 innings 519 runs @ 28.8 (high score 80)

The War years

Between 1942 to 1945, during WWII, there was no competition.

Hornsby Ku-Ring-gai Cricket Association (HKCA)

The Post-War Years

In1946-47 the WPHCC reformed but this time in the Hornsby Ku-ring-Gai Cricket Association (HKCA) later becoming the HK&HDCA. Joining us in entering the Competition were Mt Colah, RSL, Waitara Catholic, Thornleigh Waratahs and Northern Districts.

Notable events in the same year were:

Famous People

• Ben Chifley is Australia’s Prime Minister
• Henry Ford dies
• Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip marry
• Al Capone dies.

History

• W.W.II had finished only 12 months before
• Dead Sea scrolls found
• 2nd Brooklyn Bridge built
• Commonwealth Savings Bank established
• The 40-hour week was introduced.

Sport

• Bradman captains Australia to a 3 – 0 win over England
• Melbourne Cup won by Russia and ridden by Darby Munroe2nd Brooklyn Bridge built
• Balmain wins the Rugby League premiershipCommonwealth Savings Bank established
• Manly and Parramatta Rugby League Clubs are formed.

We have been privileged to catch-up with Wally Childs (4th May 2008) and he confirmed the following information:

o The WPH Sports Club (formed in 1968/69) consisted of Cricket and Basketball (now called Netball). This was started by Wally who was recovering after breaking his shoulder fielding at Thornleigh Oval (A1 Grade) in the 1966/67 season. The decision to form the Sports Club was made at a meeting held at Koala Park. A number of players (including Wally Howard, Les Lee, Bill Allum and Wally Childs) letter box dropped the neighbourhood to get children and adults to play Cricket and Netball.

o Around this time the WPH Bowling Club approached the Cricket Club (Sports Club) to support them in gaining Council approval to build a Bowling Club. The land at that time was used for orchards and poultry farming.

oThe West Pennant Hills Sports Club evolved further in 1969. The Club was expanded to include, Little Athletics and Soccer. Total Club membership peaked at 720 in 1981. The Club eventually folded in 1991 with individual entities going their own way.

Our Founding fathers

Our founding fathers were Wally Childs, Wally Howard, Bob Bellamy, W Franks, William (Bill) Allum and George Smith.

They decided to join the HKCA as the teams were generally closer to where our players lived.

Club Colours – red, white and blue

Our colours were chosen at a meeting at Wally Childs place at 75 Annangrove Rd Annangrove in 1946. The HKCA gave us a combination of colours to choose from that had not been taken by other Clubs and the Red, White and Blue was started. As a result of this decision, all sporting Clubs in the area now use Red, White and Blue as their ‘strip’.

Grounds

The main grounds used at that time were Campbell Park, Thornleigh Oval, Normanhurst Oval, Oakleigh, Headen Park, Rofe Park, Bannockburn Oval, Galston Oval.

In the early days, transport was not always as easy as getting into a car and getting to the game. Wally recalled that they often walked to grounds with one player making the trek by foot to Mobbs Lane at Epping for a game.

In the early years, WPH and other Hills teams were considered far enough away to justify the Association running a bus to grounds – a practice that continued into the 1950s.

Campbell Park

Perhaps our ‘spirtual’ ground – it also has a fascinating history.

The land was owned by a Mr Campbell whose land extended from New Farm Road to what is now Campbell Park. Mr Campbell was friends with Les Methven through the Mason Club. Mr Campbell gave what was a sloping parcel of land to the Cricket Club and our job was to make it an oval. We worked through the HKCA and Hornsby Council who provided a bulldozer(s) to level the land. The hill was gouged out and the rubble pushed to the low side to eventually level the ground. The cricketers were heavily involved in this work and also made the boundary fence.

So while we play on many different grounds now, Campbell Park will always be special and would not have happened had it not been for the Cricket Club and the Mason relationship between Les Methven and Mr Campbell.

Rivalry

Kenthurst were the main rivals in the early years. Our boys used to call them ‘orange chuckers’. We have no idea but what we were called but it was likely to have something to do with chooks and hopefully didn’t rhyme with chuckers.

Early meetings

Early meetings were held at the houses of our Executive. Don Donaldson was one of our Executive members and he used to entertain guests by playing the piano – he was a professional performer.

The HKCA reformed after the war and Mt Colah, RSL, Waitara Catholic, Thornleigh Waratahs and Northern Districts accompanied our entry. WPH finished 4th in each grade.