Fooling Around in Flannels
8th May 2022
By Gina Tooke
Fooling Around in Flannels – Cricket on the Limestone Plains is now open for viewing at the Cook Community Hub.
Long before the Big Bash with its music, bright lights and multi-coloured kit, cricket was a part of the early life of Canberra.
This exhibition is an anecdotal account of how cricket was woven into the fabric of district life from the earliest colonial times. Storyboards showcase a sporting and social history - William Davis Junior’s 1850s ‘old and invincible Ginninderra Cricket Club’, how the ladies of the district played the game, the Keir Cup in the 1920s, Manuka Oval in the 1960s and much more. Each storyboard captures a fascinating story about a bygone era of cricket – the Cricketers’ Arms, Pickhandle Games, Bean and the Twisters, Mailey’s Bohemians and Ming the Munificent, to name just a few.
Fooling Around in Flannels – Cricket on the Limestone Plains is not only for cricket enthusiasts but those who enjoy social history and a good story. The exhibition is free and is displayed in the hallway of Block C at the Cook Community Hub until June 2022.
Whilst visiting the Cook Community Hub, drop into Family History ACT to visit our extensive library and talk to our friendly volunteers about how we can help you with your family history research – click here for FHACT opening hours.
The Fooling Around in Flannels exhibition is on loan from the Canberra and District Historical Society and the Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre. FHACT gratefully acknowledges and thanks these organisations.
