... at the Walhalla Cricket Ground, on ...
Saturday, 14th April 2007
Over 100 years ago, the miners of Walhalla, desperate for a bit of elbow-room when they were slinging the willow, excavated the top 30 meters off the nearest mountain by hand with nothing but picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and a raging ENTHUSIASM for a good pitch!
In its prime, Walhalla produced some outstanding state-level sportsmen and women, fielding a number of football and cricket teams as well as hosting a district league competition. Players honed their skills on Walhalla's unusual and rugged mountain-top cricket ground, the home to annual Sports Day gymkhanas such as the one shown below -- an arena that was excavated by hand by keen miners who were desperate for a community sporting venue that the narrow valley below could not provide.
A healthy and vigorous competition was quickly established between and among a number of local teams, with regional players sometimes travelling many miles to play at Walhalla's unique hilltop sports ground.
hilltop CG
Sports Day at the Walhalla Cricket Ground (1907)
In 1907, Walhalla's sporting community extended a cordial invitation to the gentlemen of the Melbourne Cricket Club to play a match on our hallowed turf gravel. That's them, in characteristically humble pose, in the photo below ...
the enemy
Gentlemen of the Melbourne Cricket Club at Walhalla (1907)
It's probably best if we don't dwell too much on the result of that match (well, all right -- the tourists beat us by the narrowest of margins ... something like a mere 233 for 7 declared to our team being all out for 133), but a grand time was certainly had by all ...
... and will be again in April, when we can promise you an even closer result (now that we've succeeded in lulling them into a false sense of security)!
Plan now to be in Walhalla on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 for the long-anticipated return bout, where a locally-assembled team of flanneled fools will again take on the might of the Melbourne Cricket Club. Feel free to come along dressed in turn-of-the-(last-)century costume, with your straw boaters and parasols in keeping with the Gold Era theme of the day. Or come as you are ...
A 20/20 limited-overs game is being supported by the Melbourne Cricket Club, Walhalla Mountain Rivers Tourism Association, and Baw Baw Shire Council. The ground opens at 10 am with pre-match entertainment before the match begins at 1 pm. Food, refreshments and toilet facilities will be available at the ground, but to ensure your complete comfort, you might want to bring your own folding chair and blanket.
Access to the cricket ground will be restricted to authorised vehicles only, but when you arrive at Walhalla, attendants will assist with directions to:
* Car parking;
* The free shuttle bus to the foot of the track for a 30-minute walk to the ground; or
* The alternative 4WD taxi service to the ground.
... or make an exhibition of yourself!
In addition to the cricket match, "The Ashes" cricket exhibition will be held in the Walhalla Mechanics Institute, featuring a replica of the famous urn so recently recaptured by our international sporting legends and so ungraciously withheld by the L O S E R S (shades of that shameful America's Cup!), together with an abundance of cricketing memorabilia from the collection of Joy Munns, a must-see for any serious cricket fan! The exhibition will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of April, and entry is included in the price of your admission ticket to the match, which is set at a very reasonable
* $10 for adults;
* $5 concession for children and seniors; or
* $25 for a family.
Tickets can be purchased on the day at the Star Hotel , but to guarantee your place at the ground today, advance ticket sales are available by phone (either VISA or Mastercard are accepted) or in person between 10 am and 4 pm, seven days a week from the ...
WALHALLA POST OFFICE AND MUSEUM
on
(03) 5165 6250
Advance-purchased tickets will not be mailed out, but can be collected on the day of the match at the Star Hotel, which will also be the point of departure for the 4WD shuttle to the ground.
ticking over
Bit of a sticky wicket at the Walhalla Cricket Ground (1907)
Image courtesy of the Traralgon and District Historical Society
Access to Walhalla's unique cricket ground is by means of a beautifully scenic walk up through the bush, among the remains of gardens of old Walhalla homes, behind the Star Hotel. The path to the north is marked from its beginning opposite Spett's Cottage, a short distance along the Left Hand Branch of Stringer's Creek. It's decidedly uphill for most of the trip, so you might want to take along a stout stick to lean on, but there will be plenty of opportunity to take a rest stop along the way if needed, or you may prefer to take the 4WD shuttle ride to the top if you're somewhat less than fit -- but in either case, it's just as decidedly downhill all the way home![/img]
