More Than a Century of Tradition, Triumph, and Community
From humble beginnings in the Boronia Progress Hall to the bustling Tormore Reserve of today, the Boronia Cricket Club (BCC) has stood as a pillar of sporting life and community spirit in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Celebrating over a century of cricketing tradition, the club’s story is one of perseverance, passion, and profound community connection.
(Players & Officials - 1925/26)
The Boronia Cricket Club was officially established at its first Annual General Meeting on Saturday, 14th July 1923, held at the Boronia Progress Hall. With George Ward Snr. elected as the inaugural president, the club set about laying foundations not just for competition, but for an enduring community institution.
The 1924–25 season reflected the simplicity of the era. Match scores were submitted to newspapers via the local stationmaster or train guard, a far more reliable method than post at the time.
By the 1925–26 season, the club was already making an impact in inter-association matches. Boronia’s G. Chapman captained and starred for the A team of the Ringwood District Cricket Association (RDCA), scoring 36 runs against Box Hill Reporter. G. Chandler, another prominent figure, took 69 wickets at an average of 5.5, securing the RDCA bowling average title—a feat he repeated in 1926–27 with 69 wickets at 6.83.
The Chandler family loomed large in BCC’s early days. Members included:
• A.E. Chandler – father of Sir Gilbert
• G.L. Chandler (Sir Gilbert) – later a Victorian Minister for Agriculture
• A.H. Chandler, A. Chandler, and others, forming a multi-generational backbone to the club.
By 1927–28, the club had a robust roster of 25 registered cricketers, including D. Birdsay, E. Beaumont, H.B. Stewart, and the Avery family.
(Details Unknown)
During the early 1930s, administrative discipline was taken seriously in the Ringwood & District Cricket Association. Boronia Cricket Club, along with several other clubs, was fined a shilling on multiple occasions for failing to submit match results. Additionally, Boronia incurred fines of one shilling on two separate occasions and a further two shillings and sixpence for commencing matches late—a significant penalty at the time. To put these fines in perspective, the Association’s own accounts at the same meeting totalled just 14 shillings and threepence across eight payments.
At the RDCA meeting held on 20 September 1932, Boronia Cricket Club applied for an interim permit for Mr. G. Chandler, pending the arrival of his official clearance from Richmond. This was almost certainly Gil Chandler, who would go on to become Minister for Agriculture in the Victorian Government, and later be knighted as Sir Gilbert Chandler.
At a subsequent meeting of the RDCA on 19 January 1933, G. Chapman formally announced his departure from the district and offered his apologies for being unable to attend the meeting—an indication of his respectful farewell from cricket administration in the region.
Interestingly, the RDCA meeting on 9 March 1933 was chaired by G. Chapman—suggesting that, contrary to some belief, he had not left the district at that time.
(C Grade Team - 1937/38)
By October 1953, Boronia had grown enough to fielded three senior grades in the RDCA:
A Grade, B Grade and C Grade. The Under 15 team also made waves in the Ferntree Gully Association with an outright win over Sassafras. G. Young scored 95* and took 3/2, while P. Downward claimed a hat-trick.
Towering Cypress trees ringed the ground, casting late-afternoon shadows that made batting difficult—especially without sight screens.
The pavilion was basic: four brick walls, stifling in summer and freezing in winter. Cricket and football teams shared the space, divided only by a curtain. The smell—a heady mix of beer, sweat, liniment and urine—was unforgettable. The showers were almost unusable. A kiosk was added in the late 1960s, giving wives and girlfriends a better space to prepare afternoon teas. Beryl Symons became famous for her sponges and pavlovas—always bringing one extra for Bluey Paxton.
Practice nets sat under the Cypress trees in the lowest, wettest corner of the ground, often underwater. Sometimes, training was held on the centre wicket with a net strung behind the stumps. Batters padded up at square leg, dodging balls hit their way. The gear was a mismatched collection of hand-me-downs, and bowlers were always scarce. In fading light, fielders were few—except for Rusty, Ross Ewison’s dog, who chased and returned the ball with soggy enthusiasm.
Facing Bob McGrotty’s short balls at full pace in near darkness was a test of courage.
The RDCA used coir mats over concrete pitches, sourced from Pentridge Prison. Thick and springy, they gave sharp bounce and sideways movement. Teams stretched the mats tight when bowling for extra pace, or left them slack to slow things down when batting.
Each mat overlapped at the centre, leaving dirt at either end. Worn patches from repeated bat tapping were repaired every couple of seasons. Eventually, the middle gap widened enough that no balls were bowled off the concrete. Sometimes, balls would strike the leather seam and leap unpredictably.
After each game, the home team rolled up the mats—though a few players routinely vanished at this time. When wet, it took six men to drag a mat to the pavilion, where it was laid out to dry, adding yet another layer to the shed’s already legendary aroma.
(D Grade Premiers - 1960/61)However, the pavilion became a shared home for Boronia Football Club, and later the Boronia Netball Club, solidifying Tormore Reserve as a community sports hub.
With special thanks to the Boronia Cricket Club’s 100th Planning Committee, and in particular Matt Crawley, for their dedication in researching and preserving the club’s proud history.
