Keilor Historical Society Inc.1990
Highlights which exemplify the features of Keilor Region.

Sport in Keilor


Photo left: Keilor Sports Club, c.1905. Source: Joe Brown
Since the early beginnings of Keilor, sport has played an important role in the development of the community structures that make up the fabric of Keilor. When visiting club rooms of the various sporting clubs, you are immediately taken by the honour boards of the clubs. These honour boards are an important asset for our historical records. They provide information on when the clubs commenced and who has participated in them.

Sporting clubs are an important barometer on how the community has evolved. Often the sporting clubs are the first groups that identify with the area and represent the community to other areas.

Keilor Sports Ground
The Keilor Sports Ground together with the Keilor Primary School site originally formed the Keilor racecourse.
(Source: KHS newsletter, September 2004)

Football
(Source: Keilor Football Club Website)
The playing of football by a Keilor team dates back to at least the 18th of June 1894, when Keilor played Essendon Juniors at Keilor.

In the period 1894 – 1925 Keilor played matches against various sides from the city hotel social clubs, along with teams from nearby towns. Keilor’s first competition matches were played in the Keilor and Broadmeadows Football Association, which was formed in 1926. Playing against neighbouring towns, Keilor featured in a number of Grand Finals, being successful in 1926 and 1928.

Keilor became an affiliate club in 1932 with the Essendon District Football League (EDFL) formed in 1930. Keilor struggled in its early years of EDFL competition as most of the residential growth took place in the Essendon area.

In it's first 60 years Keilor fielded predominantly senior teams, with occasional junior matches dating back to at least 1927. The first junior team fielded with the EDFL was the under 17's in 1957. In later years further junior teams were established: under 13 – 1967; under 15 – 1968; under 11 and 9 – 1973.

It's first A-Grade premiership was in 1973, and in more recent times Keilor has won A-Grade premierships in the years 1985, 1988, three in a row 1995, 1996, 1997, and most recently back to back in 2000 and 2001.

Cricket
(Source: Keilor Cricket Club website)

In 1898 the Keilor cricket team, then known as "Keilor Districts" commenced playing matches against teams from as far away as Sunbury and Bacchus Marsh. They must have been keen as it would have meant many hours of uncomfortable travel to play.

By the turn of the century, Keilor had already established itself as a strong cricket team and in 1903 it won the prestigious "Westburke Trophy" and the accompanying prize money of one hundred pounds. With this they constructed the original pavilion (long since replaced) at Keilor and on 14th September 1904 they held a meeting in their new premises, to formally declare themselves the Keilor Cricket Club.

Although the Club's records for the first half of the last century were unfortunately destroyed by fire, family names such as Milburn, Brown, Ellis and Pacholli have been a part of the KCC since it’s inception and are still involved with the KCC today.

Each year the Club gladly hands over its main oval to enable the running of the seventy-five year old professional footrace, the "Keilor Gift". In February 2001 the Club made an arrangement with age old arch-rivals - Doutta Stars Cricket Club, to play both our 1sts and 2nds side-by-side at their ground (Buckley Park) on the day of the "Gift". Both clubs agreed to "bury the hatchet" and invited past players to what turned out to be a highly successful re-union function. It was decided that a trophy be struck for the occasion and that it be named, by both Clubs electing a "legend" from the opposite Club. Keilor elected Doutta's ex very-quick bowler and life-long stalwart David "Stick" Jeffrie; Doutta's aptly chose the Willmott Family. Keilor won the "Jeffrie/Willmott" trophy in the inaugural game.