Sporting Clubs in Mt Barker
Sporting Clubs in Mt Barker

The town has a long tradition of producing some excellent sports men and women. Over the years there have been teams competing in a number of sports including football of the Aussie Rules variety, cricket, tennis, netball, basketball, softball, golf and baseball.

In days gone by, most field sports were played on the Showground oval or at Dunn Park; Netball was played on the High School courts or on the old courts that once stook where the Telstra building is today. Tennis was shared between the High School courts and the courts where netball was played in winter. In the 1970's basketball was played in the Pavillion at the Show Grounds, with the new courts being built during the 1980's.

Swimming teams were also fielded from the local swimming pool and later through David Thompson's heated swimming centre.

 
Mount Barker Football Club

Colours & Nicknames :
1949 - Mount Barker wore navy blue & white colours.
1950s - Mount Barker were known as the Jailbirds.
1950-91 - Mount Barker wore light blue & white vertical stripes.
1992 - Mount Barker wore royal blue & white hoops.

Grounds :
1902 - Mount Barker were based at the Mount Barker Oval.


Timeline :

1881 Scratch match : Mount Barker played Strathalbyn
1902 Hills Football Association was formed. Mount Barker, Mylor, Oakbank & Woodside were the founding clubs.
In the Grand Final - Woodside defeated Mount Barker.
1903-1915 Participating clubs included Mt Barker
1915-1918 Hills Football Association was in recess during World War I
1919 Hills Football Association was reformed with Mount Barker as a participant, along with Onkaparinga, Stirling, Strathalbyn and Woodside.
1920-29 Mt Barker was a participating team in the Hills Football Association
1923 Mt Barker was a founding team in the Hills Central Football Association. The founding member clubs of this association were Echunga, Kangarilla, Meadows, Mt Barker and Scotts Creek. In the Grand final this year Scotts Creek were premiers.
1924 Hills Central Football Association teams included Echunga, Kangarilla, Meadows, Mt Baker and Scott Creek
1925 Hills Central Football Association teams included Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Scotts Creek and Strathalbyn Rovers.
1926 Participating clubs in the Hills Central Football Association teams included Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Scotts Creek and Strathalbyn Rovers. Strath Rovers were premiers.
1927 Clubs taking part in the Hills Central Football Association included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Scotts Creek and Strathalbyn Rovers.
1928 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Scotts Creek and Strathalbyn Rovers.
1929 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Strathalbyn Rovers and Scotts Creek.
1930-1937 The Hills Football Association went into recess
1930 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Strathalbyn A (formerly Strathalbyn Rovers) and Scotts Creek.
1931-1932 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Strathalbyn A and Scotts Creek.
1933-1934 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside-Hahndorf, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker, Mylor, Strathalbyn A and Scotts Creek.
1935 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Langhorne Creek, Macclesfield, Meadows, Mt Barker,  Strathalbyn A and Scotts Creek.
1936-1937 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Clarendon, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Milang, Mt Barker, Strathalbyn A and Scotts Creek.
1938-1940 The Hills Football Association was again operating.
1938 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Milang, Mt Barker, Mylor, Strathalbyn Rovers and Scotts Creek.
1939 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Ambleside, Echunga, Kangarilla, Macclesfield, Meadows, Milang, Mt Barker,  Strathalbyn Rovers and Scotts Creek.
1940 Mt Barker didn't field a team in 1940
1941-1944 Hills Football Association was again in recess - this time due to World War II
Hills Central Football Association teams were also in recess at this time.
1945 Hills Football Association was recommenced with teams being fielded from Aldgate, Echunga, Meadows, Mt Barker, and Woodside. Echunga were premiers this year.
1946-1947 Participating clubs in the Hills Association this season were Hahndorf, Mt Barker and Woodside.
1948 Participating clubs were Hahndorf, Mt Barker and Woodside. Mt Barker were premiers this year.
1949 Participating clubs this year were Ashton, Hahndorf, Mt Barker and Woodside. Ashton were premiers this year.
1950 Participating clubs this year were Hahndorf, Mt Baker and Woodside.
1951 Participating clubs this year were Hahndorf, Mt Barker, Onkaparinga and Woodside. Onkaparinga (Balhannah) were premiers this year.
1952 Participating clubs this year were Hahndorf, Mt Baker and Woodside
1953 Participating clubs this year were Hahndorf, Mt Baker and Woodside. This was Mt Baker's final season in the Hills Football Association.
1954 Mt Barker rejoined Hills Central Football Association and played against Happy Valley and Mylor. Mylor were premiers.
1955-1960 Mt Barker played games against Happy Valley as part of Hills Central Football Association
1966 Hills Central Football Association teams included Aldgate, Bremer, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Langhorne Creek, Macclesfield, Meadows, Milang, Mt Barker, Nairne and Onkaparinga
1967 Hills Football Association and Hills Central Football Association were merged with Torrens Valley Football League to form Hills Football League. Mt Barker played in the area known as Central Zone along with Birdwood, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Onkaparinga Valley, Stirling, and Uraidla. Heathfield-Aldgate were premiers this year.
1968 Mt Barker again played in the Central Zone of Hills Football League against Birdwood, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Onkaparinga Valley, Stirling and Uraidla. Heathfield-Aldgate were again premiers.
1969 Again in Central Zone, Mt Barker played against Birdwood, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Onkaparinga Valley, Stirling and Uraidla. Mt Barker were premiers this year
1970 Again in Central Zone, Mt Barker played against Birdwood, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Onkaparinga Valley, Pleasant Valley, Stirling and Uraidla. Mt Barker were premiers this year
1971 The team line up in Central zone this year were Birdwood, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Onkaparinga Valley,  Mt Barker, Stirling and Uraidla. Heathfield-Aldgate were premiers
1972 The zones were changed to Divisions in 1972. Mt Barker played in Division 1 against Heathfield-Aldgate, Lobethal, Mt Barker, Onkaparinga Valley, Stirling, and Uraidla. Heathfield Aldgate were premiers
1973-1978 The team line up in Division 1 these years remained unchanged
1978-1999 The team line up for Division 1 remained unchanged, with Mt Barker  running out Premiers in 1982
   
  Some of the names associated with the Mt Barker Football Club over its history are:-
Ellis; Monks; Cameron; Walkom; Barker; Murphy; Paech - D'Arcy & Mark; Noel Duffield; Malcolm Williams; Steve Geyer; Heinrich - Phil, Mark & Peter - all of who went on to play for Sturt; Ken Paterson who went on to play for West Torrens; Aussie Ausserlechner; Neil Paige; Jim Preusker; Archie Crompton; Ware - Trevor & Darryl; Trevor Wilson-Smith; Dennis Wilson; Blight; Carrol; Daw; Ian Slade; Darryl Pope; Cornelius; O'Malley; Nettle; Rob & John McInnes; Tony Treloar; Jim Elmslie; Gary Leverington; Bolto and many, many more.


All Blacks Basketball Club

The club was formed in the 1970's and played as a member club in the Eastern Hills Basketball Association through the '80s and into 2000. Many of the Club's original players came from families with long associations to the Mt Barker area - Raison, Stokes, Sim, Stephenson just to name a few.

In the early days of the club, some of the "imported" players who later made it into the teams such as Adelaide 36ers and other National League teams played their first games in Australia with a team known then as "American All Stars" and who trained at Mt Barker with  members of the All Blacks club.

Names associated with All Blacks Basketball Club over the years include:-
Raison; Stokes; Vavic; Sim, Stephenson and others.

 
Wistow Cricket Club

The Cricket Club at Wistow has existed for over 100 years. My own father has been a life member of the club since 1973. Dad played for Wistow for years. The club won a number of premierships over the years. Local families who were associated with the club include Stokes, Yates, Blight, Nettle, Patterson, Ferguson, Will, Foyle and others. If you played for Wistow at any time and can help me out with further details of the club, please email me. 

Wistow's home ground was on the hill behind the Wistow Church on Wellington Road, just down from the local shop.

Mt Barker has also had a cricket club for quite a long time too.

 
Mt Barker Golf Club

Mt Barker Golf Club started in the town in 1879 when golf was played at The Laurels, the home of John Dunn. For around 40 years, the club remained at this location. Later, land owned by the Warden Family who lived just out of the town on the Wistow (Wellington) Road, allowed some of their land to be used.  I remember the golf course then, being in a "paddock" on Barker Road that runs off Hurling Drive on the outskirts of the town. There was a small building near the road which was painted white with red battens.

In 1966 the club moved to Wellington Road at Wistow, almost to the Hartley turn off, where they had purchased a large parcel of land. The bitumen road used to end at the boundary of the golf club at one time. When membership grew too large for the accommodating building, the club moved in closer to the town and in 1980, the club moved to its present location on the corner of Alexandrina and Bald Hills Roads.