Snapshot in Time: 1899 premiership photo highlights how footy finals have changed, yet stayed the same

Is this the 19th century equivalent of Mad Monday? Among heralding the start of spring and agricultural show season, September is also best known as footy finals season. So this week’s Snapshot in Time is keeping to the footy theme, and brings you a photograph of a premiership team gathered outside The Geraldton Hotel in 1899. Not sure about you, but the sombre looks on the faces doesn’t exactly exude joy and celebration. This photo was taken 62 years before the official conception of what is now known as the Great Northern Football League, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. In a Facebook post from 2018 exploring the origins of the GNFL, the league said in the years and decades prior to 1961 other games were played in the district, with most of them at the Recreation Ground, which was set aside as a public reserve in 1864 — just 14 years after Geraldton was founded. Back then at the turn of the 20th century, the Rec Ground was surrounded by a picket fence and games could not start until grazing sheep were moved to a small enclosure at the southern end. “Games between properly constituted teams for a premiership can be traced back to 1904 following a meeting at the Geraldton Hotel,” the post read. Before 1904, there were two local clubs, the Imperials — who wore white jumpers with red vertical stripes — and Ramblers, who sported yellow and black (Swans versus Tigers perhaps?). The GNFL post refers to an 1899 photo of the Imperials team (unsure if it’s this one) that includes Jim Forrester, who was good enough to also play in Perth, as well as Aboriginal player Tom Lavery, noted for his skills. Five years later, the region would be represented by four clubs — Imperials, Lumpers, Rovers and Railways. The new body was called the Geraldton Football Association and the first chairman was Mr W. Elsegood. Footy and finals season may have changed in leaps and bounds in the past century in many respects, but some things have stayed the same and probably will never change. Ending up at the pub being just one of them. Snapshots is an initiative of the Geraldton Regional Library. For more information, or to donate a historical photo or slide, contact 9956 6659 or library@cgg.wa.gov.au