Bunbury’s First Women Footballers

Females playing traditional men’s sports raises debate to this day, so imagine what it was like for Bunbury women 100 years ago – in particular, the brave girls who founded the local Girls’ Football Association. Yes, that’s right, women’s football was alive (and kicking) in 1921, thanks to the interest and pioneering attitude of a group of girls who made up the inaugural teams – the Wallabies and the Kangaroos!

Their detractors were plenty, with the local Mother’s Union voicing their concerns and passing a motion of censure upon ‘the unmaidenly and immodest practice of girls playing football’, whilst debate raged in newspaper pages.

The female football enthusiasts quickly responded, with the girls saying “there never has yet been a new form of amusement or sport for girls that has not received the censure of the Mothers' Union, or its equivalent of the time. Most people will remember that tennis, hockey, golf and other games now universally played by the fair sex were regarded with horror by old-fashioned people, while anyone who indulged in mixed bathing was altogether beyond the pale. No sane person nowadays sees anything wrong with the foregoing sports, and we venture to prophesy that in a very short time football for girls will be regarded likewise in this State, that is if we can further its interest. 

The Sunday Times in September 1921 asked, “Can Girls Play Football? The author pointed out that “ancient ideas of women have been receiving many severe jolts of late years, and when the Great War drew the sex into business, war work and public endeavor to an extent undreamed of, these ideas suffered a knock-out blow after the war with the entrance of girls and young women into the field of sport to an extent unprecedented in the history of the world. “As a result, the question naturally arises: ‘Are we facing the creation of a superwoman, physically and mentally?’ Mere man today is being put on his mettle to keep pace with his sister's progress. Women figuring prominently in competitive sport is of so recent origin that modern sport writers hardly know how to cope with the situation. England is disturbed over the superlative degree with which women are entering sports.” The article noted that a group of prominent women educators in London had urged girls to stop playing boys’ games for the sake of race preservation. They believed the next generation would suffer "if girls refused to use discretion in the matter”, whilst Dr Arabella Kenealy, a noted medical writer, joined in debate suggesting “athletic women or women otherwise masculine in type, produce feminine offspring mainly, and seldom sons. When sons are born to them, they are liable to be puny and delicate, and generally are of an inferior type. Since it is chiefly girls of the upper middle classes who are affected by athletic training, these being the ones who mainly supply brains, enterprise and talent, they are rapidly failing to provide their numerical complement of males to pioneer progress, to say nothing of their failure to supply sons and daughters who are of true physique and possess the manly talents and initiative that have set the Anglo-Saxon race in the van of evolution. “Besides (comes the alarming peroration) our young girls who are too sportive and 'boylike’ are almost always bad-tempered and unsound." 

On the positive side, a Dr Alice Benham found that “in maternity cases the worst have been among women of the blue-stocking feminine type who spend most of their lives at study or knitting". Other British opinions also defended physical activities for women, maintaining the regular girl was the one who played football, golf, tennis, or any other sport in which she could show the greatest proficiency.

Whilst an Eastern States correspondent, commenting on a game watched at St Kilda, noted in the Sunday Times that “the game was an hour late in starting, which only shows that girls will never forego their privilege of being unpunctual for any and all appointments. So, ladies of the West, don't go in for it! Football knickers and silk jumpers don't match!" 

A South Western admirer of the Bunbury football girls gave them the following advice: "It is necessary to call to mind our life's object, and see what effect playing football would have on it. Football is one of the many forms of exercise that will help to develop girls and fit them for the battles of life. It is said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating; and it has been proved beyond question of doubt that outdoor sport has always benefitted the fair sex. So, to the young ladies, I would say, play football, be strong, be capable. Demand the very best of yourself, be women after the order God intends you to be. With a personality of this sort, and with your life intelligently guided, life's most beneficient rewards will surely come your way." 

The Bunbury Girls’ Football Association formed in July 1921 following a meeting at Hubble’s shop, with Mr A.L. Hubble presiding. Miss Wilkin moved that the association be formed, seconded by Miss Hay and carried. A. L. Hubble was elected president, with vice-presidents A. Richardson, W. Walker, A. Pearson, P. Williams and W. Gregson. Miss Effie Howse took on the role of secretary and Miss Austin that of treasurer. Miss Williams moved that two teams of fifteen players each be established. One team’s colours would be black jumpers with a gold V at neck, while the other team would wear green jumpers with black V and tam-o-shanter to match. Considerable argument took place regarding the wearing of long stockings, with the long-stocking brigade being successful. The meeting also agreed to organise an evening event to raise funds for the association.

In the association’s first official match, on a Wednesday afternoon in July at the Recreation Ground, a good sized crowd turned out to see the Wallabies defeat the Kangaroos. Mr Hubble umpired. The Bunbury Herald reported that it was plain from the start that it was to be no afternoon tea party with pink lemonade; the girls were willing and ready to mix it. The Kangaroos led off with a rush from the bounce and soon scored a point amid much cheering from the crowd. At quarter time they led three points to nil. The Kangaroos scored another three points in the second quarter which appeared to stir the 'greenies' to greater effort, resulting in a goal, and evening up the score. The Wallabies added another point before the main break. “At half time many of the players left the field - not, as one ribald onlooker suggested, to powder up and see 'how's my hair,' - but to imbibe draughts of aqua pura, the female footballers' equivalent of the unfair sex's sherry, and to secure oranges which were tossed to the players on the field with an astonishing air of experience”. The Kangaroos were described as “lacking hop” in the third term and scored only two behinds to their rivals’ 2.3. By the final quarter, the teams had tired and only a single flag was raised. Mr Hubble was congratulated on the good shape he has got the players into in the short time the association had been in existence. 

Final score – Wallabies 3.7 – Kangaroos 0.9. Best players for the Wallabies were D. Wallis (sic), L. Foss and B. House (sic), and for the Kangaroos O. Price, M. Paddon, and D. Austin (sic). The gate amounted to £10/1/1.

Several weeks later the teams returned to the Recreation Ground with the match raising funds for the Bunbury and District Nursing Association. The girls displayed considerable improvement with the final scoreline reading Kangaroos 8.9 Wallabies 6.9. 

One somewhat cynical correspondent related his perceptions to the South Western Times on that match – “Yesterday, I spent some time, on the Bunbury Recreation Ground, to decide for myself whether the Mothers' Union were right in protesting against the girls playing football or whether Mr. Hubble was correct in his contention that the people of Bunbury should not be denied the innocent diversion of watching the girls make themselves look ridiculous. I came to the conclusion that the mothers need have no occasion for anxiety. Girls have considerable common sense. A glance around the crowd showed practically the same look upon the faces of all the men present. It was an expression of amused, tolerant, contempt. Am I to understand that the two teams were called the ‘Kangaroos’ versus the ‘Wallabies’. Surely not. There must be some mistake. It should be the ‘Kittens’ versus the ‘Fluffs’. As to the ball it is a perfect scandal that it should be of leather. A dainty little thing in wool would be far more appropriate. The play, of course, was just as it should have been. It was delightfully feminine. There is however, one great defect in the costume. I am sure every girl will agree with me that each player should carry a receptacle for a little powder puff and mirror. That would be so appropriate and make the game complete.” 

There are many who would probably agree with the nay-sayers of the 1920s – it is quite interesting to note that even with the passage of many years, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And so, as debate about women playing “men’s sport” rages to this day – the question continues; Can girls play football?

Thanks to women like these and almost a century of social change, women are now able to play the sport professionally in the Women's AFL.

Written by Christine Hunter for the Streets of Bunbury project.