MCC Historical Timeline

• The first MCC cricket match is hosted on the site of the Royal Mint.

(20 members)

• The MCC began playing matches near the present site of spencer Street Station - known as Batman's Hill.

• F.A. Powlett elected President - first office bearer.
• Club published the Laws of Cricket.

(40 members)

• MCC moved to a site on the south bank of the Yarra River. It was here the term "Melbourne Cricket Ground" was first used.
• Published the rules of the Melbourne Cricket Club (first rules of "new" restructured club).

• First honorary life members were appointed.

• MCC Committee Minutes of February 11, 1864, state that ... It was resolved that the uniform of the club shall be a white flannel shirt and trousers; and a ribbon of the club colours, Red, White and Blue to be worn on the hat or cap. Mr. Younghusband undertook to procure the ribbon from England, also a belt of the Club Colours.

• First Aboriginal team under TW Wills played against an MCC team on the MCG before 11,000 spectators.

• Junior Membership category created.

• Foundation of MCC Library collection, September 6th.

• Country Membership category introduced.
• “Prize Memberships” to students of Melbourne’s four Public Schools (later APS) – Wesley College, Scotch College, Melbourne Grammar and St Patricks College – are first offered (called Exhibitioner Memberships from 1908/09).

• The MCC built the ‘reversible’ stand at the northern end of the ground – the first major permanent stand, a grandstand predominantly for the public.
• A skittle alley established in the new stand for members.

(534 Members)

• Curtis Reid, the first paid MCC Secretary was appointed.

• To attract events to the ground, the MCC financed the tour of Lord Harris’s England cricket team. It was the first of many tours organised by the Melbourne Cricket Club over the next 20 years.

• Asphalt lawn tennis courts laid at MCG. MCC Lawn Tennis established.

• A new Members’ Pavilion was constructed alongside the first MCC Pavilion.
• A billiard saloon established in new pavilion for members.

(1500 Full Members)

• The MCC financed the tour of the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s England cricket team, during which Bligh was presented with the small urn that eventually came to symbolise Anglo-Australian cricket rivalry.

• MCC rented an office at The Exchange, 48 Collins Street West.

• The MCC leased the Wesley College Cricket Ground in Prahran from October 1886.
• MCC organised the fifth Australian cricket team to tour England. Captained by Harry Scott, the team wore the MCC’s red, white and blue.

• MCC organised the tour by an England cricket team led by the Hon. Martin Hawke and George Vernon.

• MCC Baseball is established.

• The MCC leased the Warehousemen’s Cricket Ground. It was renamed the Albert Ground in 1908.
• The Melbourne Football Club (est. 1859) is absorbed within the MCC.

• MCC Lawn Bowls is established following the takeover of the Richmond Bowling Club. Two greens are laid and a pavilion is built outside the MCG.

• The MCC, in conjunction with the Sydney Cricket Ground trustees, organised the tour of an England cricket team led by A.E. Stoddart.

• MCC Lacrosse Section is established.

• The MCC and the Sydney Cricket Ground trustees organised another tour of an England cricket team led by A.E. Stoddart.

• In February, MCC offices were relocated from The Exchange to Ludstone Chambers, 352-356 Collins Street.

(2500 Full Members)

• MCC Shooting Section is established.

• Prize Memberships to students of “Associated Schools” (AGS) are first offered (later called Exhibitioner Memberships).

• The MCC financed the travel of the Australian team to England for the 1902 Test series.

(3500 Full Members)

• Construction of a new grandstand began in the Members' Reserve. It was known from 1912 as the Grey Smith Stand.

• The Warehousemen’s Cricket Ground was renamed the Albert Ground. The MCC with the Lawn Tennis Association of Victoria financed construction of a new pavilion there. The pavilion was named after MCC stalwart Clive Fairbairn in 1991.
• In November the LTAV hosted the Davis Cup challenge round on its courts north of the cricket ground. Australasia defeated the United States 3-2.

• Last recorded MCC Skittles tournament.

• The MCC First XI, captained by WW Armstrong, win the Club's first VCA Premiership.

• During the Great War, 1088 of the MCC’s 5449 members enlisted. 137 of these were killed.

• MCC offices were relocated from Ludstone Chambers to the Equitable Building (later renamed the Colonial Mutual Life Building), 308-320 Collins Street.

• Last recorded MCC Billiards tournament.

• MCC Tennis’ final pennant season at the MCG. The last asphalt tennis courts were removed from the MCG to make way for the construction of the Open Concrete Stand.

• On January 1, the MCC, the Victorian Amateur Football Association and the Education Department formally apply for joint permissive occupancy of the Scotch College Cricket Ground, soon to be known as Old Scotch Oval.
• The MCC establishes the MCC Club XI Competition for its junior cricket teams.

• MCC President Sir Leo Cussen laid the foundation stone of the third Members’ Pavilion on February 25.

(6200 Full Members)

• MCC Centenary celebrations included a first-class match on the MCG between the Australian Test team, captained by Don Bradman, and a team called “The Rest” lead by MCC cricketer Keith Rigg. A historical pageant was held on the ground and a special centennial ball for over 400 members and guests held in the Members' Lounge and Dining Room was the first time that ladies were admitted into the Third Pavilion.

During the Second World War, 2415 members from a total membership of over 8300 served in uniform. Of these, 141 lost their lives on active service. Five others, all civilians, were also killed. On April 3, 1942 the Club’s ground was requisitioned by the Commonwealth for quartering service personnel. The MCG was occupied by:

• The 11th Replacement Control Depot of the United States Army Air Forces, to whom the ground was known as Camp Murphy (April 3, 1942 to late-1942).
• About 1500 personnel from the RAAF’s No.1 School of Technical Training from December 3, 1942 to January 5, 1943.
• The First Regiment of the First Division of the United States Marine Corps (January 6, 1943-October 1943).
• The Royal Australian Air Force’s No.1 Embarkation Depot (November 3, 1943 to April 30, 1944). During this period, the site name RAAF Ransford was introduced in honour of MCC secretary Vernon Ransford. From May 1, 1944 to October 29, 1945, No.1 Embarkation Depot was known as No.1 Personnel Depot.

• With the introduction of Under-19 football curtain raisers and earlier football start times at the MCG, most MCC Baseball pennant matches are switched to the Albert Ground.

(9800 Full Members)

• The MCG was the main arena for the Olympic Games. Members voted away their privileges at the ground for the duration of the Games.
• The XXIX Club was established.

• The MCC offices were removed from Collins Street to 26 Jolimont Terrace.
• Jim Cardwell, the secretary of the Melbourne Football Club since 1951, is made the football club’s first full-time secretary.

• Restricted Membership category introduced.
• MCC, Victorian Education Dept., and VAFA granted permissive joint occupancy of “the new oval joining Old Scotch Oval.” (It will be known as Old Xaverians Oval from 1978).

• MCC Hockey Section is established.

(12,800 Full Members)

• The MCC Cricket Museum was opened.
• An MCC Squash Sporting Section is established in the new MCG Western Stand.

• Inaugural MCC Ball Pentathlon is contested by teams representing each of the Sporting Sections and the MCC Committee.

• MCC administrative offices move to the MCG.

• MCC Baseball ceased being an MCC Sporting Section and changed its name to Melbourne Baseball Club.

• Centenary Test match staged, MCC organised open house evening for members and their ladies.

• Melbourne Football Club is incorporated and ceased being a MCC Sporting Section.

• Melbourne Baseball Club resumed as a MCC Sporting Section.
• Hans Ebeling Award inaugurated.

• The Pavilion was opened to female guests on match days on July 2.

(15,000 Full Members)

• Introduction of female members.

• The Long Room Wine and Food Society was formally established.
• A ladies’ pennant team was established by MCC Tennis. It was the MCC’s first competitive women’s team.

(28,000 Full Members)

• MCC Sesquicentenary celebrations. Activities ran across a 12-month period being launched with a cocktail party two days after the 149th anniversary and concluding with the 150th dinner for 1200 on the actual 150th Anniversary.

• The MCC website is live from February 5, 2001.
• MCC Bowls amalgamates with the Glenferrie Hill Recreation Club. The merger entailed that a croquet club is also administered by the MCC Bowls Sporting Section.

• Demolition of the W.H. Ponsford Stand entailed that MCC Squash had to play elsewhere.

• MCC Golf is recognised as an MCC Sporting Section.

• Jane Nathan was the first woman appointed to the MCC Committee on June 15.
• Honorary Cricket Members introduced.
• Photo MCC identification cards rolled out.

(55,000 Full Members)

• Opening of the Fourth Members' Pavilion.

(57,000 Full Members)

• Completion of the northern side redevelopment. It will house the MCC Members’ Reserve, MCC’s administration, library, and museum, the latter adjacent to the National Sports Museum (NSM – Australian Sports Museum from 2020).
• Commonwealth Games held at the MCG.
• Establishment of the Women of MCC Special Interest Group.

• The MCC 3rd and 4th XIs host games at Ian Johnson Oval in Albert Park from 2007/08 to 2010/11.
• MCC Real Tennis Sporting Section founded. It was based at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club’s courts in Richmond.

• National Sports Museum (NSM) opens at the MCG.
• MCC Croquet became a separate MCC Sporting Section.
• The MCC Bridge Club was established as a Special Interest Group.

(60,300 Full Members)

• Establishment of the MCC Archives.
• Melbourne Football Club resumed as an MCC Sporting Section.

• The MCC 3rd and 4th XIs host games at Oval No. 4 in Fawkner Park in 2011/12.

(61,800 Full Members)

• In August, MCC Foundation gains ownership of the Kew Heights Sports Club, with entertainment, tennis and lawn bowls facilities. Its name is changed to MCC Kew Sports Club.
• The MCC launched its women’s cricket program in 2012/13.
• The MCC 3rd and 4th XIs host games at H.G. Smith Oval in Royal Park in 2012/13.

• MCC Netball Sporting Section is founded.

• On May 31 the old MCC offices at 26 Jolimont Terrace were sold.

(62,400 Full Members)

• Provisional Membership category introduced.

• With Cricket Victoria due to take over the management of the Junction Oval in 2017, MCC Tennis is forced to find new courts. It amalgamated with the Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club in Mount Waverley to become the MCC Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club.

• In January, under a partnership between the MCC and Beaumaris Secondary College, Ireland Brown Constructions began work to build two Premier Cricket-level ovals and club rooms at the school.
• MCC Kew goes into voluntary administration. MCC Foundation assumes its management.

(63,300 Full Members)

• The MCC Football Club is created to facilitate a women’s football team.
• The MCC’s facilities at Beaumaris Secondary College are officially opened on June 23.

(61,200 Full Members)

• The MCC sells MCC Kew Sports Club facilities to Carey Baptist Grammar School in December.

• National Sports Museum refreshed as Australian Sports Museum.
• Payment of membership fees become more flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Work completed by the MCC on junior hockey facilities at Elwood College.

• A refreshed MCC Museum is launched in February adjoining the Australian Sports Museum, MCG.

• The MCC’s Baseball diamond in Surrey Park was named Arthur Field after Les Arthur on January 11.
• By 5:00pm on September 15, 2022, 18,581 Full Members voted on a proposed amendment to the Club’s rules, with 77.48% voting in favour of the, “Formal recognition of 50-Year membership as a class of membership; Inclusion of an initial specified cohort of female members into the class of 50-Year membership; Creation of a 50-Year Social membership category.”