Greatest Cricket Moments

Melbourne Cricket Club Founded — Victoria, 15 November 1838

1838-11-15Melbourne Cricket ClubFounding meeting of the Melbourne Cricket Club, 15 November 18381 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

The Melbourne Cricket Club — destined to become one of the most powerful institutions in Australian and world cricket — was founded at a meeting on 15 November 1838, only three years after the city itself had been established. The MCC would in time own and operate the Melbourne Cricket Ground, host the first Test match (1877), and shape every major decision in Australian cricket for the next 150 years.

What Happened

Melbourne was founded in 1835. By late 1838 the European population was around 3,000. A group of officers and merchants met on 15 November to constitute a cricket club. The first ground was on the south bank of the Yarra; the club moved to Yarra Park (the present MCG site) in 1853. The MCC's first inter-colonial match came in 1851. By the time of the 1877 Test it was the senior cricket institution in the southern hemisphere.

Timeline

1835

Melbourne founded

15 Nov 1838

Melbourne Cricket Club founded

1853

Club moves to Yarra Park (future MCG)

1877

MCG hosts the first Test match

⚖️ The Verdict

The founding moment of what would become the most important cricket institution outside Lord's.

Legacy & Impact

The Melbourne Cricket Club shaped Australian cricket politics, owned the MCG, and remained one of the two anchor institutions (alongside MCC London) of nineteenth-century world cricket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Melbourne CC older than the MCG?▾
Yes. The club was founded in 1838; the present MCG site was occupied by the club only from 1853.

Tags

#roundarm-era#early-victorian#melbourne-cricket-club#australia#victoria#club-foundation#1838#iconic-moment

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