The history of the South Sydney district boundaries pre-dates the formation South Sydney District Rugby League club in 1908. In fact they also pre-dates the formation of the South Sydney District Rugby Union club in 1900. In fact it was cricket in 1892 at a meeting in Redfern Town Hall that proposed the setup of districts based upon electorial boundries.
In 1863 the first football clubs were being established. But they were based upon cricket clubs that had access to facilities and wanted to continue to play sport over winter. Sydney University has the honor of being the first rugby club established, and soon after other clubs like Wollaroo and Waratah were setup playing out of Moore Park. While a club in Redfern the Football Club was formed in 1878. While the South Sydney Football club first appeared in 1891. At this time clubs would play cricket and multiple football codes. The main codes at the time British Association(Soccer) and Rugby. In 1873 Victorian Rules had also made it way with games being played between Waratah and Carlton at the old privately run Albert Park in Redfern.
In meeting on July 18 at Redfern Town Hall was held to discuss the "proposed localisation of cricket in Sydney". In the opinion of the meeting it is most desirable to endeavour to re-organise cricket upon the basis of electorate, borough or locality. Interest in cricket had been diminishing as clubs having no following and no locality. Thus a reform to have local cricket on similar lines to that of county cricket in England, was proposed. It was pointed out that under this proposal more wickets could be formed in convient centres.
So a meeting at the Sydney Town Hall was arranged for August 2 1892 where all interested cricket parties could attend. About 200 people were in attendance where residential qualification based upon electrorial boundaries was passed and transitional implemention commenced in the upcoming 1892-93 season.
In 1892 the electorial boundaries which form the original basis of the South Sydney and Redfern Districts are outlined in the below electorial boundaries map.
So on August 22 1893 a meeting of different borough clubs within the electorate of Redfern was held at the Redfern Town Hall and the Redfern Electorial Cricket Club was formed with patron H.C.Hoyle.
In October 1893 the Southern Rugby Union at the Exchange Hotel passed a resolution to setup a committee to take the necessary steps for the senior competition of 1894 being played the clubs representing metropolitian electorates or districts. A overwhelming majority by show of hands carried a resolution for the establishment of electorate football by 61 to 48 However confusion resulted when the ballot of 46 to 47 the motion was not passed.
But in April 1894 with the season about to commence Southern Rugby Union held a the follow up meeting on the subject. A motion was put forward to that senior matches be competed for during the 1895 season between clubs representing the following electorates or districts and University:
And that a sub-committee of seven delegates be now appointed to fradt a programme of matches between the above-mentioned clubs, also to setup rules and regulations for governing such a programme and presented in a special meeting in six weeks. But this was toned back to just appointing a sub-committee.
In Feb 1985 the sub-committee appointed by the Rugby Union to consider the question of electorate football has drown up the following report, to be considered at the next meeting of the Union -
1897 saw the formation of the Metropolitan Rugby Union who then became affiliated with the NSW Rugby Union. All 1986 clubs now became affiliated with the MRU.
1898 season saw Sydney enter the senior grade.
In October 1898 the special sub-committee appointed by the Metropolitan Branch of the NSW Rugby Union to draw up competition rules and fix the boundaries for the scheme of district football, has completed its work. The boundaries of the proposed eight metropolitan districts have been defined as
In addition to the eight districts named the University will be admitted as a seperate club. The new competition rules drawn up are practicallythe same as those govened the old senior competition. A residential clause insists that a player shall have lived three months in a particular electoate before being entitled to represent that electoate in the competition.
Finally on March 14 1900 the annual meeting of the MRU held at the Echange Hotel gave the go ahead to commence "district" rugby union. The attendance of interested footballers numbered about 80, amoungst whom were many prominantly identified with the game. The principal business was the consideration of the following proposal by Mr CW Oakes
(1) That the football competitions carried on by the metropolitan banch of the NSWRFU should be on a electoral and district basis; and (2) that the by-laws and compeition rules be amended accordingly.
This motion was seconded and carried by a decided majority. It was decided that the following be the districts, each one to provide a first, second and third grade team.
On March 26 1900 at the Redfern Town Hall the South Sydney Distict RU club was formed.
In 1901 there was a proposal put forward for Newtown-Erskine to be transfered to Newtown club. This would allow Newtown to obtain the use of Erskensville Oval. As compensation West Sydny(Sydney-Lang, Sydney-Gipps) were proposed to transfer to South Sydney. This motion however was no passed.
On May 2 1900 a adjustment has been made with the South Sydney electorate of Sydney-Phillip returned to South Sydney.
The South Sydney District boundary to the north was Liverpool / Oxford St but only to Sth Dowling St. Then along Moore Park Rd and then down Lang Rd. As Paddington Town Hall was in Easts RU district It included Moore Park area. With City Rd, Cooks River the western boundary. Lang Parade, ANZAC Parade and Randbow Ave formed the Eastern boundary. Just for the record Easts western boundary was George St, where Glebe had the city area to the west.
Then in late 1904 Sydney RU were formed for the 1905 season with electorates (Gipps, Lang, Bourke, Macquarie, Fitzroy, Bligh) ie the territory north of Liverpool St to Boundary St Kings Cross in the East allocated to them. Easts and Glebe territory had been reduced but not Souths RU.
The 1907 South Sydney RU District Map
JJ Giltinan in early Jan 1908 after the Glebe formation meeting had asserted that clubs would be formed in Glebe, Balmain, Newtown, South Sydney, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Manly, Western Suburbs(Ashfield), Central West with Parramatta as a centre and allowing a ten-mile radius. All were existing FG RU clubs with districts defined except Ashfield who wanted to separate from the Burwood-Parramatta based Wests RU So before all of the meetings of formation in Jan/Feb 1908 it was clear that the NSWRL had originally intended that new teams would follow RU district boundaries.
1909 a coup had occurred in the NSWRL administration and by the time Kangaroos returned, the NSWRL had decided to enforce Residential Qualification strictly. However confusion occurred in the allocation the region allocated to the Sydney district where it was assummed the Sydney had been allocated the territory known as the City of City (East Sydney / West Sydney and South Sydney) but in fact were only ever allocated East Sydney. They were still playing in Second and Third Grades. The area known as South Sydney included the original South Sydney Electorates of Sydney-Phillip, Sydney-Belmore and Sydney-Cook.
However this was addressed for the 1910 season when many of the original RL pioneers returned and the South Sydney electorates were confirmed as within the South Sydney district.
The 1918 South Sydney RL District Map
In 1918 saw one of the earliest published map of the South Sydney RL district. It is defined as following from the corner of George and Liverpool St's, along Liverpool St and Oxford St to Flinder St, to Anzac Pde, Eastern Ave, Bunnerong Rd to Raindow St to the Pacific Ocean. Thence along the shoreline to Cap Banks, along Bontany Bay to Alexandria Canal. Then up the Canal to Huntley St, to Mitchell Rd, Copeland St, Park St across the Railway to Forbes St to City Rd. From there to Cleveland St to Darlington Rd to Ivy St, Shepard St, Vine St and Abecrombe St back to Cleveland St. Then up Regent St to George St until it reached Liverpool St again.
In 1929 with the departure of Glebe as a district club, the Glebe territory was redistributed mainly to Balmain. Also as part of the district redistribution, South Sydney have lost a small portion of Alexandria, bounded by Copeland St, Park St, Henderson Rd and Mitchell Rd back to Copeland St, to Newtown. The revised South Sydney district now includes Chippendale. Commencing at Rainbow St foreshore, via Rainbow St to Anzac Pd, via Anzac Pd to Flinders St, via Flinders St to Oxford St, via Oxford St to Liverpool St, via Liverpool St to George St, then via George St to City Rd, via City Rd to Forbes St, via Wilson St to Redfern Station. The via Cornwallis St to Garden St, via Garden St to Henderson Rd, via Henerson Rd to Mitchell Rd. Via Mitchell Rd to Huntley St, via Huntley St to Alexandria Canal to the Cooks River through to Botany Bay.
In September 1937 a request was put forward to allocate Randwick / Coogee to the South Sydney District after Easts had just won 3 titles in a row. The NSWRL approved the request and re-allocated the region from Rainbow St / Anzac Pd / Alison Rd to Souths.
In 1955 Easts had requested to have this returned but this request was rejected by the NSWRL.
In 1984 after the demise of the Newtown club, the Newtown district was split. Two former Souths territories Newtown-Erskine and part of Alexandria were returned. Souths picking up the area bounded by City Rd to Forbes St, via Wilson St to Redfern Station. The via Cornwallis St to Garden St, via Garden St to Henderson Rd, via Henerson Rd to Mitchell Rd. Via Mitchell Rd St Peters station, along the railway line to Sydneham Station, along Sydenham Rd to Park Rd to Addiosn Rd to Shaw St and Crystal St to Parramatta Rd, bck to City Rd.
So the current South Sydney district is as follows - from the corner of Liverpool and George St, Sydney, along eastern and southern sides of George St, Broadway, Parramatta Rd to Crystal St/Shaw St, along Addion Rd, Park Rd, Sydenham Rd to Sydenham Station then along western side of railway line to St Peters station. Then along the municipal boundary of the City of Sydney (Princes Hwy, Barwon Park, across industrial area) to meet Canal Rd then to Alexandria Canal. Then as before along Alexandria Canal to the Cook's River and out to Botany Bay. Along the nothern foreshore of Botany Bay to Cape Banks, along coastline to Baden St, Coogee. To Beach St, Alison Rd, ANZAC Pde, Flinders St, Oxford St and Liverpool St to the corner of George St Sydney.
