Turnbull's Paddock - Hamilton Athletic
This 1936 dated Parish Map shows a ground near the corner of Veda Street and Beaumont Street. This is to the west of the transport depot. Could this be Turnbull's Paddock? There was another ground at the corner of Stewart Avenue and Parry Street, to the east of the current Newcastle Athletics Field. This was the Rugby Union ground.
Hamilton Athletic Football Club was the 3rd club formed in the Newcastle area.
The club was formed in March 1886 by Jocky Stevenson, Bill Currie and Jack Dixon. (The Newcastle Sun, 8 Sep 1947, Page 18, Football Giants Of The Past) The first eleven in 1886 comprised 10 Scotsmen and one Australian born player, Dick Musgrove. The club's first home ground was where the Presbyterian church now stands at the corner of Murray and Tudor streets, Hamilton.
A newspaper article on 8 May 1886 announced that Minmi Rangers would play Hamilton Athletics on Turnbull's Paddock, Hamilton. (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, Sat May1886, Page 8) This would have been the club's first home ground. Reference was also made to Turnbull's Paddock on 9 September, 1886 announcing a game to be played there on Saturday 11 September between Hamilton and Minmi. (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 9 Sep 1886, page 3)
We do not know the exact location of Turnbull's Paddock, but it was probably on A. A. Company land near Beaumont Street and Veda Street.
In 1887 Hamilton Athletic became the first Newcastle club to win the state wide Gardener Cup when they defeated the 1885 and 1886 winners Granville 4-1.
Newspaper References
1887
Hamilton Athletic v Sydney Rovers at Hamilton 20 June 1887
Hamilton won 8-0 before 'a great number of spectators.' (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, Mon 20 June,1887, Page 8)(
In 1887 Hamilton Athletic became the first Newcastle club to win the state wide Gardener Cup when they defeated the 1885 and 1886 winners Granville 4-1.
1888
Hamilton team to play Minmi 5 May 1888
P. Davidson, R. Jackson, P. Smart, M. Lambie, A. Jackson, D. Musgrove, J. Stevenson, G. Kilpatrick, R. Vardie, D. Currie, J. Edgerton, emergencies - D. Liddle, J. Orr
1890
Home game vs Pyrmont Rangers(Sydney) at Tighes Hill (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 26 May 1890, Page 5)