Historical information

Blind cricket had been played since 1922 and originated in Melbourne, yet had no permanent home. In 1926, William Paterson (who had helped establish the first retirement home for the blind in Brighton,) approached Council asking if a section of land fronting Glenferrie Road could be used by blind sporting groups. The Council agreed, upon the proviso that a trust be set up (and one of the trustees be the Town Clerk) and that if the land was not used for recreation or sporting purposes, they would have first option to buy it back. Under this agreement, the first blind cricket oval was established and on the 7th April 1928 the first ball was bowled at a competition between the Victorian Blind Cricket Association and interstate teams.

To commemorate this event and the man who helped it come about, this marker (part of the Federation Markers project, jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government and Stonnington Council,) was placed.

Physical description

1 plastic sign with images and wording

Inscriptions & markings

World's First
Sports Ground
for Blind Cricketers
On 7 April 1928 the playing field at
this location was inaugurated as the
World's first permanent sports ground
for blind cricketers when the first ball
was bowled at a competition
between the Royal Victorian Institute
for the Blind and the Association for
the Advancement of the Blind, both
now known as Vision Australia.
Mr William Paterson, a volunteer
worker and advocate for blind people
for over 60 years, was instrumental in
obtaining access to these facilities on
behalf of the cricketers.