Newtown Rugby League Football Club - 1908-2008

The Jets head back to where it all began

The Newtown Jets celebrated the centenary of their foundation on Tuesday in exactly the same room where the inaugural meeting of the club had taken place back on 8 January, 1908.

The battered assembly hall of the Newtown Town Hall might have seen better days but there was no mistaking the genuine pride and camaraderie in the crowd of current and past officials, players and supporters who gathered to pay tribute to the tenacious old club's centenary occasion.

Famous ex-players on hand included former Australian captains John Raper and Dick Poole, former Kangaroo five-eighth Tony Brown, plus former Newtown first graders like Bob Keyes, Peter Ryan, Frank Narvo, Ray Preston, Ron Wright, Clarrie Jeffreys, Bob Carnegie, John Floyd, Frank Speechley, George Debnam, Horrie Kessey and Brian McGoulrick.

93 years old veteran Joe Wade, who had played for Newtown in 1939-40, travelled down from the Central Coast and said he wouldn't have missed Newtown's centenary bash "for quids".

Happy 100th birthday to the Mighty Newtown Jets!

Four greats of the game in the foreground – Dick Poole, Clarrie Jeffreys, Dr. Bill Monaghan (1982 Kangaroos team medico and NSWRL Vice-President) and Bob Carnegie – listen intently.

A section of the crowd. Bumper Farrell's grandson Jack Elsegood stands behind North's Michael Buettner and Bumper's daughter, Jack's mother, Maureen Elsegood - seated in the white dress.

View the full gallery of celebration photos on Gary Sutherland's site and contact Gary on 0433 011 908 to obtain your photographic memento of the occasion.

Federal Government Minister and MP for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese, was in attendance, along with the State MP for Marrickville, Carmel Tebbutt, and their little boy Nathan who was sporting a smartly-presented Newtown Jets polo shirt.

Ms Tebbutt received a big cheer from the packed assembly hall when Jets President Barry Vining pointed out Carmel's pivotal role in the NSW Government having made a $250,000 grant towards the re-turfing and provision of a new irrigation system for historic Henson Park.

Marrickville Councillors Barry Cotter and Saeed Khan were also at the centenary gathering.

Congratulations to the Newtown RLFC

Congratulatory messages to the Newtown club on its centenary were received

from political leaders - the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd; the Premier of NSW, Morris Iemma; Federal MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek; State MP for Heffron Kristina Keneally; the Mayor of Marrickville Dimitrios Thanos
the Australian and overseas rugby league football community - the English Rugby Football League; the New Zealand Rugby League; the Queensland Rugby League; the Country Rugby League of NSW; UK clubs St Helens and Rochdale Hornets
from a large number of former Newtown officials and players who now reside outside of Sydney.

The presence in the Town Hall of the family representatives of iconic Newtown players from the Bluebags' past century such as "Tedda" Courtney, Charles "Boxer" Russell, Paddy McCue, Charles "Chicka" Cahill and the incomparable Frank "Bumper" Farrell was given due recognition by various speakers.

The late "Bumper" Farrell was represented on the day by his daughter Maureen Elsegood and her son Jack Elsegood, the classy winger of the 1990's formerly with Manly-Warringah and the Sydney Roosters.

The event was more than capably compered by WSFM DJ Ron E. Sparks who has been a long-time Newtown Jets fan.

The lineup of speakers at the Town Hall function spoke of the major events and personalities in the club's history and the celebrations continued well into the night at the nearby @ Newtown RSL Club, one of the Newtown Jets major sponsors.

A big crowd of Jets supporters cheered and toasted the 100th anniversary of the foundation of this remarkably enduring old Sydney sporting institution, and an outsize and suitably-decorated Newtown Jets 100th birthday cake was devoured by the revellers.

The Newtown Jets look towards their second century with confidence while being mindful of the courage and resilience of the officials, supporters, sponsors and players who have steered the club through very tough times in the past.

Newtown celebrates with the Rugby League family

Official representatives from the National Rugby League, the Australian Rugby League, the NSW Rugby League and officials from each of the remaining NSWRL 1908 foundation clubs – the Sydney Roosters, Balmain, North Sydney, South Sydney and Western Suburbs – were all on hand to pay tribute to the oldest club in Australian Rugby League on one of its proudest days.