IT was a special occasion for the Blues Australian Rules Football Club on Saturday when under pictured perfect blue sky they celebrated 50 years of their home ground - Clarke Oval.
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For half a century the club has worked tirelessly to create a home ground worthy of the standard of the competition and they continue to make improvements.
Saturday also marked the opening of the refurbished canteen at Clarke Oval.
Given the honour of cutting the ribbon was wife of the late Jim Clarke, for whom the ground is named after, Norma Clarke.
The land which we now know as Clarke Oval was originally designated as a water reserve according to an 1875 town map.
In February 1903, a deed of grant was issued for the land to be used as public recreation ground.
The Boy’s Club purchased two Air force Huts from the Aerodrome 1947 Disposal Commission sale, which was then relocated to the ground to serve as a clubhouse until the organisation disbanded in 1964.
In January 1960, an Australian Rules Football Club was formed and application to acquire the land in 1963 was made to Council.
The first four seasons (1960 to 1963) the club played their home matches at the Cootamundra Showground.
Hours and hours of voluntary work by the members of the Cootamundra Blues saw the ground in good shape for the commencement of the 1964 season.
The ground was named Clarke Oval in recognition of the work Jim Clarke had done as secretary of the club and as caretaker.
Jim Clarke was elected the first secretary of the club in 1960 and his dedication to the club was duly recognised when he was inducted as a life member in 1967.
The first game at Clarke Oval was played against Boree Creek on Saturday, April 18 1964. The visitors spoilt the opening of the Blues new ground prevailing in a close tussle by two goals, 10-15-75 to 9-9-63.
Australian Rules football has been played at Clarke Oval every year since 1964, with the exception of 1982 when the ground was reseeded, that year the Blues playing their home matches at Fisher Park.
The ground today looks in pristine condition, however the early days of the ground and at times in the modern era, the playing surface was a real battle with poor drainage and the ground became a bit of quagmire particularly at the clubhouse end when the winter rains set in.
Speaking prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mrs Clarke said she recalls the passion her husband had for the club and said he would be honoured to know the way the club has continued to look after the ground.
She laughed that one of her early memories of the field was it being used for the circus when it come to town.
