Club History

Hurlstone Park Wanderers FC

Hurlstone Park Wanderers Football Club (herein referred to as (HPWFC) is an organisation participating in the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association (herein referred to as CDSFA). It organizes soccer teams of all ages and levels and facilitates their registration within the CDSFA. The club also acts as a representative to the CDSFA for all its players, coaches and managers.

See below for our HPWFC History video for a photo montage going back over 70 year of club history.

THE EARLY YEARS : 1924 – 1960

The club was originally formed in 1924 when the Canterbury District Association approached Bill Brackenbury to ask whether he would form a team to enter into the u16 competition for the 1924 season.

On a Sunday morning in January 1924 a meeting was held at A McKeans private tennis courts in Crinan St, Hurlstone Park and it was decided that they would form a club and enter an u16 side. One of the boys father was elected president – Mr Hayden and Bill volunteered to do all the secretarial work and organising.

That first team went on to win the knockout competition in the first year and a year later many were members of the U/18 team that won the club’s first premiership. The club enjoyed its golden years in the late 1940’s and into the 1950’s when it won the club championship five times in six years and dominated the metropolitan-wide Canterbury Cup. But even in the years when success was harder to achieve, the club has continued to thrive and always because of an army of volunteers and the local communities that supported them.

Canterbury Council allowed the newly formed club to use what was known then as Hurlstone Park Reserve. For some time the players themselves had to mow and cut the park, as well as mark the field with lime. The ground was later renamed Ewen Park in honour of a former mayor and quickly gained a reputation as having one of the best playing surfaces in the district. At that time Ewen Park had three pitches with one being used by a churches competition. The pitches ran parallel to the river with the only problem being the lack of trees as plenty of balls landed in the water.

WHEN WE WE’RE YOUNG (1960 – 1990)

The park was upgraded as part of extensive works in the Cook’s River area in 1969-70. Further improvements were made with the help of Canterbury Council with a canteen erected in 1968, new dressing sheds in 1973, many trees planted in 1979 and flood lights in 1982.