The visitors arrived at Mt Barker by train at 11.00am, and after a tasty lunch, both teams and spectators adjourned to the playing field kindly lent by Dr. Weld. Following a hard fought and willing tussle Mt Barker were victorious 6 points to 3 points. The ladies served tea in the local hall where a good time was had by all. The visitors were then given a rousing send off at the railway station. This was the introduction of football to Mt Barker. The following day the neighbouring town Strathalbyn journeyed to Mt Barker for a challenge game which resulted in another victory for the home side 4-14 to 1 goal. This became an annual event with a home and away game each year till the advent of the 1st world war in 1914. in this time the two towns met 64 times with Mounts winning 36 games, Strath 25 games with 5 drawn games.
                                        

(1912)

The draws usually eventuated when poor light stopped play before full time.

With no official programme to follow annual and social games were fostered by local and Adelaide clubs. Under the guidance of Mr. J.S. Ramsay, the Mt Barker Football Club played 7 clubs 18 matches in its first season. Those matches were 2 against Strathalbyn, 1 each against Middlesex, Port Adelaide, Littlehampton, North Park (home ground Adelaide Oval), South Park, and Kensington. This first season with 4 wins 3 losses and 1 drawn game heralded the successful formation of the The Mt Barker Football Club known as the Blue and Whites.

In this inaugural year, Mr. J.S. Ramsay was also the first official Captain/Coach of the Club.

From 1881 to 1901 organised games spread throughout the hills, the river area and the suburbs of Adelaide.

The Blue and Whites had annual games against Norwood, Port Adelaide, North Park, South Park, Kensington, Middlesex, South Adelaide Rovers (all suburban teams), Strathalbyn, Murray Bridge Rovers, Point McLeay "Lads", Littlehampton, Nairne, Hahndorf, Oakbank, Woodside, Mylor, Milang, Gumeracha and even a team called the Muffs who Mt Barker defeated on June 15th 1888. The Courier has records of many of the early games played by the Club and as reported on May 26th 1899 Mt Barker 1-3 defeated Littlehampton 1-1. Best players Mt Barker, Mr. Baucant, Mr. Cape, Mr. Craig & Mr. Cameron. Littlehampton. Mr. Monks, Mr. Bolto & Mr. Quine. Umpire for the match was Mr. T. O'Loughlin. As reported in the Courier June 7th, 1901 Mt Barker journeyed to Murray Bridge by rail, to play the home side Murray Bridge Rovers where they won both A & B matches, and in doing so prevented the Bridge boys from boasting again as this was their first defeat on their home ground in five years.

Scores: A's Mounts 4-10 d. Rovers 0-7. B's Mounts 8-7 d. Rovers 2-3.

(1921)
 

In these formative years of the Club there were many people involved but none more than Mr. J.S. Ramsay who as President, Coach and Captain stamped himself as the first real club man. By 1899 the club was running strongly with elected officers and committee members to organise the direction of the club. The President for 1899 was Dr. O. Weld with J. G. Ramsay Esq. Club Patron.

In 1902, after 21 years of organised annual and social games, the Mt Barker Football Club was invited to join the newly formed Hills Football Association along with Hahndorf, Mylor, Oakbank and Woodside.

Extracts from Courier Friday 18th April, 1902 (by Left Wing);

A large attendance gathered at a meeting of the Mt Barker Football Club held at the Grays Inn Saturday evening, a vote of confidence ensuring success of the Blue and Whites for the forth coming season in the newly formed Hills Football Association. Chairman's Mr F.R. Smith pointed out that the formation of the Hills Football Association should give the players additional incentive to put forth their very best endeavours in order to maintain the reputation of the Mt Barker Club as an athletic centre. He also noted that one or two players who followed the leather last year won't pull on a guernsey regularly this year but on the other hand there are several important additions so the club should be stronger than it was in 1901. The Secretary presented the last annual report showing Mounts won 8 games, lost 1 and drew 1, a successful playing year.

The Mt Barker Football Club played its first game of football on the 27th May, 1881 which was a public holiday. They played a team from Adelaide known as Middlesex.

There was also and indication the club was in sound financial position and officers elected for the first official organised football year for the club were: Patron - Mr. A. Von Doussa, Vice Patron - Mr C.M. Dumas, Mr l. Von DoussaPresident - Mr H.A. Monks J.P., Vice President - Mr W.J. Marrie, Mr A.G. Paech, Mr A. Peake, Mr F. Turner, Mr H.A. Paltridge J.P., Mr P. C. Paech and Mr J. Craig. Club Doctor - Blaxland & Hein, Club Captain - Mr E. Murry, Vice Captain H.A. Monks, Secretary - Mr J. Carey, Treasurer - Mr P. C. Paech. Committee to consist of - Captain, Vice Captain Mr F. Cook & Mr G. Jenkinson.

Fees - Registration 2 shillings and 6 pence (2/6d). Club Colors - Blue & White

(1969)

Note to members - open games against Mr Paltridge's employees on 26th April before commencing the association programme.

Association Ladder at the end of 1902 minor round

Woodside Played 16, Won 15, lost 1, Points 30;
Mt Barker 16, 10, 6, 20;
Oakbank 16, 8, 8, 16;
Hahndorf 16, 7, 9, 14;
Mylor 5, 0, 5, 0; Forfeited 11.
Premiers for the first year of Association were Woodside who defeated Mt Barker in the Grand Final. Played on Mr Weld's field at Mt Barker.

(1982)

The first year of Association football was moderately successful for the club and they improved on this in 1903 by claiming their first Premiership. (The Hills Football Association existed till 1966, but all records of the association have either been misplaced or lost, hence no player team list). In 1904 Mounts, the 'blue and whites', lost to Hahndorf (sporting red and black colours) in a thrilling encounter but turned the tables on them to record their second premiership in 1905. by the middle of the 1906 season trouble was brewing for the club. On the 25th July, Sport Report by Left Wing, carried headlines in the Courier, "Mount Barker Football Club withdraws from Association following a dispute." The report followed:

Members, Supporters and Players assembled in full force at the local institute Tuesday evening last, to discuss a matter in connection with the Hills Football Association Mr F.R. Smith, one of the clubs delegates, in the absence of the President, chaired the meeting. A resume of events of the past two years was dealt with. The substance of which went to prove that there has been bias against the Mount Barker Football Club on the part of the leading officials of the association, and that the business of that body was not conducted satisfactory and that there was much ill feeling and jealousy manifested against their club. Football in connection with the association had ceased to be a sport and had become a menace to the pleasure of playing the game. After lengthy discussions it was proposed that the Mount Barker Football Club sever its connection with the Association. The notion was carried.

(1983)

It was later reported: It was Mount's, who were premiers in 1903 and 1905 and were leading in the race to be minor premiers this year with five straight wins who withdrew first. They were quickly followed by Meadows, then Stirling, Woodside and Mylor all withdrew, leaving just Hahndorf and Strathalbyn in the competition. These two teams played off the premiership which Hahndorf won convincingly 11-24 to 3 points.

The dispute between the club and the association was eventually solved and Mount's rejoined the competition in 1907 and played on in this association until the end of the 1929 season when it was disbanded. In that time the club won another five premierships (runners up five times) for a total of
seven premierships with the Hills Football Association over 23 playing seasons. (no football was played during first World War) From 1923 to 1926 Mounts fielded a second side and this team played in the Hills Central Association, but no record exists of any achievements, if any. From 1906 to 1926 the clubs home ground was the Dunn Park Trust oval, except for season 1928 when the Mount Barker Show Society enticed the club to use the Showgrounds for home games. It is noted that a very great deal of hard work went into preparing the grounds for football, but after just one season the club elected to go back to Dunn Park after unsatisfactory discussions on rental terms halted any further use.

From 1930 to 1932 the club played in the Amateur League competition in Adelaide, but lacked the man power to be competitive as a lot of the local players opted to play for either Nairne or Echunga. This eventually forced the club into a more local competition and so they joined the Mount Lofty
Association in 1933. Regaining the services of most of the local players once again saw Mounts as a formidable opponent resulting in premierships in 1933 and again in 1935. in 1938 the Hills Football Association reformed and Mount's immediately joined and carried on in their now winning way by
taking out the '38 Flag in convincing style defeating Hahndorf in the Grand Final 15-9 to 7-9. The association went into recess for the second World War but after the war Mount's were runners up in 45'and 46 then came it's best season to date, 1948 a double premiership. The clubs first. Interestingly the clubs coach Art Wyld used the services of Haydn Bunton Snr (a triple Brownlow medalist and winner of three Sandover medals) to instil that enthusiasm and never say die attitude that rewards you with success.

At the end of the 1953 season the club joined the Hills Central Association and this move saw Mount's most successful period of football ever. From 1954 till 1966 five premierships and four times runner up and never lower than third on the premiership table, and the clubs second double premiership coming in 1957.

(2000)

A pretty remarkable effort for the old "Blue and Whites" now known as the Mt Barker "Jailbirds". Not only were they known as the Jailbirds, but they had adopted the blue and white hoops design for their football jumpers as well and played accordingly. Tough, hard unforgiving and noncompromising football was the order and success followed.

This era also saw the club shift to the Showgrounds in 1955 and under the guidance of the oval committee chairman Mr Oliver Love and Mr Keith England new clubrooms and changerooms were constructed under the main Grandstand. A seven foot high tin fence surrounded the showgrounds at the
time and where the community complex stands today was a relatively large Show Pavilion, with all the necessary animal yards that go to make up old time Showgrounds. The oval had a cinder brick track surrounding it, two Grandstands, aptly named The Old and The New and massive Pines behind each
set of Goals. In 1958 Mr Frank Walsh was contracted to remove the bike track and rebuild the oval and a group of volunteers, mainly made up of Mount Barker footballers also built a visitors change rooms on the
southern end of the new grandstand with a connecting door through to the communal showers.

At then end of the 1966 season, the administrators of the three Associations that controlled all the football played in the Adelaide Hills and the Mt Lofty Ranges region (ie: Torrens Valley, Hills Central and
Hills Association) amalgamated to form The Hills League. Divided into three divisions, Mt Barker was invited to join the division one competition, made up of the eight strongest teams from the three old
associations. Adrian Copping, former Norwood centreman, then residing and working in Mount Barker, was the inaugural coach for the club in the new League. Finishing minor premiers (third after final) then fourth in the first two years, the club secured the services of former local player Ian Slade. Under Ian's guidance as a playing coach the club won back to back premierships in 69 (undefeated) and 70. After so much being promised by the Club, the 70's were a big disappointment missing the Finals from 72 to
76. The introduction of John Mahomet as Coach in 1977 and the cleansing of those players not up to the new standards set, and replacing them with younger more talented lads straight from the colts competition, eventually saw Mounts a rejuvenated force. Runners up in 77,79 and 80, then back to
back premierships in 82 and 83 (undefeated) and with the clubs reserve grade teams and colts sides all strong and successful, Mount Barker Football Club once again became the benchmark for success in the league. An exodus of richly talented footballers at the end of the 1983 season (13 from the premiership team) hurt the club badly, but typical of the traditionally fighting qualities of the club and the players who don the "Blue and White" jumper, the club has remained very competitive.

 In 1985 the Club through strength in numbers, actually fielded teams in both Division 1 and 2 and did so for three years being runners up in both Divisions A Grade competitions in 1986 and then again in the Division 1 comp in 87. Playing finals for the next decade was justification of the effort that went into the club. The A grade team only broke through to the premiership decider in 1999 under the reigns of Malcolm Williams. After the heroic efforts of the season a defeat was a rewarding effort. The team turned this around in 2000 finishing third after the minor rounds the team battled through to the final with a 1 point win over last years premiers Lobethal. Arch rival Hahndorf went into the title decider red hot favourites but a spirited fightback broke the drought for the Roos with a 15pt. win. Under new coach Alby Gluyas success was instant in 2003 with a record with only a minor blemish. Steve Geyer replaced Alby in 2004 and equalled the feats of the previous season with a comfortable win over Onka Valley. An indifferent season was nearly rewarded with a three peat attempt in 2005 but were outplayed by a rejuvenated Uraidla outfit.

 After 39 years with The Hills Football League, seven Premierships and seven Runners-up and rarely out of the Finals, the 'Roos as they are known as today, will emulate the deeds of those that have gone before them, because it is our tradition and it is the Mount Barker Football Clubs History.

(Captain David Murphy and Coach Malcolm Williams in 2000)

Some information on the club and its members that have been found out is
as follows:

The club is now 125 years old (in the year 2006) and has been competing in premiership competitions for 95 years. Forty Five years in the Hills Football Association, 2 years in Amateur League, 3 years in the Mt Lofty Association, 12 years in the Hills Central Association and until present day 39 years in the Hills Football League.

In this time there have been at least 21 premierships, 18 runners-up, 2 undefeated premierships and double premierships. Many other Premierships and Grand Final appearances have slipped out of the club's hands in this period.

Our colors have always been blue and white although three shades of blue (in navy, sky and royal) have been used. The jumper design has changed on numerous occasions.

We have had three different venues on which the club has played and called
"home"
Dr Weld's field (now Weld Park) 1881-1905;
Dunn Park 1906-1953;
Showgrounds (now known as Mt Barker Recreation Centre) 1954 - Present.

Club honour board is available under committee.