Lacrosse in Australia has a rich and celebrated history, and can trace its beginnings back to a letter to the editor that was sent from Lambton Mount to The Australasian newspaper and published on 8 April 1876.[2] In his letter, Mount announced that he was calling a meeting the following week with respect to the formation of the "Melbourne La Crosse Club", and four days later, the club was formed.[3]
Lacrosse soon spread around the continent, and by the time of federation in 1901, lacrosse was being played in every state in Australia.[4]
Proposals for a national governing body for lacrosse were reported as early as 1903,[5] with the Australasian Lacrosse Union formed after the national Lacrosse Conference in 1904,[6] however disagreements between member associations[7] led to its demise by 1908.[8]
The need for a national body persisted, and while discussions of forming one were reported in 1923,[9] it took eight more years before the Australian Lacrosse Council was finally formed.[10]
The Australian Women's Lacrosse Council was formed in 1962 soon after women's lacrosse had been restarted in Victoria and South Australia.[citation needed]
Up until 2007, men's and women's lacrosse in Australia were administered by separate governing bodies: Lacrosse Australia (originally the Australian Lacrosse Council) and Women's Lacrosse Australia (Australian Women's Lacrosse Council).[11] These organisations merged in 2008 to form the Australian Lacrosse Association (ALA).[12] In 2021, the ALA rebranded as Lacrosse Australia and remains the single governing body for all formats of lacrosse in Australia.[13]
^"THE GAME OF LA CROSSE". The Australasian. Vol. XX, no. 523. Victoria, Australia. 8 April 1876. p. 13. Retrieved 16 December 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"THE GAME OF LA CROSSE". The Age. No. 6611. Victoria, Australia. 13 April 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"LACROSSE". The West Australian. Vol. XIX, no. 5, 401. Western Australia. 4 July 1903. p. 12. Retrieved 16 December 2024 – via National Library of Australia.