The club was originally part of "Modbury F.C." in 1862, but it soon split apart from them to form their own institution. Tea Tree played its first game against the "Adelaidians" in a paddock near Modbury on 30 August 1862. It ended when the "Adelaidians" scored their second goal and won the game.[2]
The club's original home was at Memorial Oval, operating out of a tin shed. These relatively primitive facilities prevailed until its current home at Pertaringa Oval was opened in 1964. Originally the club played in the double blue colours associated with Sturt, before switching to the black and red that has been the club's colours to this day.
Tea Tree Gully played in the Torrens Valley Football Association, the North Eastern Hills Football Association, the East Torrens Football Association, the Norwood North Adelaide Football Association and the South Australian Football Association before becoming a part of the South Australian Amateur Football League.[3]
