About the Club

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Early Polo in Scone

The game first came to Australia in 1876. It was started in South Australia by some British officers stationed there with the Imperial Forces, playing with some members of the staff of the Governor. While on a visit to England in 1887, Donald Macintyre of ‘Kayuga” Muswellbrook, first saw polo payed at Hurlingham. The game was rather different in those days. the teams were five aside and on ponies of 13 hands. The umpires and linesmen were top-hatted and the players wore soft caps.

Mr Macintyre was so taken with the game that he thought it would be very suitable for our Australian climate and conditions.

He purchased fifty sticks and polo balls. When he returned home the first practice took place in front of the old hours at “Kayuga” in 1888. There were only four players - E. Reg White or Merton, Jack Campbell of “St. Heliers”, Donald Macintyre of “Kayuga” and one of this station hands, Donald Cracknell.

Fast forward to 1891, Scone Polo Club was formed by Mr Macintyre and he was made its President until his death in 1902.

The first Scone games were played at ‘Satur’, then the property of the Parbury family. Later, play was moved to what was then ‘St. Aubins’ and is now part of the Scone racecourse on White Park.

In 1895 ‘Banjo’ Patterson visited Muswellbrook with a Sydeny polo team. It was at the ball held in Muswellbrook after the game that he is said to have first recited his poem ‘Quite a while ago’, written to the air of ‘A Wee Deoch an"‘ Doris’. ‘Banjo’ Patterson was an experienced and keen polo player.

Polo carnivals in those early days consisted of polo matches and gymkhanas - various events such as stick and ball races, actual polo pony races and hurdle races. The height of ponies was strictly limited but as time went on it was raised from 13 hands to 14.2 hands and ponies were strictly measured and registered. After the 1914-18 war restrictions were completely lifted and the thoroughbred type could be played but many players preferred the stock horse type about 15 to 15.3 hands as being handier and easier to hit off and control. In earlier games the rules were rather different. One notable difference was that to start the play, the ball was placed in the middle of the ground and one player from each side galloped from the opposing goal to get it first.

Our Club President - Alec White

Alec’s family (The White family) along with neighbouring Archibald family leased the land to the club in the 1950s at our Waverley Rd grounds.

A seventh generation White - Alec has played professionally in the UK High Goal - being the only Australian to win the prestigious Cartier Queen’s Cup twice.

He has represented his country on numerous occasions & was a member of the winning 2021 Dudley Cup side who beat Ellerston to be the first team in 40 years to bring the coveted trophy back to the Upper Hunter!

Today the Scone Polo Club is the largest in the country, with 50 adult playing members and 50 child playing members.

SPC Committee Members

  • Senior Vice President - Alex Warner

  • Club Captain - Jack Archibald

  • Secretary - Kirsty Cole

  • Treasurer - Edwina Flynn

SPC Life Members

  • MICHAEL WHITE

  • DAVID MACINTYRE

  • TOM PAYNE

  • KEN ARCHIBALD

  • DAVID ARNOTT

  • DAVID ARCHIBALD