History

The Municipal District of Ararat was proclaimed by the Govenor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly, on Monday 20 September 1858 after a 'tent city' took on a more permanent nature since the discovery of gold.

"Outdoor sport grew in popularity as the memory of pioneering days receded. Four or five times each season the town awoke to the call of the master's horn and the music of the pack as the Hunt Club rode to a meet at Mooney's Gap, Cherry Tree Hill or Philip's Flat." (as written in Green Pastures and Gold, by Lorna Banfield)

In 1871 the face of Ararat's recreation was to change, as a meeting at the Bull and Mouth Hotel, on the 19th of May, formed the district's first football club. As the passion for football grew it was referred to in the Ararat Advertiser as the 'King of Winter Pastimes'.

Not only was football played enthusiastically by the young men of Ararat, but councillors, doctors and clergy sought positions on the committee, and women and children were interested spectators.

Home - Alexandra Oval (+)

Early games were played between teams picked from the members who turned up on the day. In 1874 the first of many hard-fought contests was played between the Ararat and Stawell club's. Games initially were played on various grassed areas, such the Race Course and cricket ground, later the Recreation Reserve (now Kokoda Park) became the club's home ground. In 1921 the new Sports Ground (now Alexandra Oval) was constructed and became the new home ground, and still remains so.

Up till 1901 matches for the season were organised by invitation during the season. In 1902 the Wimmera District Football Competition was formed with Ararat, Horsham and Stawell forming the basis of the competition and other teams coming and going from year to year.

In 1924-28 Ararat moved to the Ballarat League to play in a competition with more teams. It was an unhappy association with Ballarat as the country clubs, Ararat and Maryborough, had a minority say in the organisation of the League. Ararat tried to return to the Wimmera competition in 1929, but some of the clubs were unhappy with the way Ararat had left them 5 years earlier, so they were forced to stand out of senior football for the year.

1930 saw them accepted back to the Wimmera competition only to have the Wimmera and Ballarat Leagues amalgamate in 1934-36 because of low team numbers in each.

1937 saw the two Leagues separate and the formation of the Wimmera Football League. World War Two caused an early close to the 1940 season, until 1946 since when competition has continued to present day.