Description

Presenting one of the rarest tour programs in our vast library of cricketing programs and brochures: the Souvenir Programme for the England v Queensland Country match at Albert Park, Gympie on December 7 and 9, 1946. The Queensland XI included Bill Tallon, Don Tallon’s brother and Len Johnson who was to play a Test match for Australia 12 months later.

The 40 page booklet includes much cricket including early Gympie cricket and early Queensland doings, player profiles PLUS plenty about Gympie itself, especially when it comes to its sales of fruit and vegetables production which was valued at more than half a million pounds in 1945. There are some wonderful local advertisements too including Nosworthy’s Five Ways Produce Store — ‘by every Test we sell the best!’

There is a president’s welcome to the MCC team from local Cricket Association president Byron M Kozminsky and a poem of greeting from local resident Myra Steer.

This is a wonderful post-war publication — and very, very rare.

The cover has a fold and there is some spotting on the outside spine. The covers are not entirely attached from top to bottom and there is a little weathering… but I still rate it a strong 5.5 out of 10. I love the cover with the picture of the old Gympie ground plus the two flags in spot colour of Britain and Australia.