Local Stories and Interviews

Interview with Eddie Skiba (21st August 2025) about the Plenty Cricket Club

The Skiba family moved to Plenty in 1957.  At this time Plenty Cricket Club did not have any junior teams so when Eddie started playing cricket in about 1958 or 1959 it was with Greensborough. Juniors were introduced at Plenty in 1961 and Eddie as a 13-year-old played in the under 16s. Johnny Greenwood was the first captain, then Peter Tonkin and Eddie was captain in his last year as a junior. Roger Fellows was also at Greensborough with Eddie, but he stayed there as a junior and returned to Plenty as a senior. At the start players came from far and wide to make up the Plenty teams. Players came from Greensborough, Diamond Creek and Yarrambat. Many of these players were friends who were recruited to make up the numbers. After a while there was a bit of an influx, and they were able to establish a C Grade and a few years later a D Grade.

There were not many options for recreation in Plenty so the cricket club and the tennis club were well supported and created a focus for the tight knit community.

In the early days the two tennis courts were asphalt. Eddie remembers that they were not playable during his first 8-10 years in Plenty. He remembers a drum of tar sitting there for years that was to be used to repair the courts, but it never happened. The Cullens played tennis, Geoff Heddle, Hughie and Beryl Cullen, Bessie Furse and Ailsa played.  Anyone who could play was seconded. The cricket ground used to be sloped north-south with the pitch running east-west. This was later rectified and the pitch direction changed. Eddie thinks that the Cullens donated part of their property for the sporting facilities. Pop Cullen used to walk over and watch the cricket sometimes. The clubrooms were built by volunteers and the finance to upgrade and extend them was raised by the regular bingo nights in South Morang. Eddie was one of the community members who organised these nights. The wider community benefitted greatly from this fundraising.

The afternoon teas at the cricket club were apparently spectacular. Some of the ladies remembered were Berryl and Ailsa Davies, Peggy, Bessie and Kath Furse. The ladies played cards at the cricket club on Wednesday nights.

The tennis and cricket clubs were very social and when the games finished on a Saturday everybody from both clubs got together and socialised. In the early 1970s Saturday night was card night. All were welcome and they would rotate between people’s homes. There was always a good supper. Very small bets were laid. Ernie Lofts tried to up the ante at one stage but was shut down.

Presentation nights were a big affair held at the Plenty Hall, Bundoora Hall and the Masonic Hall in Diamond Creek. Everyone’s extended family and community members would come along; it was a big social occasion. Everybody knew everyone else. You knew people through the school and the shop as well as the sporting clubs.

Christmas at the cricket club was big occasion for the children. Father Christmas would arrive with good quality presents. There would be horses and all sorts of activities.

There are score books at the club that go back decades.

Eddie remembers members of the club who went on to play VFL, Barry Armstrong played over 200 games for Carlton, his brother Ray to North Melbourne and Nick Stephens in later years to Port Adelaide then Carlton.

Many members played into their 60s, Hughie Cullen is one who did. These players played in the lower grades.

At one stage the club had A, B, C, D, E and F grade teams. Eddie remembers that his brother worked on the oil rigs but used to ride his motorbike back to Plenty to play cricket.

 Many players played for a long time through the grades. All five of the Skiba children played cricket for Plenty and Eddie and Sean played together in seniors.