User:Otherthinker/Public Schools Amateur Athletic Association of New South Wales

The Public Schools Amateur Athletic Association (New South Wales) (PSAAA) was constituted in Sydney in 1889 as the governing body for competitive public school sport in the then colony of New South Wales. It was dissolved in 1969 and was succeeded by the current Primary Schools' Sports Association (PSSA) and the Combined High Schools' Sports Association (CHSSA).

Formation
On Saturday, 30 March 1889 a meeting of teachers and officers of the Department of Public Instruction was convened at the Castlereagh Street Public School to adopt rules and elect office bearers for a Public Schools Athletic Association. The meeting was chaired by the Edwin Johnson, then departmental Under-secretary, who called on W. J. Rooney to read the draft rules which were adopted. Johnson was then elected inaugural president and Rooney inaugural secretary along with a committee of seven vice presidents, assistant secretary, treasurer and seven other members. The Minister was adopted as Patron of the Association.

The association was to be affiliated to the recently formed New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association. Membership was open to "all persons connected with the department", a register of schools joining was to be kept. An annual sports meeting was to be held each September. Competitors must be amateurs but there was no bar against "bona-fide school pupils who may compete for money prizes".

First Annual Competition, 1889
A subsequent committee meeting decided upon a programme for the first annual meet with a military drill open to all public schools for a "challenge shield of considerable value" as the main event. Some events were restricted to public school boys and trainee teachers but there were also to be running, walking and cycling races open to all members of clubs affiliated to the colony's Amateur Athletic Association. In addition, there was an "All Schools Handicap" which was also contested by schoolboys from private schools who were later marshalled into the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales. School girls were invited to participate in one event, a calisthenics display, and there was an open "lady's bracelet" handicapped foot race over 440 yards.

On the day, Friday, 6th September 1889, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:40 p.m., at the Sydney Cricket Ground, some 1200 competitors participated in 40 events including foot races, walking, field events (high jump, long jump, throwing a cricket ball), bicycle and tricycle races, and the traditional children's races (egg and spoon, obstacle and sack).