Consistently named one of the most beautiful sport venues in the world, the Sydney Cricket Ground is a beloved gem of Australia's habour city. Yet how many of us know its full history, stretching back to the mid-nineteenth century? How did the Ground transform from a piece of recreational military land to one of the splendours of Australian sport? A fascinating discussion about an important landmark in the history of cricket.

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ABOUT GEOFF ARMSTRONG: Geoff is one of Australia’s leading sport writers and historians. His first book was A Century of Summers, the centenary history of the Sheffield Shield, released in 1992. Two years later, he co-authored The People’s Game, a history of Australia in international one-day cricket. He has co-written or edited several cricket titles on famous cricketers, including Steve Waugh, David Boon, Bob Simpson, Mike Whitney, Ian Healy and Ricky Ponting. His latest publication reflects the splendour of the SCG: a stunning two-volume account of the ground, titled, A Thing of Beauty: The Founding of the Sydney Cricket Ground. Copies are available in Australia via the Stoke Hill Press website (stokehillpress.com), Roger Page Cricket Books and by order from most specialist bookshops. In the UK, the books can be purchased from the cricket bookseller JW McKenzie (mckenzie-cricket.co.uk).

CREDITS: Presenter & Producer: Tom Ford

All music used in podcast comes from the University of California Santa Barbara’s remarkable collection of wax cylinder’s from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which are free to download and use. You can donate to the upkeep of these recordings via their website.