Australian Boxing History
Boxing in Australia started under Broughton's Rules in 1743. These were bare knuckled bouts that resembled more of a modern day street fight.
It is believed that the first recorded fight in Australia was on the 7th of January 1814. It is thought that Charles Lifton was one of the fighters. The venue would have been the Sydney Racecourse (Hyde Park).
The first Australian born fighter to become popular was known as Kable or “Young Kable” from Windsor NSW. In 1824 Kable knocked out Sam Clark an English boxer.
The favorite boxing grounds in the 1830s were Parramatta, Windsor, Surry Hills and Como. Notable boxers from the 1830s included Young Bailey, Ned Chalker, Young Kable and George Hough.
Notable boxers from the 1840s included Bill Sparkes, Tom Sparkes (aka Sprig of Myrtle), lzaac Gorrick (aka "Bungaree"). Gorrick was the very first Australian boxer to fight in England in 1842. Bill Sparkes also fought in England in 1847 and went 67 rounds against the undefeated Nat Langham. Sparkes broke his right arm in the 62nd round of this fight.
In the early 1800s boxing in Australia underwent some changes and inducted the London Prize Ring Rules in 1838, later revised in 1853. Under these rules we know that opponents were often thrown to the ground and fights were fought to the finish, the bouts sometimes lasted for hours. The boxing would only stop if the opponent was knocked out or the police were called in to break it up. Sometimes the crowd would get involved and the fight would be stopped.
The longest recorded bare knuckle bout lasted an amazing 6 hours and 15 minutes. The fight took place on the 3rd of December 1855 at Fiery Creek (near Daylesford) Victoria. An Irishman by the name of James Kelly defeated the English soldier Jonathan Smith. The prize money was £400 and the bare knuckle bout went 17 long rounds.
It was 1884 when fights in Australia were conducted with the use of boxing gloves, ushering in the Queensberry rules. Australia at that time was in the lime light, breaking new ground in boxing innovation. The boxing trainer Billy Palmer (a former boxer) was starting to teach new defensive techniques to boxers in Australia. These new boxing techniques were recognized worldwide. Peter Jackson a West Indian who fought James Corbett in 1891 traveled to Australia to learn these new techniques. Bob Fitzsimmons an English boxer who took the 1897 title also traveled to Australia to sharpen his boxing technique.
Possibly the most famous bout to take place in Australian boxing history was held in Sydney on December 26, 1908. A fighter by the name of Jack Johnson took Tommy Burns to the 14th round before knocking him out. Johnson became the very first black heavyweight champion
