Gaelic football in Australia In 1840, in
Sydney's
Hyde Park, games of Hurling and Football were played by Irishmen. During Adelaide's St Patrick's Day celebrations in 1843, families native to Ireland played a football game "in genuine Irish style". The game started at 2pm and was played in honour of Saint Patrick. In 1846, there was controversy when an Irish gathering sought to "play an old Irish game" in
Sydney's
Hyde Park. In 1859, there were mentions of arrangements to celebrate "Gaelic games" in Geelong. In 1864, an article in the
Freeman's Journal of Sydney wrote about celebrating a holiday by renewing "some of our old national customs, our old manly games and exercises, hurling [and] football". In 1887, the
Freeman's Journal in Sydney, a Catholic publication, printed the GAA's revised rules for Irish football.
Hurling in Australia In December 1860, a hurling match was played in the state of
Victoria, an event which attracted a large attendance of Irishmen.
Early governing bodies The first Australian GAA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1953. Victoria's GAA was formed in 1956, followed by New South Wales. This was followed in 1963 by the formation of a South Australian association and associations in Western Australia and Queensland soon after. The first interstate championships in both codes were played between NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 1971. In Sydney in 1974 representatives of state associations met and agreed to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia to administer and promote
Gaelic football and
hurling on a national level. Subsequently, the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia joined with the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia. ==State associations==