In the early hours of 10 November 1925, a fire broke out on the premises of Mr E. Jones of Mandurama. Curiously, the Majestic Café was the second business operated and insured by Mr. Jones to burn to the ground in 1925 — its contents, however, were not covered. The Forbes Advocate reported:

The Mandurama Reds football cups and shields, which were one of the best collections of football trophies in the west, were on show at the Majestic Café and all were burnt.

The Reds were founded at the turn of the twentieth century as a rugby team. Locally, they were early adopters of the new variant of the game known as "Northern union" introduced to the region by touring teams from Sydney. The Mandurama Men found success in both codes depending on their opponent before joining the Blayney District Rugby League as a founding member in 1913.

Mandurama earnt a reputation in the first decades of the century as the best team west of the Blue Mountains. Where they truly shone was in the field of "challenge cup" matches — specially arranged matches often contested for cash prizes. Reporting suggests that in these challenge matches the Reds went undefeated for eleven years through a combination of physical as well as styling play. Large crowds gathered to watch the Man-Eaters wherever they played, and newspapers often carried half-time reports on their sporting pages to keep the public abreast of the most recent details.

In their time Mandurama produced players who represented Western Division against England, sent representatives to the fledging Country Rugby League, and featured time and again in the Sydney press. Nonetheless, by 1953 the record goes cold, on Trove at least.

This project is seeking to bridge this gap and look at the history of Mandurama, its community and its football team. Memories of the Reds survive in older members of the community and through the stories passed down the generations.

I am seeking participants to be interviewed. Do you, or your loved ones, have memories to share of the Mandurama Reds? Please get in touch using the contact details below.

I'm Sam, I grew up near Mandurama, New South Wales and I'm currently researching the Reds independently. I have worked on heritage projects with National Museums Northern Ireland, Ionad na Fuiseoige, the British Red Cross, and the British Library. I am the Regional Networker for Northern Ireland for the UK's Oral History Society. I currently curate and manage the Templemore Baths Heritage Centre for the EastSide Partnership.