Cricket has been a beloved sport in Charters Towers since the earliest days of the goldfields in the 1870s. Soon there were dozens of local teams who competed around the district, and some went on to State level competitions as well. Women's teams were formed by the 1910s and the Towers teams soon had a formidable reputation in the area.
The Goldfield Ashes began in 1949 from an idea developed by the Charters Towers Cricket Association secretary Ian Mann and legendary local left-arm bowler Herb Foxlee. It was first advertised as 'three days of entertaining cricket at a grand inter-town carnival', including a 'monster Cricket Carnival Dance'.
The vision statement from the Cricket Association stated: 'The object of the Carnival is to bring together from near and far our fellow cricketers to participate with good sportsmanship and friendly rivalry in the King of Games. We welcome you and hope that your stay is a very enjoyable one'.
That first year, on a hot January weekend, eight teams registered.
The carnival was enjoyed by all and agreed to continue the following year. A ceremonial burning of a set of wickets was performed and the ashes placed in a trophy cup, as the traditional England/Australia Ashes did. The cup circulated to winning teams for a few years but eventually disappeared. Thankfully one of the committee took home one of the pointed stump ends and had it 'chromed' and engraved for Ian Mann as a token of appreciation for his idea. The stump was held by Ian's family until early 2026 when his daughter, Barbara Robinson donated it to the Charters Towers Archives for preservation.
The Goldfield Ashes continued to grow steadily throughout the 50s and 60s then popularity took off in the 1970s, with teams travelling from all over Queensland to compete in the social and graded levels. Teams came up with clever and funny names such as the Guatemala Hog Herders, the Simpson Desert Alpine Ski Team, Blood Sweat and Beers, and Boonies Disciples, and other features were added such as costumes for dropped catches, and a variety of motorised eskies for drink distribution.
Of course, some serious cricket is still played and the A1 and A2 competitions are hotly contested.
The Carnival has continued to grow with hundreds of teams playing across more than fifty fields. Some lucky teams play on well-watered school ovals, while others use empty paddocks and fields all around the town. In 2026, the 78th Goldfield Ashes there wer 305 teams registered, coming from all over Australia.
They play in heat, pouring rain, drought-hardened bare dirt and bindis, but still they come. The population of Charters Towers swells noticably, with every caravan park, hotel, motel, camp site and backyard filled with keen players and their families.
Although the carnival is a lot less formal nowadays, the sentiment of good sportsmanship, friendly rivalry and of course, good cricket still holds true.