Bathurst High to celebrate 100th anniversary of Astley Cup in 2023

The Astley Cup, a inter-sport competition between Bathurst High Campus, Orange High School and Dubbo College, will mark 100 years since its establishment back in 1923.

Competing in a mix of sports including rugby league, soccer, netball, athletics, basketball, hockey and tennis, the Astley Cup is one of the most looked forward to events in the Bathurst High calendar.

Bathurst High principal Ken Barkwick said he's looking forward to celebrating a century of the cup.

"Our school is extremely excited and I'm really privileged to be the principal of Bathurst High the time the 100th year of the Astley Cup has rolled around. To be a former student, it'll be extra special for me," he said.

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"I'm sure every school - Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange - will want to have their name on the cup for the 100th.

"That's going to be the first battle. Secondly, we're home-tied against Orange on June 22-23 and they're traditionally very strong."

Orange High, Bathurst's traditional rival, is the most success Astley Cup team, having won bragging rights on 43 occasions and most recently in 2022.

Bathurst has won 27, ahead of Dubbo's 23, with its most recent victory in 2019, the last of a run of three consecutive titles.

The Astley Cup ball is shaping up as one of the biggest events at the school in years, and it will be held on the evening of Friday, June 23.

The event will be held at the Bathurst Goldfields, with the invitation open to not just students that competed in the Astley Cup.

"That will be the big event, the gala event for old alumni getting back together," Mr Barkwick said.

"It doesn't matter if you didn't play Astley Cup or went to Bathurst High, you just have to buy tickets. But I'm pretty sure they'll sell really quickly."

Mr Barkwick said the school will also be producing plenty of Astley Cup-related merchandise.

"We've already got merchandising underway and an Astley Cup 100th anniversary logo being developed," he said.

"There'll be things from tracksuits to polos, to caps, beanies, coffee mugs, key rings all sorts of things. We'll have that available through a merchandise store that anyone in the committee can buy."

Mr Barwick said the school will also be running series of events around the clash with Orange, including school activities, veteran games and school tours for ex-students.

The school is also working closely with Bathurst Regional Council and a number of motels in town.

"We've already confirmed that there'll be three major motels in town that if visitors show their ticket to the Astley Cup ball, they will get a discount," he said.

"We're really trying to help the tourism around town. There would be a lot of people that have played Astley Cup that have moved away."

Mr Barkwick is also interested in discovering to the oldest surviving Astley Cup competitor.

"We're interested in knowing who the oldest living Astley cup competitor is," he said.

"I wonder who that is? Is it Brian Booth? Let's find out."

Booth, a former Test cricketer for Australia, represented Bathurst High in the early 1940s and is turning 90 in October, 2023.

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