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Both Pakenham Upper CC and Toomuc CC were playing local cricket in the 1950's and well before that. In this decade they played against each other, and also against Berwick, Five Mile, Tooradin, Cranbourne, Upper Beaconsfield, Cardinia, Kooweerup, Pakenham, Officer, Clyde, Narre-Hallam, Longwarry and Beaconsfield clubs in the Berwick and Pakenham Districts Association.

Names from this period representing Pakenham Upper include Bert Nye, Cliff Bumpstead, Jack Buckland, Greg Waterhouse, Ted Nye, Bert Nye, Harry Blackburne, Graeme MacDonald, Rod Price, Rob Orr, Eric Harvie, Ernie Olds, Dave Shipton.

Ernie Olds recalls a Pakenham Upper match at Clyde which was a tie on the first innings, both teams out for just 44 runs. Was this due to diabolical batting efforts? No, Ernie insists that the bowlers were VERY good indeed...

Toomuc's playing list at the same time included Charlie Reynolds, Rob Jeremiah, Bob Beer, Ed Fleming, P Ramsdale, Jack Priest, Wally Fleming, Laurie Jeremiah, G Ziino.

7 acres, 1 rood and 16 perches of land in the Parish of Gembrook, were reserved for "Public Recreation" by the Office of Lands and Survey on 11th July 1940. Click here to view the original Gazetted document. All complaints about the small size of the cricket ground should be addressed to His Excellency the Governor in Council, who approved the submission on 16th July 1940.

Harry Blackburne is no longer with us, but was a stalwart player, member and committeeman for many years. Fittingly, the oval we call home is today known as the Harry Blackburne Oval in his memory. Unofficially of course it's just "YABBIELAND".  

Pakenham Upper Cricket Club had slipped into hibernation in the mid-1960's, but after 13 years was awoken from its slumber by local businessman Clive Fielder and other like-minded blokes including Peter Walsh and Ray Cross, who frequented Clive's General Store on the corner of Morrison Rd. These fellows got a side together and the re-born club played its first matches in D Grade of the West Gippsland Cricket Association in season 1977/78. Actually, the first match resulted in a glorious win at Narre Warren East, unfortunately it was the only victory of the season!

The first Committee of the modern era for Paky Upper included President R Cross, Secretary (and captain/coach) P Walsh, and Treasurer C Fielder. The following year saw the addition of an E Grade team, as the club began to grow.

Throughout this period, the "clubrooms" at Pakenham Upper consisted of a lock-up shed (and even that had a padlock that didn't lock, according to Jack Buckland. But those were different days and Jack can't remember anything ever being knocked-off. The conveniences was a good old-fashioned "thunderbox" which the women and children were afraid to use in case of big spiders lurking under the seat....

In 1983 the area was seriously threatened by the Ash Wednesday bushfires and Apex Australia, the Shire of Pakenham and Red Cross donated funds which allowed a brick building to be built on the current site and donated to the community as a Refuge in case of future bushfires. The building was officially opened on 15th March 1986 by Shire Preident Mr Keith Ewenson. The cricket club as principal user, developed the rooms over the years.

TWO CLUBS UNITE - 1986

Pakenham Upper and Toomuc Pakenham Park (known locally as "The Teepees") clubs decided to throw in their lot together, and the first Annual General Meeting of the new Cricket Club was held on 10th August 1986. Graeme Ebert was the first President, Russ Pursell V-P, John Fromhold Secretary, Dot Pursell Treasurer, and Ian Ferguson Assistant Secretary. Playing subs for Seniors was set at the princely sum of $60. Oh happy days!

It was decided back in '86 that the playing caps for the PUT combine should be all green with gold writing. Back then, the new Club did not have a nickname, and it was not until 1991 that it was decided to change the club colours to the now familiar brown and gold. The fledgling club had taken a few seasons to gel together on and off the field. Nicknames suggested in '91 included Hawks, Tigers and Pumas, but eventually it was agreed that "Yabbies" would be the new emblem of the club. For those not familiar with the place, around the ground and in the surrounding area, many yabby holes are to be found, and the creeks and drains often yield superb specimens of this feisty but delicious crustacean.

By the mid 1990's the club was growing rapidly and big club functions such as Junior Presentation Nights saw many parents standing outside looking in through the windows! The club raised funds and secured a Federation Grant to extend the clubrooms to twice their original size and the extension was opened on 20th October 2001 by Federal MHL for Latrobe Mr Bob Charles.

Since then, the club has sought to upgrade the facilities to meet today's community expectations where funds have been available.