The Tumby Bay Football Club was formed in 1906 with records showing that it was initiated by Constable Simons, Mr S Bawden and Mr A Garrett. The officials of the club were Mr J Lynch, Mr C Neindorf, Mr L Brock and Mr Schrieber.

Matches in those days were arranged and played wherever possible, the team and officials travelled by horse, buggy and dray. Playing conditions were fairly primitive, games being played on no recognised ovals, with the best available paddocks marked out, goal posts erected and obstructions, including stumps, removed to create a clear playing area.

In 1907 Tumby Bay joined the Port Lincoln Football Association, which at that time comprised Waybacks, Boston Bay, Port Lincoln and an aboriginal team from Poonindie. Games played between Tumby Bay and Port Lincoln were played in a paddock belonging to Mr Goode on White River Station. In 1908 the Tumby Bay Football Club won its first premiership.

During 1910-1914 Tumby Bay, Lipson, Carrow and Moody formed a Warratta Football Association, Yallunda Flat also formed a team and joined at a later date, then during 1914-1919, the club went into recession due to World War I.

In 1920, when the Todd Reservoir was under construction, a team was formed and named White River, which joined an association with Tumby Bay and Lipson.

In 1925 Tumby Bay and Lipson joined the Eastern Eyre Peninsula Football Association, which was made up of teams from Ungarra, Butler, Port Neill and, for a while, Wharminda. Tumby Bay, during those days, wore the red guernsey with a white V. There soon came another recession due to World War II during 1941-1944.

Tumby Bay remained a part of the Eastern Eyre Peninsula Football Assocation up to and including 1961, when they won the premiership. The club had had won eleven other premierships prior to 1961, before joining the Port Lincoln Football League in 1962 and becoming the Double Blues. For nineteen years Tumby Bay played within the Port Lincoln Football League, with only one premiership during that time, which was in 1968 when they defeated Souths by four points.

In 1981, the Tumby Bay Football Club decided to join the Great Flinders Football League as they wanted their footballers and netballers to play together at the same venue. The club has now been a part of this league for twenty eight years and have won three premierships; one in 1995 after a premiership drought for the club of twenty seven years, one in 1999 and then again in 2007.

This history compiled from books and newspaper clippings...if you have photographs or history to share, please contact us and help to keep our club's history up to date for another one hundred years and more.

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