Northern NSW Football has launched a dedicated digital museum to provide a place to recognise, preserve and celebrate the rich and distinguished history of football across northern NSW.
The dedicated section brings together historical information, significant milestones and award recipients, acknowledging the generations of players, clubs, volunteers, administrators and supporters who have contributed to the game and helped shape the organisation.
The project was established in mid-2025 to ensure NNSWF's history was documented, accessible and celebrated, recognising the important role football has played in across the region for generations.
NNSWF CEO Peter Haynes said the digital museum was an important initiative to acknowledge the people and moments that had helped build football across the region.
"Northern NSW is one of the longest established football regions in Australia, with an extraordinary history and generations of people who have contributed so much to our game. I think we need to acknowledge that, as an organisation, we haven't always done enough to recognise, preserve and celebrate that history,” Haynes said.
“We have an incredible story to tell and I believe we have a responsibility to ensure it isn't lost. This project is an important first step in doing better. Our ambition is to build a digital museum that not only documents our history but brings it to life through photographs, videos, stories and the contributions of our football community.
“We want future generations to understand and appreciate the people, clubs and moments that helped build the game we enjoy today."
Bringing the information together has been a significant undertaking, involving extensive research and many hours of work to piece together records spanning decades.
Historical records have often been incomplete, difficult to locate or scattered across different sources, making it a challenging process to verify information and build a comprehensive picture of NNSWF's history.
NNSWF historian and former NNSWF Chair Bill Walker played a significant role in the project, providing invaluable historical information and knowledge and sharing the work of he and his fellow historians Sid Grant and Harry Hetherington.
Haynes acknowledged the considerable effort involved and paid tribute to those who had helped bring the project to life.
"We owe a great deal of thanks to Bill Walker for his extensive knowledge, research and contribution to this project, as well as the work of Sid Grant and Harry Hetherington over many years," Haynes said.
"Compiling this information has not been easy. It has required patience, persistence and a genuine passion for our game's history. In many cases, it has involved piecing together incomplete records and tracking down information that isn't readily available. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed their time and knowledge."
The launch represents the first phase of a broader project with further historical information, stories and content to be added over time.
Phase one of the project includes records of NPL and State League competitions, the second tier of NNSWF men’s football, annual award recipients and national representatives from northern NSW.
NNSWF recognises that documenting such a long and distinguished history is an ongoing process and is encouraging the football community to play a role in its development.
Clubs, former players, administrators, volunteers, supporters and anyone with an interest in football in northern NSW are invited to contribute historical information, photographs, videos, documents, interviews, memorabilia and personal stories, as well as identify any inaccuracies or missing details.
"This is very much a work in progress and we know there is still so much more of our history to uncover and share," Haynes said.
"We would love our football community to get involved. If you have old photographs, videos, records, stories or information that could help build on what we have started, or if you notice something that isn't quite right, please get in touch.
"We want this to be a resource that our entire football community can contribute to and take pride in. Our history belongs to all of us."
The NNSWF digital museum is available now via the Northern NSW Football website HERE.