10/06/2026
THE MYSTERY OF THE BADGE
Every now and then, Beverley Park Golf Club uncovers something that stops us in our tracks.
Recently, an unusual badge was found at the club. At first glance it appeared to be an old sporting medallion, but closer inspection revealed a remarkable piece of Sydney sporting history.
The badge is engraved:
"Won By Newtown II – H.T. Binskin"and bears the initials MRU along with the year 1907.
A little research uncovered the story behind the medal. It was awarded to H.T. Binskin, a member of the Newtown Rugby Union Second Grade team, winners of the 1907 Metropolitan Rugby Union competition.
Even more remarkably, we were able to locate the official team photograph from that championship season. There, among the premiership-winning side, sits H.T. Binskin, pictured in the front row alongside his teammates, proudly representing Newtown more than 118 years ago.
One can only imagine the celebrations that followed their triumph. Sydney was a very different place in 1907. Federation was only six years old, motor cars were still a novelty, and rugby union was one of the city's premier sporting competitions. This badge would have been a treasured possession, perhaps worn on a watch chain or proudly displayed by its owner.
Which leads us to the mystery.
How did a personal sporting medal awarded to a Newtown rugby player in 1907 find its way to Beverley Park Golf Club in 2026?
Was H.T. Binskin a golfer? Did he have a connection to the St George district? Was the badge passed down through generations before being lost or donated? Or has it travelled a long and winding path through antique collections and family estates before finally turning up here?
At the moment, we have more questions than answers.
What we do know is that this small badge has survived for well over a century and carries with it a story that deserves to be told.
So we're putting the challenge out to our members and local historians:
Can you help solve the Mystery of the Day?
If you know anything about H.T. Binskin, the Binskin family, or how this 1907 Newtown Rugby Union premiership badge may have found its way to Beverley Park Golf Club, we'd love to hear from you.
After all, every piece of history has a journey—and we're determined to discover where this one began, and how it ended up here.
