Kim Hughes - Early Life

Early Life

Hughes was born on 26 January 1954, at Margaret River, Western Australia, the first child of father Stan, a school teacher and mother Ruth. The Hughes family lived in nearby Kudardup, where Stan was in charge of the one-teacher school. Stan's profession would take the Hughes family across much of the south west of Western Australia including postings at Ballidu, Pinjarra and Geraldton. The Hughes family settled in the Geraldton suburb of Wonthella and Hughes attended the local Allendale Primary School, where his father was the headmaster.

In Geraldton, the young Hughes played a variety of sports, including hockey, tennis and especially Australian rules football. His boyhood hero was Austin Robertson, Jr. who played for Subiaco Football Club, the club that Hughes' father had played for as a young man. His first organised cricket was as an 11 year old, filling in for the Bluff Point Cricket Club under-16 side. He was selected for a Geraldton under-16 representative side aged 11, to compete in the junior "Country Week" tournament in the state capital of Perth, where his team mates included Geoff Gallop, later Premier of Western Australia. He was selected in the Geraldton Country Week team again the following year. It was at this tournament that Hughes' performances playing against much older boys saw him come to the attention of cricket administrators.

After Hughes finished primary school, the family moved to Perth. Hughes attended City Beach High School and played cricket for the Floreat Park (now Floreat) Under-16 side. In his final season at junior level, Hughes scored 555 runs at an average of 46 and took 28 wickets at an average of 6 and was included in the Western Australia Colts squad. The next season, aged 15, Hughes made his first grade debut for Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club, captained by former Test player Des Hoare; Hughes made 36 runs. In January 1970, Hughes was selected to play for Western Australia in the national under-19 carnival. His captain, Ric Charlesworth, later described Hughes as "the most gifted junior cricketer I ever saw. No one else comes close." Later that season, Hughes made his first century in first grade cricket against Midland-Guildford and finished the season topping the club batting averages.