The match was held in 1874 and she was just 19 years old – and the top scorer too.
It was a significant milestone in the history of women’s sport, watched by thousands at a time when women required permission to play sports that typically only men played.
Now 150 years on, Barbara’s leadership and legacy lives on as women’s cricket in Australia thrives with record-breaking crowds and participation levels.
A sculpture celebrating Barbara will be created by the City of Greater Bendigo on Dja Dja Wurrung country.
The sculpture will be funded by the Victorian Women's Public Art Program, which aims to address the underrepresentation of women and their achievements through enduring public artworks.
Last year, organisations were invited to apply for funding under the second round of the program that celebrates women and their achievements. Thirteen projects were shortlisted to be part of a public engagement process.
The Victorian community were invited to have their say on which stories they would most like to see honoured through art - and now six new artworks have been commissioned.
The Victorian Women’s Public Art Program is funded by the Victorian Government’s Community Support Fund and run in partnership with McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery. McClelland supports contemporary artists to develop, create and present their work, and manages a range of programs to commission artwork.