English cricket team in Australia in 1861–62

The idea for the tour came from the English proprietors of a Melbourne catering company called Spiers and Pond, which ran the Café de Paris in the city.

Their representative in England, a Mr Mallam, had tried to interest Charles Dickens in a lecture tour of Australia and New Zealand but without success.

The visit created enormous interest in Australia with a vast crowd greeting the team's arrival at Sandridge (Port Melbourne).

[2] Later in January 1862, the team played New South Wales on the Sydney Domain; the Secretary for Lands, John Robertson controversially allowed the promoters to charge admission to the public while arranging a free stand for parliamentarians.

[3] The team divided for a match in March 1862 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground that has been called The World v Surrey XI and is rated first-class.

One of the World XI locals was John Conway of Victoria who later managed the first Australian team to tour England.