The club's history began in 1888 when the Wakari Football Association first played in the local Dunedin league.

The first committee included Sir Robert Stout (Premier of NZ 1884–1897) as its president.

In 1949 clubrooms were developed in the old stables which housed the horses which pulled the rubbish carts that filled in the grounds.

Some of the wood used in modifying the old stables came from the demolition of an open-air swimming pool at the end of the top training ground in the Kaikorai Stream.

These clubrooms were burnt down as a fire brigade exercise when the club built the present clubrooms/gym/changing rooms facilities in 1971.