But long before cricket evolved into the massively popular spectacle of today, it was part of the early life of Canberra and its surrounding communities.

The bright lights, pyrotechnics and big hitting of Twenty20 was more than a hundred years away when people first picked up a bat, ball and stumps in the region.

A new exhibition at Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre, "Fooling Around in Flannels", explores the rich past of the sport in Canberra and nearby districts.

Among the vintage items on show are pickhandle bats used in early men v women's games, a ball used in one of the early Prime Minister's XI matches, and a deep maroon cricketer's blazer, among other artefacts. Each help to tell the story of a game much-loved in Canberra, even in the city's infancy.

Allen Mawer, the exhibit's curator, said it came about through a collaboration with the Canberra and District Historical Society, and the loaning of artefacts from the National Museum of Australia.

"Because [the society] acquired a fairly substantial collection of 1920s photographs ... and because we had a lot of stuff that related to Ginninderra's early cricketing history, we thought, put them together," he said.

The exhibit explores how the sport developed in Ginninderra and focuses on Indigenous and women cricketers, as well as the story of Ginninderra cricket legend William Davis. More recent history is also told through the museum's new displays.

Mr Mawer said the museum had wanted to tell the story of William Davis and his contributions to cricket in Ginninderra for a while.

Davis was the captain of the Ginninderra Cricket Club for several years starting in 1850.

The club was known for its longevity, standing ready to play for more than 20 years on any Saturday.

Davis was a major supporter of Indigenous cricket. The Ginninderra Cricket Club had many Aboriginal players during a time many people refused to play with Indigenous cricketers.

Davis himself captained a team of Aboriginal players to victory over Goulburn in 1869.

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Mr Mawer said the exhibit wasn't trying to cover the whole history of cricket in the area but instead focus on a few lesser known but interesting local stories.

Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre had the exhibit ready to launch since May 2020 but only recently had the opportunity to officially launch.

The museum is open Thursday 9am-12pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm.

The exhibit will run for a limited time.

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