Hobart United was started in 2002 as a result of a school project by a Sudanese students at Elizabeth College to help keep young African boys out of trouble. Newly-arrived African boys felt frustrated as they struggled to get into established teams due to language barriers.

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A few years later they started playing at Pontville, 40km from Hobart (Tasmania) and near the asylum seeker detention centre. The club invited boys from the centre to play games with the club. When the boys turned up in thongs and bare feet, the club donated boots and shirts. From that time, Hobart United has welcomed refugees and migrants from all continents and is now represented by around 30 different nationalities.