The Sheffield Shield competition was initially instituted on a challenge basis, with the first match being played between South Australia and New South Wales starting at Adelaide on 16 December 1892. South Australia won the match on 21 December 1892 and hence became the first holders of the Sheffield Shield.
Victoria became the next holders of the Shield when they defeated South Australia on 4 January 1893. They held the Shield until 30 January 1893, when the Australasian Cricket Council changed the rules so that the Shield was to be held by the team with the best seasonal record. When the season ended shortly after, Victoria had the best record, and thus regained possession of the Shield.
A final was introduced in 1982/83; in the event of a tie, the team who had headed the table were declared winners, until 2018/19, when it was decided that drawn finals should be settled on first-innings bonus points.
The foundation teams of the Sheffield Shield were New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
| Sheffield Shield | |
| 1892/93 | Victoria |
| 1893/94 | South Australia |
| 1894/95 | Victoria |
| 1895/96 | New South Wales |
| 1896/97 | New South Wales |
| 1897/98 | Victoria |
| 1898/99 | Victoria |
| 1899/00 | New South Wales |
| 1900/01 | Victoria |
| 1901/02 | New South Wales |
| 1902/03 | New South Wales |
| 1903/04 | New South Wales |
| 1904/05 | New South Wales |
| 1905/06 | New South Wales |
| 1906/07 | New South Wales |
| 1907/08 | Victoria |
| 1908/09 | New South Wales |
| 1909/10 | South Australia |
| 1910/11 | New South Wales |
| 1911/12 | New South Wales |
| 1912/13 | South Australia |
| 1913/14 | New South Wales |
| 1914/15 | Victoria |
| 1914/15-1918/19 | No competition – First World War |
| 1919/20 | New South Wales |
| 1920/21 | New South Wales |
| 1921/22 | Victoria |
| 1922/23 | New South Wales |
| 1923/24 | Victoria |
| 1924/25 | Victoria |
| 1925/26 | New South Wales |
| Queensland joins the competition | |
| 1926/27 | South Australia |
| 1927/28 | Victoria |
| 1928/29 | New South Wales |
| 1929/30 | Victoria |
| 1930/31 | Victoria |
| 1931/32 | New South Wales |
| 1932/33 | New South Wales |
| 1933/34 | Victoria |
| 1934/35 | Victoria |
| 1935/36 | South Australia |
| 1936/37 | Victoria |
| 1937/38 | New South Wales |
| 1938/39 | South Australia |
| 1939/40 | New South Wales |
| 1940/41-1945/46 | No competition – Second World War |
| 1946/47 | Victoria |
| Western Australia joins the competition | |
| 1947/48 | Western Australia |
| 1948/49 | New South Wales |
| 1949/50 | New South Wales |
| 1950/51 | Victoria |
| 1951/52 | New South Wales |
| 1952/53 | South Australia |
| 1953/54 | New South Wales |
| 1954/55 | New South Wales |
| 1955/56 | New South Wales |
| 1956/57 | New South Wales |
| 1957/58 | New South Wales |
| 1958/59 | New South Wales |
| 1959/60 | New South Wales |
| 1960/61 | New South Wales |
| 1961/62 | New South Wales |
| 1962/63 | Victoria |
| 1963/64 | South Australia |
| 1964/65 | New South Wales |
| 1965/66 | New South Wales |
| 1966/67 | Victoria |
| 1967/68 | Western Australia |
| 1968/69 | South Australia |
| 1969/70 | Victoria |
| 1970/71 | South Australia |
| 1971/72 | Western Australia |
| 1972/73 | Western Australia |
| 1973/74 | Victoria |
| 1974/75 | Western Australia |
| 1975/76 | South Australia |
| 1976/77 | Western Australia |
| Tasmania joins the competition | |
| 1977/78 | Western Australia |
| 1978/79 | Victoria |
| 1979/80 | Victoria |
| 1980/81 | Western Australia |
| 1981/82 | South Australia |
| The top two teams play off in a final | |
| 1982/83 | New South Wales |
| 1983/84 | Western Australia |
| 1984/85 | New South Wales |
| 1985/86 | New South Wales |
| 1986/87 | Western Australia |
| 1987/88 | Western Australia |
| 1988/89 | Western Australia |
| 1989/90 | New South Wales |
| 1990/91 | Victoria |
| 1991/92 | Western Australia |
| 1992/93 | New South Wales |
| 1993/94 | New South Wales |
| 1994/95 | Queensland |
| 1995/96 | South Australia |
| 1996/97 | Queensland |
| 1997/98 | Western Australia |
| 1998/99 | Western Australia |
| Pura Milk Cup | |
| 1999/00 | Queensland |
| Pura Cup | |
| 2000/01 | Queensland |
| 2001/02 | Queensland |
| 2002/03 | New South Wales |
| 2003/04 | Victoria |
| 2004/05 | New South Wales |
| 2005/06 | Queensland |
| 2006/07 | Tasmania |
| 2007/08 | New South Wales |
| Sheffield Shield | |
| 2008/09 | Victoria |
| 2009/10 | Victoria |
| 2010/11 | Tasmania |
| 2011/12 | Queensland |
| 2012/13 | Tasmania |
| 2013/14 | New South Wales |
| 2014/15 | Victoria |
| 2015/16 | Victoria |
| 2016/17 | Victoria |
| 2017/18 | Queensland |
| 2018/19 | Victoria |
| 2019/20 | New South Wales (final cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2020/21 | Queensland |
| 2021/22 | Western Australia |
| 2022/23 | Western Australia |
| 2023/24 | Western Australia |
Ric Finlay
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