I’d like to acknowledge a beloved sporting club from Berowra who have just notched up 50 years of competition rugby league in our local area.
The Berowra Wallabies Rugby League Club was officially formed in 1967 when a local land owner and builder named Bill Whiddon teamed up with former North Sydney Bears rugby league player Doug McKinnon to form a local rugby league club for the district’s rapidly growing youth population.
The partnership turned out to be a tremendous success with Bill’s amazing organisational skills behind the scenes and Doug able to utilise his extensive contacts in rugby league community. The pair worked feverishly behind the scenes ahead of their first Annual General Meeting with representatives from other clubs, to make sure everything was in place for the historic meeting.
At the inaugural AGM, Bill was entrusted with the role and elected unopposed as the Club’s first President. Bill’s dedication and passion for the club was evident to anyone who met him. He even donated space at his Berowra Waters Road home to be used as the club’s unofficial home base and clubrooms.
For the next few seasons Bill’s life resolved around giving back to setting up and establishing the Wallabies. Being located just over the back fence from the club’s ground at Berowra Park his home was also used as the club’s headquarters for all committee meetings, fundraisers and even as equipment storage shed.
My good friend Hornsby Councillor Nathan Tilbury has written a detailed book on the club’s history where he has collected many tales from ex-players, families and supporters who would congregate around a bonfire at Bill’s house at post-match barbecues which often went late into the night. Bill’s house also used to serve as a dropping off point for junior players whose parents couldn’t take to their kids to away games. Car-pooling would then often be organised from Bill’s house with several ex-junior Wallabies players still fondly remembering the times when Mrs Whiddon would pick them up and carry them across her house so their football boots wouldn’t to mark her kitchen lino.
It’s this love and affection for the community and club which has helped forge the Berowra Wallabies identity and family friendly reputation which exists to this day. It is a club which has always stuck to its mission statement to develop and promote rugby league in the local area while encouraging and promoting fairness, competition, player safety, and enjoyment of the game.
This nurturing environment at the Wallabies has helped produce an impressive array of rugby league talent over the last 50 years with the North Sydney Bears benefiting most with five representatives including Ian Fox, Mark Rudd, Brad Collins, Curtis Johnston and Jack Hawkins. All of these players are a timely reminder of the wonderful rugby league talent we have here on the Upper North Shore of Sydney. Let’s hope the North Sydney Bears can one day re-join the NRL and once again provide a much needed talent pathway for our elite junior talent.
The Wallabies list of rugby league representatives doesn’t stop there. Former Roosters five-eighth and halfback Craig O’Dwyer played four seasons in the old ARL representing Easts, Western Reds and South Queensland Crushers. The Wallabies have also produced former Newcastle Knights winger Craig Hall, Country NSW Rugby League representative Gavin Tutill, and halfback Aaron Groome who went on to play with Manly, Canterbury Bulldogs and Fiji in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
There has also been several Berowra players earning National Youth League contracts with Dean Connell and Riley Travers turning out for Manly’s juniors while Brad Wall and Charles Shepherd have pulled on the green and red of South Sydney.
These rugby league representatives weren’t discovered by accident. They are the result of the Wallabies “One club – One team” motto which has served the club well over the last 50 years with every volunteer pitching in to develop the next generation. Arguably the Wallabies best role model embodying these traits is life-long Berowra resident, former Club President and Life Member Andy Paterson. Andy is a hard working volunteer who never seeks the limelight but someone who I’m going to single out for special personal praise.
Andy played junior footy and been involved with the Wallabies since the 1960s and has won the Wallabies Clubman of the Year on two occasions in 1981 and 1992. He has also recently project managed the club’s brand new clubhouse facility at Wallabies Werrina Street Oval home ground.
The club indeed holds Andy and his family in the highest regard for his lifetime of service to improving rugby league facilities and administration in the local area. Andy however is not alone. There are many other amazing volunteers who give up their time to help make the Berowra Wallabies the wonderful club that it is.
Volunteers such as Steve Rees Rick Watson Roz Pears, Lisa Jefferys, Carl Bunce Steve Cunningham, Lisa Shelton and Mick Wall can all be proud of their many achievements throughout the years which have helped the Berowra Wallabies grow into the successful club that they are today.
This passion and pride for the club was on full display at the Wallabies recent 50th anniversary celebrations this month. To mark the event, club officials organised a carnival rugby league day at Warrina Street Oval with junior players flocking to the ground with jumping castles and fun activities for all to enjoy. The carnival day saw eight games played back to back, culminating in Wallabies A Grade team beating Avalon Bulldogs to head into the long weekend at the top of the table.
The golden jubilee celebrations continued at Berowra RSL Club where players, officials and supporters came together to celebrate the historic occasion with a formal dinner which included special guest speakers and a short presentation showcasing the club’s rich history.
I’d like to thank the Wallabies amazing backroom administration team. Club president Adrian Gins is doing a tremendous job and has been involved with the club for over 26 years as a committee member, player, trainer and coach. Adrian has played with the club right through from the under 10s all the way to the Wallabies A Grade team.
Another dedicated executive member I’d like to thank is Berowra’s much loved club Secretary Lauren Milner. Lauren has spent years her entire life involved with the Wallabies. Lauren started attending games at the age of 3 when her brother first started playing in the under 6s and her father was one of the team officials. Her love and connection with the club has seen her taking up multiple roles with the Wallabies including running sand for the team’s goal kickers in her brother’s under 13’s side throughout the 1990s and more recently managing her son’s under 6’s team. Lauren has kept her passion for rugby league after all these years and is still involved with the club this time as Club Secretary.
The club’s strong sense of community is evident to anybody who comes into contact with this wonderful sporting organisation. All the volunteers involved with the Wallabies show tremendous dedication in making sure the club is run smoothly and efficiently for every junior and senior player running onto the footy field each week. It is a commitment which is shared by all at the club with everyone from President Adrian Gins right through to registrar Tara Hamilton, coaching co-ordinator Kyle Jefferys , treasurer Rhonda Andersen and Canteen coordinator Lisa Jenkins all donating their precious time for the benefit of the club.
As the local Member it is one of my favourite parts of the job to visit my friends at the Berowra Wallabies and see first-hand the club’s continued growth and success. For all your ongoing efforts I say thank you.
