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Ku Ring Gai Netball Association Fiftieth Anniversary

20 June 2017

I’d like to acknowledge a very special local sporting association from the Hornsby Kuring-gai area whose members are busily preparing for their 50th anniversary celebrations later this year.

I am of course talking about the great community-run organisation that is the Kuring-gai Netball Association. This not-for-profit sporting body is a wonderful example of what can be achieved on and off the court with hard work, perseverance and dedication.

The Kuring-gai Netball Association, or better known to locals as the KNA, can be traced back to 1967, when a team comprised of representatives from several Kuring-gai Catholic Schools started to play netball in Narrabeen as there were no courts available in the local area. It was decided that a local netball Association would be created with invitations sent to all surrounding suburbs to participate.

Shortly after this, the new netball administrators called a public meeting to explore the viability of a local Association. In 1968 the KNA was officially formed with the first season of competition netball starting the following year at St Ives Village Green in 1969.

Back then there were 520 inaugural registered players. The Association’s membership base has since grown to include 18 clubs with over 3,600 members from the Ku-ring-gai /Hornsby region. This phenomenal growth didn’t happen by accident. It is the result of generations of committed volunteer mums, dads and community members who rolled up their sleeves and wanted to give back to the local area. I am delighted to say that I count many of these amazing volunteers as my good personal friends.

KNA members like Julie Fitzgerald and Brenda Williams represent these traits best. They have been inspirational figures in our local area for decades, and deserve a huge round of thanks from our community, for their continued and unwavering commitment to growing the sport of netball.

These two community leaders were recognised for their remarkable service to the community late last year when Julie Fitzgerald was awarded the 2016 Hornsby Woman of the Year, while Brenda Williams was named the 2016 Ku-ring-gai Woman of the Year. Both of these amazing women can be proud of their many achievements.

I would like to share some of their many accomplishments with the House. Julie Fitzgerald is a remarkable woman. Professionally she is regarded as one of the world's best netball coaches. She took the Sydney swifts to their only Premiership and saw them reach the finals in all but one of her 15 years at the helm. Her outstanding record has recently seen her appointed as head coach of the GWS Giants for their inaugural season.

With Julie's success at the highest levels of world netball it is sometimes easy to forget her remarkable contribution to the grassroots. Julie has been the driving force behind the establishment and success of the Ku-ring-gai Netball Association having served at every level of the organisation including secretary, vice-president, President, representative co-ordinator and head coach. After helping establish KNA into the force it is, she then went on to be the general manager of Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Basketball growing the association from 150 to over 300 teams. In this role she saw the construction of the Brickpit which to this day is the marquee arena in Sydney's North. All this has been achieved whilst raising four children as a single mum.

Brenda Williams meanwhile, has given 55 years’ service to netball and is the KNA’s Patron and longest serving member. Brenda has served as a coach, umpire, umpire’s convenor, vice president, treasurer, mentor and first patron of the organisation she has been an integral part of since KNA’s inception in 1969.

There are of course many other volunteers at KNA who work tirelessly behind the scenes. I’d like to acknowledge some of the other remarkable women and men who have left an indelible mark on the Kuring-gai Netball Association.  President Jo-Anne Perry has been an outstanding administrative leader for the KNA and has spearheaded the association’s push for better facilities and lights at the group’s Canoon Road home ground. Ms Perry has been well-assisted by her fellow KNA executive members including Vice President Nick Hermann, Secretary Berwyn Collings, Treasurer Chris Haslem, Club Coaching Convenor and Peter Havrlant and Executive Committee members Keri Sheraton, my good friend Hornsby Councillor Nathan Tilbury and Loraine Unicomb.

In 1979, KNA made the switch to Canoon Road after outgrowing their former facilities at both the Commenara Parkway Courts in Turramurra and Westbrook Oval in Wahroonga. The new facility was officially opened on July 1 that year by then Kuring-gai Mayor Richard Lennon and NSW State Treasurer Ken Booth. This bold move was to pay off well for KNA who were later able to fund an extension in 1985 which doubled the playing and administrative area at the Canoon Road complex.

These important steps behind the scenes have allowed KNA to produce an impressive array of netball talent to represent their state or country. Players like Catriona Wagg have had a phenomenal career for the Sydney Swifts and Australia but started her career with the Kuring-gai Netball Association. Catriona won a gold medal with Australia at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and claimed a World Championship for Australia the following year in Sydney. Her sporting efforts were later formally recognised and she was awarded with an Order of Australia medal.

There are several other upcoming netballers from the Kuring-gai Netball Association following in Catriona’s footsteps. Players such as Canberra Giants player Ash Fong, under 17s state representative Sophie MacLennan Pike, NSW Emerging Talent Squad member Emily Moore and Sydney Netball Academy squad member Ainsley Hermann have so far made great strides in their young careers.

Over the last 50 years the KNA have shown great foresight to establish and grow a highly successful netball league which continues to go from strength to strength. The KNA have always been dedicated to growing the sport of netball and reaching out to new areas.  

In 2002 the KNA established a players’ with disabilities program; aimed at improving the lives of physically and intellectually disabled people through sport and social interaction.

In recent years the KNA has further diversified their programs on offer by offering a modified version of netball known as “Stepball” for players aged 55 years or over.

And in 2015, North Shore United, a new joint venture between the KNA and Northern Suburbs Netball was created to cater for the district’s elite sporting talent.

The KNA indeed have so much to be proud of. As the local Member I am thrilled to closely follow and share in their many successes. I look forward to joining their members for the upcoming formal celebration anniversary dinner at Terrey Hills Golf Club on August 26.