RAPID GROWTH OF CENTRE IN EIGHT YEARS

Southland Times, Issue 23740, 11 February 1939, Page 12

RAPID GROWTH OF CENTRE IN EIGHT YEARS

The Southland Swimming Centre has been in existence only a little more than eight years, but in that time it has done a tremendous amount of work. Its efficient organization was shown at the first national championship meeting to be held in Invercargill, the New Zealand Junior and Intermediate championships in 1933, when the meeting was described by prominent swimming officials as being the most successful up to that date. Soon after the municipal baths were opened in December 1927, a number of swimming enthusiasts endeavoured to form a Southland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. At the first meeting,, when Mr A. E. Budd, of Bluff, was chairman, and Mr J. R. Martin was secretary, it was decided to ask the Otago Centre to sponsor an application for Southland’s affiliation. Arrangements were also made for the entertainment of the Lyall Bay Surf Club members, 'who at that time, as a compliment to. Mr E. S. Williams,' the first superintendent of the baths, visited Invejcargill and gave exhibitions at the baths.

Progress in the matter of the formation of the centre was slow and very little was done until November 1928, when a pronosed tour of the Dominion by Johnny Weismuller, then the world’s champion, stirred local swimmers to activity. . Following the receipt of advice from Mr Baxter O’Neill, secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, about the manner of formation, circulars were sent to the clubs inviting them to apply for affiliation to the proposed centre and also to name their representatives. There was practically no response to this and matters dragged on until August 1929, when efforts were again made to form a centre,

this time with more success. Officials were appointed, and formal application made for recognition by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. Mr T. C. Hobbs-Jones was elected to

attend the New Zealand Council meeting as delegate and on October 10, 1929, the Southland Centre was legally constituted. The first annual meeting was held on November 18, 1929, when the appointment of Mr Hobbs-Jones as representative on'the New Zealand Council was confirmed, and Mr J. R. lyiartin and Mr J. E. Salisbury were elected first president and secretary respectively. The clubs represented at this meeting were Murihiku, High School Ex-Pupils, Bluff, Oreti Surf Club and Invercargill. It was at this stage that the oldestablished Invercargill Club began to lose its identity. With headquarters at Pleasure Bay, it had carried on through difficult years and many successful fixtures were inaugurated and carried through. Additions and improvements were also effected to make the resort more attractive. With the opening of die baths this support was withdrawn and the club languished, being finally

dissolved in October 1931, the cash balance and club trophies being handed over to the centre. To offset this, a new club, Collegiate, was formed, and affiliated to tire centre, and it has prospered under careful guidance and a constructive policy. On April 30, 1930, the first Southland championship meeting was held. For this event, M. Walker and R. Calder, New Zealand diving champions, were invited to give an exhibition. They agreed and their performances added greatly to the success of the meeting. The City Council also granted the use of the baths free for this fixture and, with this assistance, a small credit balance was secured. This was all. that was necessary to ensure the centre’s future, and a further stimulant was the gift of trophies by Mr J. D. Campbell, the Southland Sports Trust, and Mr and Mrs A. E. McGrath. The next important decision made by the centre was to be represented at the New Zealand junior and intermediate championships at Ashburton in January 1931. With only a small amount of cash available, the centre decided to enter Pat McGrath in the intermediate boys’ events, and Miss E. Jones (now Mrs R. Stewart) in the girls’ events. Miss Jones paid her own expenses for the trip and was rewarded with third place in both the 100 yards and 220 yards events. McGrath well justified his selection by winning both the 100 yards and 220 yards events. These performances placed Southland bn the map in the swimming world. -