History Recaptured - Every Piece In Its Place

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | October 12, 2023

The loss of history, whether it be artefacts or records, can be a devastating blow, especially to sporting clubs.

Waratahs CC, formerly of Armidale in the New England region of NSW, is a club which no longer exists. Formed in the season of 1950-51, it waxed an waned during its first thirty years, before building to a crescendo of success in the 1980's and the sorts of memories which are retained because of the richness of relationships which formed them. Sure premierships were won but it was the stories and mates which lived on.

Unfortunately, hard times flattened the club in the 1990's - key players left, long term administrators moved, player bases were not realised - and the club died a long and painful death in the latter part of the last century, barely making it to a full fifty-year history.

The history of the club has lived on, underpinned by a statistical record, much of which was recovered from the microfiche files of the Armidale Express kept in rolls at the Dixson Library at the University of New England. The club retains a website, created long after its demise and a daily presence on Facebook. The deeds and stories of those fifty years are updated here on CricConnect.

Several reunions have been held, especially focussed on the players from the late 1970's and 1980's. Two socially successful tours over players were conducted in Lismore at the over 40's carnivals that were a precursor in the early Noughties to what is now Veterans Cricket. In 2003 and 2007, a collection of blokes damaged themselves physically but uplifted each others emotionally playing at those carnivals. Then in 2010, an organised weekend of celebration was held in Armidale, including a dinner which had players from every decade attending and celebrating Waratahs. A Waratahs Best 12 was chosen by seventy odd remaining members, pewter mugs and caps struck in their honour. The night was a grand success, with many names from the old club Yearbooks finally emerging from the dusty pages and given faces and the stories which flowed embellished legend.

The record keeping which led to the Yearbooks, marks Waratahs as a club before its time. From 1971-72 onwards, a Yearbook was printed and distributed to all players at the Annual presentation evening, containing a record of the season and records in batting , bowling and fielding. In the early days, these were scant in comparison with what is now known. Brian Joice (#218) and Tom Cooke (#197) started this tradition at Waratahs, initially to commemorate an A grade Premiership which had been won for only the second time in the clubs history - the first being the epic Final of 1952-53, when Waratahs beat Easts in a match which had every imaginable twist and turn.

The records grew and grew, as did individual player records. However, even when these records had been exhaustively compiled, there existed a hole at the end of Waratahs history. The last five years of Yearbooks were beyond the reach of those that were left. Lost were the minute books of club meetings and all of the perpetual trophies with their galaxy of names of Waratah's finest. This loss of the record of those last five years was only ever partially recorded by the club historian and largely, players who appeared in that part of Waratahs history were disenfranchised of their rightful status.

Until today.

The last of the keepers of Waratahs playing history was Albert Hofkamp (#476), who started with the club in the 1980's, recruited in that age-old fashion of filling in one Saturday. Bert eventually played 16 seasons and was there at the end, when an attempt was made to keep Waratahs afloat by merging with Norths, themselves a merger of a successful junior club and the traditional senior club of St Peters. Today, those records have been put to rights, as Albert released from his safekeeping, boxes of minute books, all of the perpetual trophies and the missing Yearbooks! This is a generous act of reconciliation and it will be seen as such. The time for recriminations over the end of the club may now cease.

The trophies will be gladly accepted by the Armidale District Cricket Association, thanks to the goodwill of Mike Porter, who will ensure they have a place in the permanent collection of trophies at the Armidale Sportsground. Waratahs history will have an even more palpable presence.

The players records will gradually be bought back to fullness and the Yearbooks incorporated into Waratahs history. It is a grand day.

Michael Connolly (#293) deserves a special mention, for it was he who made the successful approach to Albert and became the architect of the reconciliation. All parts made whole again, Waratahs is the better for it.

Ever finish a jigsaw and been frustrated by discovering a missing piece? Well, Waratahs will look like the cover photo after all.

On the 28th October, a new reunion will beheld. Called the Survivors Reunion, it will now have a much great significance and resonance as the ethos of the club which led to so much success in the 1980's - that we were a club with several teams not several teams who played for a club - will finally complete its cycle. Another - the Game, The Club, The Team, The Player - also finds its truth.

Go the Tahs!

Waratahs website http://www.thetahs.com.au/

Waratahs Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheTahsArmidale/

If you have any photos or information or scoresheets of stories, get in touch with the club historian at plangsto@bigpond.net.au