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KLAC 1968-2008
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Knox Centre 40th Anniversary Media Statement For media organisations and sponsors, please click HERE! to view a single page media statement.
Wanted! Knox Centre Life Members Missing Contact Details We are now missing just 8 of the 53 Knox Centre Life Members contact details. If you know the whereabouts of any Knox Centre Life Members from the list below, could you please forward their contact details by email or have them contact us directly?
Latest Knox Life Member found: 1988 Kim Stevens (Rowville) on 1/7/08
Next 40th Anniversary sub-committee Meeting The Knox Little Athletics Executive Committee has approved the formation of the 40th Anniversary Sub-Committee to celebrate the events from October 2008 onwards.
Our next meeting will be held at Phil Matthews place on Wednesday, 23rd July 2008 at 8:00pm.
To make our 40th celebrations a success, we need your help!
If you know of any former Knox LAC athletes or parents that would be interested, can you please ask them to contact info@klac23.org.au or Stephen Egan on 9762 7676 or Phil Matthews on 9759 6421
40th Anniversary Event - Knox Civic Centre Mayoral Function We are very excited with the news that Mayor Cr Jim Penna and the City of Knox will be having a Mayoral Function at the Civic Centre on Saturday 20th September 2008 to recognise and kick off our 40th Anniversary celebrations.
40 years earlier to the month, the Knox Shire had held meetings in their offices to start Little Athletics in Knox with each club based on a school within the Shire. This is an invite only event with priority given to those that have put in the most service into the Knox Centre and their clubs over the past 40 years and invites will include their partners. Each season will be treated equally. Invitees will be done in the form of two rounds and required an answer of acceptance within 4 weeks. The first one will be on May 23rd 2008. The final one will be four weeks later. After the protocol guests, the order will be:
Seating will be in a theatre style arrangement with some screens for audio visual presentations.
NOTE: Only Finger food will be provided which will be from 6:30 to 7:20 pm
Pioneers of our sport, Christine Billingham, wife of the late Trevor Billingham, and Alan Triscott have both accepted invitations to be some of our special guest speakers for the Mayoral Function. This is fitting as it was Trevor Billingham and Alan Triscott who addressed the very first Little Athletics meeting in the old Knox Shire offices back in August 1968 to explain the Little Athletics concept and what was needed to be done to form clubs and then the Knox Centre.
Christine was at Landy Field, Geelong with Trevor in October 1964 when the very first junior (little) athletics program was conducted and assisted right up until the time Trevor left Little Aths. Alan Triscott, who joined a little later that season with his daughter, is a VLAA foundation member as well as the first Secretary/Treasurer of the Australian Little Athletics Union.
The development of Little Athletics is a remarkable story from the many obstacles Trevor Billingham and Alan Triscott had to overcome, to the phenomenal development throughout Victoria, interstate and overseas during the late 1960's. Full details can be found HERE! of these early days of Little Aths.
The next special guest speakers for the Mayoral
Function would undoubtedly be the two of the most legendary personalities
associated with the Knox Centre - George Dyer and Noel Rasti.
At the end of the speeches, it will be a time to catch up with old friends and look at some of the memorabilia that will be on display.
Please click to enlarge
40th Anniversary Event - "Come Back To Knox" Family Fun Day - Sat 22 Nov 2008
We are planning a "come back to Knox"
Family Fun Day for Saturday afternoon 22nd November 2008. This will be after the morning
competition and we are hoping as many former members will be in
attendance as KLAC memorabilia will be on display. A BBQ will be
organised at 11:00am and activities will start at midday.
We also need at least four people to assist our Co-Ordinator Brett Smith in the planning of this event as well as help on the day so if you are able to, please contact Brett, anyone on the 40th Sub-Committee or on the Knox Centre email info@klac23.org.au
Below is a notice of this event in the Knox Leader.
Please click to enlarge
40th Anniversary Event - The KLAC 40th Historical Film Project We are pleased to announce that two students, Jonathon Adam and Stephen Parveris from the Wantirna Campus of Swinburne University of Technology, have chosen our 40th Anniversary as their film project for this semester. You may have seen them at our Championship Day filming. They are working under the direction of Werner Hammerstingel (Head of Multimedia Arts) with Phil Matthews as our Sub-Committee liaison contact. So far, they have been supplied with super 8 film John Guerra had taken in the mid 1970's as well as opening day when the Knox Centre first moved to an unfinished Knox Park in 1978. Videos from a Channel 31 documentary from 1988, footage from competitions and training over the past 3-4 seasons and VLAA training videos shot at Knox some years ago. Phil will also be providing copies of the KLAC Photo CD/DVD's (including this seasons) which amounts to just under 50,000 photos. They also have scrap books from the first six seasons as well as a photo collection from the 1980's and 1990's. April 2008 project progress meeting Studio interviews with KLAC Life Members Kath & Don Brown, Geoff Warren and John Guerra 22 May 2008 The students film will first be shown at the Mayoral Function at the Civic Centre in September and we are looking to have it shown at the "Come Back to Knox" Family Fun Day in November. A reporter from the Knox Journal, who was intrigued with the idea of two community organisations getting together, attended a progress meeting to do a story on the students project and then announce our 40th plans. Knox Journal 16th April 2008 - 40th Anniversary History Film Project article
Please click to enlarge
40th Anniversary - Commemorative Merchandise and Memento Items 40th Anniversary Knox LAC Commemoration Medal One of the first Memorabilia items is for every child registered for the 2008/09 Track & Field season, they will be a given a Limited Edition Knox LAC 40th Anniversary commemorative medallion. This will be made available on our "Come Back to Knox" Family Fun Day on Saturday afternoon, 22nd November 2008. Those that are not able to make it will be able to pick one up the following program day. 40th Anniversary Knox LAC Sticker One will be provided to each registered Track & Field athlete for season 2008/09. Additional stickers will be available for one dollar each. You also have a chance to design it. Please see the next section below for the sticker competition closing 28th July 2008. 40th Anniversary Knox LAC Wristbands These will be on sale for $2 each. One will be yellow with black embedded "Knox Rox" on one side and "Since '68" on the other. The other wristband will be black with yellow embedded writing. For those competing in the relays, a wristband will be provided to each athlete upon paying for the Box Hill relay fees as a bonus. 40th Anniversary Knox LAC Training Top A newly designed training top will be on sale for season 2008/09 with a 40th logo on the sleeve. Details will be listed including costs once known more items will be listed here once confirmed!
40th Anniversary - Sticker Competition
You have the chance to design the Knox LAC 40th anniversary sticker which will be available during the anniversary for you to stick on Mum and Dads car, your school books or your fridge ( if Mum and Dad will let you!). The athlete who's makes the winner design ( as judged by the 40th anniversary Committee) will win a $50 Athletes Foot Voucher.
You can use either template, using either the Knox 40th anniversary logo or not. Just print out the templates from HERE! and go to work."
40th Anniversary Event - The Photographic Morning
One of the planned events for the 40th anniversary is the Photographic Morning which will occur on Sat, 18th October 2008 , commencing at 8.30am SHARP. The Photo Morning will involve taking photos of ALL our athletes sitting together in the grandstand along with Coaches, Committees, Officials, Life Members etc. This will involve the hire and use of a Cherry Picker to enable photos to be taken from a height looking down into the grandstand. Officials are to set up events from 8am in readiness for the normal program after the photo session. All athletes are to be seated in the grandstand at 8.30 sharp ( Bayswater Bullets, Wantirna and The Fields Clubs will not set up in the grandstand at this point of time) and the photo session will run until 9.15am. At 9.15 there will be a 15 min break to allow officials to get to events, removal of photographic equipment , the 3 clubs mentioned will set up in the grandstand and athletes to have a warm-up. The program will be called at 9.30am SHARP. As part of community sponsorship of these anniversary events we are delighted to announce that our three local State MP's ( Heidi Victoria, Kim Wells and Nick Wakeling) as well as our local Federal MP Chris Pearce have joined together to sponsor the Cherry Picker so that these photos can be taken. Further details on this and other events will be made here when finalised. Our sincere thanks to Heidi, Kim, Nick and Chris for their practical support and generosity for our 40th anniversary
40th Anniversary - 2008/09 Season Opening Day Club "March Past" A feature of Knox Centre 2008/09 season opening day on Sat 4th October will be a "March Past" with athletes marching a lap around the track behind team banners and coming to rest on the front straight for the official opening ceremony. This will be conducted mid morning assembling in the car park near the Grandstand with clubs being organised by their respective Team Managers. More details to follow shortly.
40th Anniversary - Website Header The website header has been changed to a 40th Anniversary theme. Each photo in the collage depicts one decade of the Knox Centre and will be changed monthly
40th Anniversary Sub-Committee Members The 40th Anniversary Sub-Committee urgently requires more help so if you could please lend a hand in assisting us organise some of the activities please don't hesitate to ask.
Those currently on the sub-committee are already some
of the busiest within the Knox Centre with other activities, most with several
positions including four Club
President's, two Knox Centre Executive Representatives, a Victorian State Team
Manager, a number of Coaches and Chief Officials as well as these and others
having roles within their own Club Committees.
1968-2008 Knox Little Athletics Centre major winners Another way help can be provided is for those that have missing information from the listings below of the Knox Centre major winners. If you know of any athlete listed where their club is not known, could please email the club they competed with?
Please click on the links below for the latest information we have on hand:
1976 Boys U/10 Relay team (photo with thanks to Neil Richardson) Back Row - Shane Carroll ,Ian Telfer, David McDougall Front Row - Michael Frericks, Neil Richardson ,Peter Harvey
Knox Little Athletics Centre foundation dates
KLAC Life Member George Dyer memories Knox Centre memories from George Dyer on the development of our Centre and its facilities to the high standards we enjoy today can be seen HERE! George was the driving force behind the Knox Centre from its inception to its current location at Knox Park. He was the "Noel Rasti" for the first 20 plus years of the Knox Centre and on 20th July 1991 the "George Dyer Stand" was opened by the Knox Mayor - Cr John Raymond in George's honour shown in the photo below. George is wearing a blue Knox Sherbrooke Seniors windcheater and a younger Noel Rasti can be seen in the background shuffling papers.
Former KLAC, VLAA and ALA President/Chairperson John Guerra thoughts on George: "George and his wife Betty were tireless workers for Little Athletics and George in particular could always see the "BIG" picture whereas us mere mortals only looked at the short/medium term. While Don Brown did steer the movement in early days without people like George who is capable of far sighted thinking but also able to engender support from ALL people he talks to. I am a firm believer that without George at the early, middle and late stages we would not have a successful and continuing Centre."
Our Other Two Locations The Knox Little Athletics Centre started off on the oval of the old Boronia High School in season 1968/69. They moved to Chandler Park, Boronia in season 1969/70 where they stayed until season 1977/78. In season 1978/79, they moved to the 6 lane unfinished Knox Park where over the years, it has been built up to a top class athletic venue. Below are maps taken from old Melways editions.
Click images to enlarge
Original Club uniforms Uniform colours when club first started with the Knox Centre Basin Heights – Red with green sash Bayswater – Black with yellow sash Bayswater South - White bib with gold and blue base stripe Boronia West – Dark Green with gold BW Dorset – Royal blue with gold Eastfield – Yellow Eastfield/Studfield - Teal green T-Shirt with white logo Fairpark – Green Knoxfield – White with gold sash Rangeview – Brown apron on gold T-Shirt Rowville – Brown with 2 gold bands Rowville Lakes - Maroon top with blue trim. Logo on right side, lightening bolts on left Scoresby Striders - Black singlet with gold Scoresby Striders on back and logo on front Sherbrooke - White with black lyrebird motif St Johns - Pale Blue St Josephs – Red with white monogram Studfield – Maroon and blue Wantirna Ambers - Orange and the Knox Centre - Gold T-Shirt with blue KNOX on front - first displayed at the delegates meeting 28th Jan 1970 to be formally approved in time for the 1970 Zone (Region) Championships at Sandringham.
Dave Sommers U13-15 Mixed Age Girls Relay Team memories Dave Sommers has submitted some interesting observations on the Knox U/13-U/15 Girls Mixed Age Medley relay teams. Dave had noticed in recent years we seem to consistently field great teams in this event and was a thought worth sharing. Please click HERE! to view.
Little Athletics - The Early History
Knox Centre Website History The Knox Centre website is now over 10 years old and was one of the first Little Athletics Centre to have an internet presence which was created and maintained by Steve Cowburn who was the editor for the first nine years. Steve is also credited in creating and handing over websites for many other Little Athletics Centres. He created the EMR website in 2002 and was editor until the start of the 2007/08 season.
Steve also created the initial website for the VLAA on 18 Nov 1999. On page 7 of the VLAA 2001/02 Annual Report “Several years ago Steve Cowburn from the Knox Centre provided us with our initial website. Since that time he had provided on-going support and sound strategic advice. On behalf of the Association special acknowledgment needs to be made of his contribution.”
Bayswater Bullets was the first Knox Centre club for an ongoing website which was first created in June 2002. This was followed by both Fairpark Flyers and Scoresby Striders in August 2006, Rowville in October 2007 and Wantirna has just uploaded their club website.
The amount of hits was dramatically boosted on the Knox Centre website since the start of the 2007/08 season when the amount of photos submitted by the Knox Photographers increased 10 fold.
There are many contributors of information including those from other Centres.
Today, it is still one of the most popular Little Athletic websites and a phrase often heard for many years from those at other Centres is “if you want to know what’s going on, just look on the Knox website”
Thanks to Russell Speight who found the Internet Archive "Wayback Machine", you can view earlier versions of our website:
Checkout the very first Knox Centre websites 1998-2000 HERE!
Knox Centre websites from 2000-2007 HERE!
13/06/08 Track Photo Session For 40th Anniv Thank you to the parents and athletes who came to the track for the photo session with Cr Debbie Field for the Friberg Ward winter edition newsletter "Knox Horizons". This was to promote the Knox Centre's 40th Anniversary. Debbie's family was involved with the Knox Centre in the early 1990's when her daughter competed for Bayswater Bullets. Below are some photos that Phil Matthews took during the session. Please click to enlarge
Missing Annual Reports Wanted! If you have any of the Annual Reports below, can you please lend them to be photocopied? Please contact Stephen Egan at info@klac23.org.au VLAA 1st Annual Report 1966-67 VLAA 6th Annual Report 1971-72 VLAA 14th Annual Report 1979-80 VLAA 15th Annual Report 1980-81 VLAA 17th Annual Report 1982-83
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"Calling
all athletes....the grown-ups have been planning lots of
things for the 40th anniversary, now its your turn to design something
that the grown-ups AREN'T allowed to do. 
