Three generations of players look back at the past as Harvey Netball Club turns 60

For the past six decades, Harvey women have been hitting the courts to play netball with the community’s premier netball club.

Growing from humble beginnings in 1964, the Harvey Netball Association is looking forward to celebrating its 60th birthday later this year.

Club president Coralee Italiano said when she found out how long the club’s history reached, she wanted to make efforts to recognise the occasion.

With a history tied to the town, generations of mothers and daughters can trace their connection with the club throughout the years.

Dianne Stanford moved to Harvey in 1964 and hit the courts soon after, playing with the association from its very first year.

She said she stuck with the game well into the 1980s, enjoying her time playing throughout.

Joining the club soon after was Gwyn Roberts, who played throughout the 1970s and 1980s alongside a stint as presidents.

Mrs Roberts spent part of the 1980s playing alongside her daughter Francis Stanford, who continued her playing career into the early 1990s.

Francis married Dianne’s son Craig and their daughter Millie takes to the courts today to continue her family’s generations of netball involvement.

Millie said it was cool to look back on her family’s history with netball and see how much the game has changed over the years, while Dianne said she would be curious to know if any other families in Harvey could celebrate three generations of players.

Ms Italiano said the said whilst the club is still in a period of rebuilding following a hiatus in the 2000s, they are hoping to keep the club appealing to young girls, and now boys, in the Harvey region.

The club will be celebrating is birthday officially at the end of this season on August 19, with Ms Italiano calling for anyone who has been involved with the club in the past 60 years to bring forward any memorabilia they have for a display.

“We’re hoping to have some memorabilia on display with some photographs,” she said.

“I’ve found some old uniforms so we may try to do an exhibition match too.”

Ms Italiano said it is amazing to see how much the sport has changed over the years and the fact the club is still standing over all this time should be celebrated.

“We’ll see what happens after that,” she said.

“What will the next milestone be?”

Anyone wanting to contribute to the club’s 60th birthday celebration can contact Coralee.Italiano@gmail.com.