1951 -1970

Explore the rich history of basketball in Tauranga from the 1951 to the 1970 through vintage articles and themes. Immerse yourself in the nostalgia of the early basketball era with these captivating images.

HISTORY OF BASKETBALL IN TAURANGA – 1951 – 1960


1951

(1951 – 1956 The Missing Years)
We have very little or no info of these years, therefore, if any of you are able to help that would be much appreciated. At the moment the only recourse to info of the missing years is the Bay of Plenty Times – a time-consuming job to visit the library for any articles on basketball and where it was played.

We are very grateful that Jimmy Gilpin has recollections of the 1950’s and has written the following article which is letting us know what happened when Tauranga Indoor Basketball were unable to use the Rivoli Army Drill Hall.

Article: Jimmy Gilpin (85 not out) has written the article below of his Memories of Basketball in Tauranga.

“1948?
Walking from 4th Avenue to the Army Drill Hall in Dive Crescent (no family car) aged 10, with Mum and Dad to watch brother Matt play indoor basketball.

Easy Silvester’s team: Easy Aces were playing. As a youngster I was impressed with their aggressive zone defence spreading the width of the small court, eyes out on stalks, arms up sweating profusely and looking most impressive in black singlets and shorts. Just like the All Blacks!
Names I think: Easy Silvester, George Polley, Bill Polley, Graham Hardy, Rex Woods, Harold Robinson, Guy Guinness, Bruce Pridmore and Phil Morrissey (maybe).

We went through the truck entrance and virtually onto the court.
The Army Drill Hall (Rivoli) had 2 small narrow courts with a row of posts on the sideline between them (dangerous!)
Several Army trucks needed to be taken outside and put back at the evenings end.

In the year 19?? The Army no longer let the building. Basketball was out and in a quandary.

Basketball trialled St John’s Ambulance new hall on Cameron Road. No height, ball damaged pinex ceiling and walls of the new building. BASKETBALL OUT!!

Haymans Hall tried. Too small but sometimes used for tournaments when available.
Presbyterian Church Hall. Too small - Ball damage.
Anglican Church Hall too small – ball damaged walls and ceiling.
Not a suitable building in Tauranga or the MOUNT.

BASKETBALL IN RECESS IN TAURANGA.

Paengaroa Hall had a good sized court. It was used weekly by Te Puke players
1951 page two

Jimmy Gilpin (continued)

A group from Tauranga made the weekly trip for a few years after work on week nights.
Rex Woods, Matt Gilpin, Roy Wagstaff, Don Ayers, Murray Naismith from memory. They would travel to Te Puke in Rex Wood’s dad’s car and with the Te Puke players all pile into the Te Puke Farmers Trading Co’s covered delivery truck for the trip to Paengaroa and return (the mind boggles).
Finally Te Puke built their War Memorial Hall in the main street and a few Tauranga teams played in their competition.
NOTE: Te Puke War Memorial Community Centre: Building commenced 2.6.1953 and officially opened 9.3.1955.

Indoor basketball fund raising efforts toward the building of the War Memorial Hall in Tauranga.
For six weeks every Christmas and January the TAURANGA 20,000 CLUB held a huge carnival every night with top New Zealand talent. Their profits were returned to the town. The 6th Avenue Swimming Pool, the Sound Shell and the War Memorial Stadium were all achieved with the help of the 20,000 club for years.
Indoor basketballers male and female manned the official raffle wheel every night with the promise of a new hall on the horizon”.

NOTE: The Memorial hall finally opened on 12.10.1957. Jos Evans’ father built the hall (Fleming and Sons).



HISTORY OF BASKETBALL IN TAURANGA – 1951 – 1960

1952 “to be added”

1953 “to be added”

1954

Yachties Indoor basketball team: Photo
Back: Roy Wagstaff, Don Ayres, C White
Front: Matt Gilpin, Rex Woods

Reg Towers – President of Tauranga Indoor Basketball Association
Reg in his official NZIBA shirt for referees. Photo


1955
Photos:
Tauranga Men: Playing in Te Puke, Rex Woods, Matt Gilpin. Photo


Te Puke War Memorial Community Centre: Building commenced 2.6.1953 and officially opened 9.3.1955.

1956 “to be added”

1957
Memorial Hall, Memorial Park, Tauranga
This stadium was officially opened 12 October, 1957. The stadium was built by Jocelyn (Fleming) Evans father (Fleming and Sons). Jocelyn played in the women’s Atomic Team.

Atomic Women’s Basketball Team: Photo and players named.
Back: (Trish) Patricia McCarroll, Amelia Towers, Olive Alexander, Beverley Morrissey
Front: Helen Purdy, Peg Guinness, (Captain): Zena Alexander, Jocelyn Fleming

Tauranga Men’s rep team: Photo and players named
Back: Roy Wagstaff, Clem White, Don Ayres
Front: Matt Gilpin, Bruce Pridmore, Rex Woods

1958


1959

10.4.1959 BOP Times article by “Hot Spot”.
“Good start to Indoor Basketball”. The Tauranga Indoor Basketball Association season made a good start with a fair indication that the standard of games under the amended grading system will be very satisfying
Yachties and Easy Aces played the hardest game of the week. Yachties expending much of their foul quota early in the game to unsettle Easy Aces.
Whether the tactic was purposeful or not, it succeeded and Easy Aces suffered a resounding defeat. It was probably the first game for some seasons that had elapsed without Rex Woods and George Polley scoring a single point!. Article attached


Men’s teams:
Yachties:
Easy Aces: Rex Woods, George Polley, Bill Polley, Graham Hardy, Harold Robinson, Guy Guinness, Bruce Pridmore, Phil Morrissey

Women’s Team
Atomic won B Grade Championship – 1959 Photo
Back row: Ann Cooney, Patsy Wagstaff, Yvonne White, Beverley Griffin, Joy Harrison (Coach),
Front row: Jocelyn Fleming/Evans, P Trish McCarroll/Muir Capt: Margaret Vernal

1960

Representative teams: Women. Photo
Tauranga Women’s team: Coached by Rex Woods:

Representative teams: Men.
March 1960 BAY OF PLENTY TEAM v TOURING LDS MISSIONARIES – Tauranga
Roy Wagstaff, Don Ayres from Tauranga in BOP team. LDS won 85-32

Men’s North Island Championships: Palmerston North – 7-9th July, YMCA Stadium.
15 teams entered including Tauranga.
Final Wellington 41 v Auckland 42

Prizegiving 7.11.1960
Photo Vice President, Jim E Gilpin presenting to son Jimmy Gilpin from Yachties B
Photo

Atomic winners “B” Grade Champions 1960 Photo
Joy Harrison (Coach); Patsy Wagstaff, May Pridmore, Beverley Morrissey/Griffin, Mona Morrissey/Hartley, Jocelyn Fleming/Evans, P Trish McCarroll/ Muir (Capt)