Athletics history

The two articles relating to the 50th anniversary of Little Athletics in Warragul inspired me to write this letter to give further information.

I have been interested in athletics since I started at Warragul High School (as it was then) and that interest was magnified when I became a foundation member of the Warragul Amateur Athletic Club established by Don McLennan in 1955.

After a few years away in Melbourne I returned to Warragul in early 1965 and rejoined the athletics club where I soon became honourary secretary.

I had for some time been concerned that young children had limited opportunities to get involved in athletics so in 1968 (an initially as a private individual) I wrote to Trevor Billingham who had formed a little athletics centre in Geelong in 1965, leading to the formation of the Victorian Little Athletics Association in 1967.

I thought that such an organisation was great for young children so acting on Trevor’s information, Geoff Watt and I called for a public meeting in the Anglican Hall in 1968 and it was decided to form the Warragul Little Athletics Centre with a number of clubs based around local primary schools.

The centre originally conducted its events on the main oval at the Warragul Showgrounds before it made its home at the Geoff Watt track in Burke Street.

Ian Worth, Warragul