Pavilion a tribute to Liza’s netball passion
The highly anticipated grand opening and official naming of the Liza Pharaoh Pavilion was recently held at Western Park in Warragul.
The sheer number of attendees at the opening, led by Liza’s family members Carol and Jodie Pharaoh, was testament to the respect the late local netball legend inspired both on and off the court. It also signified the significant contribution Liza made to the Warragul netball community.
The new pavilion is central to the $2.089 million netball redevelopment at Western Park, including reconstruction of two netball courts and LED sports lighting upgrades.
With building delays resulting in no netball played at the venue since 2020, the two user groups were quick to hit the new courts in February.
It is home to the Warragul Football and Netball Club - also referred to as “The Gulls” - in the Gippsland League and Warragul Industrials Football Netball Club - “The Dusties” - in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition. Both clubs were congratulated on playing a pivotal role in advocating for the redevelopment.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Annemarie McCabe said the works had created a vibrant space for the clubs and community to enjoy, with Western Park abuzz as two sporting clubs, community members, council and state government representatives all gathered in record numbers for the opening celebration.
“With participation numbers on the rise across both clubs, the need for female-friendly facilities was front of mind for council,” Cr McCabe said. “We are consistently working towards creating inclusive and welcoming spaces that eliminate barriers to female participation in sports.”
Liza, a Warragul Industrials’ life member and games record holder, died in 2021 after a long illness.
Liza’s long and illustrious netball career spanned more than 20 years and garnered many accomplishments and accolades. Paired with her passion for coaching and mentoring the next generation of netballers, Liza was an inspiration not only to her teammates but the broader community.
“Liza gave so much to our club and community,” long-time friend and teammate Kate Farrell said. “Most weeks she would be here at the netball courts six days a week - three days for netball and three days for personal training. She just loved it.”
“So it’s only fitting that the place where she spent most of her days over the last 25 years was named after her,” Ms Farrell said.
Following a significant number of submissions to its Place Names Advisory Committee, council unanimously voted to name the pavilion after Liza, honouring her contribution to the Baw Baw community.
The Western Park redevelopment project was funded by a $1.44 million grant from the state government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program and $649,000 from council’s capital works budget.