New inductees join ‘hall’
A reminder of the Garden City’s rich sporting history was revived on Saturday night when the latest inductees to the Toowoomba Regional Sports Hall of Fame were announced.
Herb Steinohrt, Greg Ritchie and Justin Anlezark along with sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham were named at the 2019 Sports Darling Downs presentation dinner as the next to be honoured with hall entry.
The Toowoomba Regional Sports Hall of Fame was introduced in 2017 to recognise the achievements of the city’s major sport achievers and ambassadors.
Arthur Postle, Tom Gorman, John McDonald and Nikki Hudson became inaugural hall members at a formal indcution dinner in 2017.
The hall expanded to eight members last year with the addition of Jim Atkins, Duncan Thompson, Glynis Nunn-Cearns and Tim Horan.
That quartet, along with Steinhort, Ritchie, Anlezark and the Grinham sisters will also be formally inducted at a function to be announced later this year.
Toowoomba Regional Sports Hall of Fame chairman Tony Coonan said the depth of quality of the city’s sporting achievers presents the inductee selection committee members with a difficult task.
“The quality of the sport people already named as hall members is amazing,” Coonan said.
“What’s even more amazing is who is yet to come.
“It’s a real challenge for our selection committee to somehow choose one above another for induction, but there will be a home for them all eventually.
“We have for Olympic gold medallists, Australian record holders and representatives on our long list.
“We are a city with such a long sporting history and only a very young Sports Hall of Fame.”
HERB STEINHORT
Herb Steinohrt was a giant of Australian rugby league during the 1920s and 1930s when he made his mark as a no-nonsense front-rower.
The Valleys Roosters club member played in nine Tests between 1928 and 1932 as captain on three occasions.
He was named in the Queensland Rugby League’s Team of the Century, Australian rugby league’s 100 greatest players and Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century.
GREG RITCHIE
Greg Ritchie progressed from Railways Cricket Club to play 30 Test matches for Australia between 1982–87.
Ritchie made 1690 runs for Australia, including three centuries and seven 50s.
He also played 44 One Day Internationals for Australia.
Ritchie scored 10,170 runs in his first class cricket career at an average of 44.21 including 24 centuries and 54 fifties.
RACHAEL GRINHAM
Toowoomba’s Rachael Grinham won the World Open Squash competition in 2007 after defeating her sister Natalie in the final.
Rachael also won four British Open finals from five final appearances.
She climbed to the world number one ranking in 2004 and held the title for 16 months.
NATALIE GRINHAM
Natalie won three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and finished runner-up at both the World Open and the British Open.
She reached the world number two ranking in 2007.
JUSTIN ANLEZARK
Shot-putter Justin Anlezark is regarded as one of the most successful Australian field athletes of all time.
He is a three-time Olympian having represented Australia at the Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) Games.
Anlezark is also a nine-time Australian champion in shot while he owns a 10th national title after claiming the Australian discus championship in 1996.
He won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2002, the same year he claimed a World Cup silver medal.
BERNBOROUGH
Champion Toowoomba race horse Bernborough was also named on Saturday night as Toowoomba Regional Sports Hall of Fame’s first icon member.
The “Toowoomba Terror” won 11 races at Clifford Park before going on to be acclaimed as one of the nation’s turf greats after a devastating run of 15 straight wins in some of Australia’s most famous races.