CITY MOURNS SPORTING CHAMPION
THE Gold Coast has lost one of its most-loved sporting icons and pioneers.
Daphne Pirie, 90, died in the early hours of Friday morning at the Gold Coast Private Hospital.
The Bulletin understands Mrs Pirie had a fall at her home some weeks ago, was admitted to hospital and later placed in palliative care.
At Friday’s full council meeting, Acting Mayor Donna Gates described Mrs Pirie as a “true icon of Gold Coast sport”.
Mrs Pirie had been president of the Queensland Rugby League, a member of the State Olympic Council and director of Gold Coast Events Management.
“In her younger years she had been a champion sprinter and in 1955 she held no less than 40 open championships in her state, and was unbeaten in all events,” Cr Gates said. “Daphne was an enthusiastic supporter of anything that encouraged greater sporting participation by the city’s young people, and the building of world-leading sporting infrastructure.
“She also loved hockey, and all sports, leading to her becoming the president of the Gold Coast’s Sporting Hall of Fame from 1999 until her passing.
“Daphne was one of our most beautiful women. She made us so proud so many times in her representation and in her love of this city.”
Mayor Tom Tate said Mrs Pirie’s legacy included her wonderful sporting spirit and great leadership, along with her love for the sporting community. “Each event we went to, she was one of the bright stars at all times. I will miss her dearly,” he said.
In a tribute on Friday, The Sporting Hall of Fame wrote about Mrs Pirie’s fighting spirit. The city’s most prestigious annual sporting awards – the Daphne Pirie Spirit of Sport Medal – was awarded each year to an unsung sports administrator who “best exhibits Mrs Pirie’s personal qualities of dedication and a long-term love of volunteerism”.
“Any Gold Coaster who has ever picked up a hockey stick or a bat or a ball or a set of running spikes owe her an enormous debt of gratitude,” the Sporting Hall of Fame posted.
Mrs Pirie vice-captained the Australian women’s hockey team in the Asian Test Series in Singapore in 1962 and, with her husband Mick, helped establish the sport on the Gold Coast.
Their passion saw a bumpy grass field marked with reclaimed sump oil at Southport transformed into a world-class hockey centre for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“Yep, they don’t make them like her and Mick anymore and we’ll miss them both terribly,” the Sporting Hall of Fame wrote.