This photograph features Ella Athorn, whose career as a netball player, coach, umpire, and volunteer administrator spanned at least six decades.
Born in Richmond on September 23, 1908, Ella was one of a family of eight children and was educated at Elsternwick Primary School. She won a scholarship to University High School and later became a teacher.
In 1939, when teaching in Timboon, Ella convened the inaugural meeting of the Timboon and District Women’s Basketball (Netball) Association, and coached and umpired in that Association for 13 years. By 1952, she and her husband Arch, whom she met while teaching in Swan Hill, had moved to Dandenong. Here she became the coach and umpire of the netball team at the local primary school where she worked, while also helping to form and coach the Socials Women’s Basketball Club, which played in the Dandenong and District Women’s Basketball (Netball) Association.
The following year, Ella took her involvement to another level, becoming not only the Secretary (1953-1967) of the entire Association, but also the foundation Secretary/Treasurer (1953-1973) of the newly formed umpires’ group that was connected to the Association. She was also awarded her ‘A’ Grade badge in 1953 and became involved in umpire testing during Country Week.
However, the award of Life Membership of the Dandenong and District Women’s Basketball Association in 1958 did not mean that Ella rested on her laurels. Later, she took on the role of Vice President (1968) and Treasurer (1969-1997), before assuming the position of President (1974-1982), and then Executive Member (1984-1999) of the Association.
In 1982/83, Ella’s service to netball was publicly acknowledged when the pavilion at Greaves Reserve in Dandenong was named in her honour (the pavilion later becoming part of the larger Gloria Pyke Netball and Sport Complex).
Ella was deservedly inducted into the Netball Victoria Hall of Fame in 1999, and in a letter of appreciation written to Kate Palmer, she said, "The friendships and cooperation I have received from all netballers I have met during my very long association with Netball Victoria … have made the time I have spent at netball very rewarding."
Ellen Louisa Athorn passed away at the age of 97 on February 9, 2006.
