This rare photograph features Lorna McConchie, whose career as a netball player, coach, umpire, manager and administrator spanned more than five decades.
Born on July 22, 1914, Lorna played netball for East Kew - winning premierships in 1928, 1929 and 1930) - University High School Old Pupils, and Melbourne University. She first represented Victoria as a goal shooter in 1931, and was named Vice-captain of the team in 1932.
By 1934 she had become part of the Australian squad, and in 1938 she was a member of the first team to play against New Zealand in Melbourne. She was then named Vice-captain of the team to tour New Zealand in 1940, but the trip was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.
Lorna went on to be the coach of several University of Melbourne club teams between 1959 and 1979. She also coached Australia’s first touring team to Great Britain in 1956, and coached Australia to a world title at the first running of the Netball World Cup - then known as the Netball World Championships - in Eastbourne, England in 1963. In addition, she took up a coaching appointment in the Northern Territory during 1978-79, and on secondment she coached in Bermuda, Barbados, Malaysia, Jamaica, Ceylon and Great Britain at various times between 1964 and 1981.
Apart from being a internationally-renowned credited umpire - on top of setting and marking papers, and testing umpires at state and Australian championships - Lorna was also an astute administrator, being elected as convenor of the International Federation of Netball Association (IFNA) Rules Interpretation Committee, and attending every world tournament in this capacity between 1967 and 1983. Lorna was acknowledge for her service when she received an IFNA Service Award in 1991).
Awarded Life Membership of the Victorian Women’s Basketball Association in 1951, Lorna served three stints as President of the peak state body - which we now know as Netball Victoria - in 1955-58, 1969-70, and 1980-81. She was inducted into the Netball Victoria Hall of Fame in 1998, and officially elevated to Legend status in 2001. She was also inducted into the Netball Australia Hall of Fame in 2009.
Lorna passed away on December 9, 2001.
