This contribution to the CAQ newsletter in part continues the approach where selections have been taken from weekly reports (April to May) for the sporting pages of Maleny's local paper. Then, at the conclusion is an edited extract from an address made by Sarah Widin at an event during the recent Eire Cup competition.

Starting back in April, some were commenting on 2026 being a different world, with shrinking Easter Eggs, wondering where on earth is the Strait of Hormuz and seeing one litre of unleaded approaching the cost of a babycino. But there were still things to be thankful for up here on the Range and two come to mind. Firstly, if anyone deserved a premium full sized Easter Egg it was the Rotary Club and their grants. The Range Croquet Club was a grateful recipient of a pruning tool through a Rotary grant this year that will help with keeping our surrounds looking a bucolic picture. The other thing to be thankful in this community are volunteers, ordinary people who make a positive difference. Our local hero is the always (mostly) smiling Wallace Roy, groundsman, mechanic, umpire, hoop setter, coach, secretary and hedge pruner.

Then, would you believe it! As April slithered away, the clubhouse door was left open for a wee bit and in slides a Carpet Python. It must have been looking for some water, or dishwashing liquid as it was first spotted draped in and over the kitchen sink. Club members did not panic and instead encouraged the reptile outside, with the help of a trident bearing Wallace Roy. It was a big-en as can be judged by the photo and knowing that Wallace on a good day (ie after pegging out) could easily be around 2 metres tall.

And after that there was a different type of croquet briefly tried out at the Range Club. One Ball croquet is an off shoot of Association Croquet and is lauded by some for its speed and simplicity. Time will tell if it proves more popular amongst traditional players and those who like a modicum of complexity. However the name One Ball is hardly a winner, despite there being a popular WW2 song with a similar name sung by English troops marching to fight Hitler.

May the 4th! Croquet may seem a peculiar sport to your average Star Wars Jedi or Storm Trooper. But what would they know about the delights of spending a relaxing hour or so on the lawns precisely sending balls to the four corners of our fast-playing courts at the Showgrounds. Meanwhile there is increasing discussion and deliberation through the wider galactic croquet community about ensuring there will always be a place in the universe for the original and best form of the game. The Range Maleny will continue to be a leading supporter of Association Croquet and declares may the force be with AC.

Despite being a small club, we are a successful one on the court and off. On the court in recent times, we have been fielding winning teams in all three codes with the pennant season in full swing. At a national level our President, Sarah Widin, recently achieved good results in singles and doubles play with the Queensland Eire Cup team over in WA.

Off the court, we have settled well into our new club house and it is proving a functional and welcoming venue for hosting regional events, club meetings and social play, even the Carpet Python wanted to join in. Led by president Sarah and secretary / groundsman / herpetologist Wallace Roy, with support of club treasurer and captain Donna Manning, honorary sage, Vince Carbery, and dedicated members, the challenges of keeping a volunteer-based organisation viable are faced and vanquished (generally). Having a positive approach also helps with being a success within the wider croquet community. A recent example is the win/win that Wallace orchestrated in the purchase of a second-hand lawn mower-conditioner and roller from the Windsor Croquet Club (just off Albion Road). The quality of the Maleny courts and our competitiveness will continue to improve. As Walt Whitman said, keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.

Sunshine Coast region pennant's competition for Ricochet progressed through the draw in May. Maleny has achieved recent wins, however Bribie Island just got the better of our sterling team of Dianne Horsman and Wallace recently as we hosted the competition on a Marvellous Maleny day.

Ever helpful Rob trying out the Windsor.

At the same time down in the big smoke our representative players Sarah Widin and Donna Manning competed at Annerley. This was the Croquet Queensland hosted AC Division 2 Medal, a prestigious event that features Association Croquet attracting, by invitation only, top Division 2 players across the state. With 36 games over the weekend at the Stephens Club our ladies made it through to the final play-offs. Bravo Sarah and Donna! (One of the top players they competed against was our own Ken Barker, who is now attached to East Brisbane Club at Mowbray Park on the river.)

So that is some of our club news for the second quarter of 2026. Now we turn to an extract of an address made by Sarah Widin at a presentation event during the recent Eire Cup competition in WA.

Good evening everyone. It is a real privilege to stand here tonight wearing two hats, firstly as a proud member of the Queensland team, and secondly as a Board Director of Croquet Australia.

As a player, the Eire Cup is something special. It is one of the highlights of our calendar, a chance to represent our state, compete at a high level, and be part of a tradition that means so much to so many of us and to me as a first timer a slightly daunting prospect. There is always a great sense of pride in stepping onto the court, knowing you are part of your state's story in this event.

At the same time, as a Director of Croquet Australia, it is incredibly rewarding to see this tournament come together. Hosting an event like the Eire Cup takes a huge amount of effort, and I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved, our organisers, referees, volunteers, and the host clubs, for making it all happen.

Let's take a moment to recognise the latest inductee into the CA Hall of Fame. Last year Croquet Australia inducted into the Hall of Fame Miss AB Morrison. She was a Victorian and Australian player and administrator.

Agnes was a member of the Australian MacRobertson Shield team in 1935 and 1937, including the match against Ireland that brought about the winning of the Eire Cup, later to be used as the trophy to establish an interstate competition in Association Croquet in Australia. Agnes was also a driving force in the formation of the Australian Croquet Council, this being no mean feat to establish a national body from scratch. She was also a member of the Victorian state team in the trial interstate events of 1948 and 1949, before being a member of the team in the ACC sanctioned official Eire Cup in 1950, 1951 as manager and in 1952, and in all these years as captain. She was capable of performing the triple peel in games, some 30 years before this became the norm in top level Australian Croquet.

So back to today. This year we have matches being played across three wonderful venues here in Perth, Como, Cambridge, and Nedlands. Our heartfelt thanks go to the host clubs for their hospitality.

Sharing the event across these clubs really highlights the strength of the croquet community here in Western Australia, and we are very grateful for the support and hospitality each club has shown.

To the officials, referees and volunteers, particularly the hoop setters, your professionalism and attention to detail will be on show to help the event run smoothly. We are grateful for your contributions. To all the teams here this week, welcome. The standard of play, the spirit of competition, and the friendships that come out of this event are what make it so special year after year.

From a Queensland perspective, we are proud to be here and ready for the challenge, but more importantly, we are looking forward to great matches played in the right spirit.

The Eire Cup is about competition, of course, but it is also about respect, connection, and a shared love of the game. That is what keeps us all coming back. I wish everyone the very best for the tournament. Play well, enjoy yourselves, and make the most of every moment out there. Thank you.

Mallets for Peace: Ian and John (Bribie Island) with Wallace Roy and Dianne from Maleny.

David Kerr

By David Kerr. From the Croquet Newsletter, May/June 2026, pages 37-41.