Bundaberg's Margaret Webley Event draws 64 players, and a new Palmer Medal honours the Palmers

The Margaret Webley Event at the Bundaberg Croquet Club is over for another year. The weather gods were on the club's side, with nurturing rain in the days leading up to the Event and the sprinkles held off during playing times. Players came from all over to participate in Bundaberg's premier Ricochet and Golf competition: Caloundra, Windsor, Eildon, Laurel Bank, Rockhampton, Shepparton and Echuca Moama in Victoria, and Wide Bay sister clubs Isis, Sunnyside, Hervey Bay and Point Lookout. Sixty-four players battled it out over two days; thirty-two in Ricochet and thirty-two in Golf.

The eventual winners were, in Ricochet, Steve Kele (R) and Janet Pool (HB) in Block A, and Darryl Bell (SS) and Wayne Johnson (I) in Block B. The winners in Golf were Sam Oaten (C) and Peter Woodland (B) in the Block A/B final, and in Block C the run-off match saw Judy Fairclough (W) and Roy Pemberton (B) emerge winners.

This year there were a few new tweaks to the way the Event was managed. A small addition was the presentation of commemorative pins for first, second and participation. By far the biggest change, though, was the Palmer Medal. The Palmers have been stalwart and valuable members of the Bundaberg Croquet Club. Sadly the club lost Harry recently and it will take some time to get past that for his family and members of the club.

However, things continue and the club has instituted the Palmer Medal to honour Wilma's work running the Event for many years and Harry's tireless work and good humour at the club.

The medal was run as an award for the player in both competitions, Ricochet and Golf, who individually scored the most hoops on each day. This was controversial to begin with but it all worked out on the day. Players worked out ways to tally their scores and register the hoops tally.

In the Ricochet Event, the Palmer Medal winner was Francis Wright from Laurel Bank, who was the youngest player in the competition.

Francis Wright from Laurel Bank, winner of the Palmer Medal for the Ricochet Event at the Margaret Webley Event.

The Palmer Medal winner in the Golf Event was Oliver Beverly from Point Lookout. Interestingly, as Oliver pointed out, the two recipients are around 60 years apart in age and that is a good sign for croquet. As hoped, neither medal winner was a member of the outright winners on either day, which added an extra element to the Event.

Vale Harry Palmer

It is with great sadness that Wilma and Melissa Palmer announce the passing of their much loved husband and father, Harry Palmer. The Bundaberg Croquet Club has lost a wonderful and stalwart member and friend, and the world has lost a true gentleman, a good sport and accomplished sportsman, a poet and a fighter to the end.

By Peter Woodland, Bundaberg. From the Croquet Newsletter, July/August 2023, pages 5, 6.