The year was 1972 and Campbelltown was still basically a large country town just outside the edges of the Sydney metropolitan area.
As a prosperous, thriving town it also offered plenty of sporting opportunities for its young people, from rugby league to soccer.
No rugby union club, but that was about to change.
“South African and ex-naval officer, Bill Parker was the prime mover and the one responsible for the formation of the Campbelltown Harlequin Rugby Club,’’ writes Geoff Hicks in a book produced this year to mark the 50 year history of the club.
Mr Hicks was the editor of the book, titled, Campbelltown Harlequins Rugby Club 1972-22, 50 Years Anniversary Booklet, which became available for sale towards the end of the 2024 footy season.
And while it is about the history of this wonderful sporting organisation, reading it make sit obvious that this is also a piece of Campbelltown history.
But back to the origins of the Harlequins and Bill Parker, who according to the book formed a committee in September of 1971, and which met at Lacks Hotel, for many years after that the watering hole of choice for club players and members.
The committee included Geoff Hicks (secretary) and Douglas Berneville-Claye (publicity officer).
“At the beginning of the 1972 season the club was ready to kick off and, in that year, competed in the Walker and Clarke Cups of the Sydney Metropolitan Sub-Districts competition with mediocre success, writes Geoff Hicks.
“The teams wore the traditional four squares of the Harlequins in black, gold, maroon and blue colours; shorts were white and the socks were maroon with a gold turnover, similar to the socks of the Campbelltown High School.’’
Geoff Hicks was the club coach, John Burkkhardt the club captain and Waminda Park in East Campbelltown was the home ground for the new club.
A year later it was decided to play first and second grade in the Illawarra competition, where the standard was quite high.
One season later the second grade collected the club’s first ever trophy after winning the competition.
The club moved to its current home ground, Campbelltown Showground, in the 1980s, and the book goes into detail about the amount of work required to bring it up to standard for games of football.
There’s also a good sprinkling of famous people who were involved in some capacity or other over the years, including Lisa Wilkinson’s father Ray, Fred Testoni, a former Waratah who coached at the Harlequins, and a few others.
The booklet, which the club offered for sale during home games this year, provides a compelling read for anyone involved with the Harlequins, but also anyone who is interested in the history of Campbelltown over the past half a century.
It includes playing records as well as the names of all those who served in an official capacity since 1972.
If you get a chance to get one, grab it with both hands.
Great read and it was a super pleasure being part of the Quinn es history
Dombo
Congratulations to Geoff and to the Club, this book is a story not just of the Harlequins but of Campbelltown itself. Many of the people who made the Club great made Campbelltown great as well. It’s an entertaining story of a wonderful era and wonderful characters (even my brothers, and my sister who married a Harlequin!) and is a timely reminder of the importance of sport and community in our lives.
Patrick