Sports identities honoured with Hall of Fame induction

THREE Olympians are among six Ballarat sports people newly inducted into the Ballarat Sports Hall of Fame.

Katrina Werry and Katie Foulkes (rowing), Kathryn Mitchell (javelin), Shane McInerney (AFL umpiring), the late Len Templar (football and athletics) and Ray Murphy (football) were inducted at a Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club dinner on 6 November.

Foulkes, Werry and Mitchell were made Hall of Fame members; Murphy, McInerney and Templar became associates.

The inductees received a gold medal and a certificate, although Mitchell is overseas and sent a letter to the event.

Hall of Fame chairman Ian Pym said the six identities had been on organisers’ radar for some time.

“This year we had five Olympians in Paris; two of those were inducted Wednesday night,” Mr Pym said.

“We’ve been thinking about them for a while.”

Mitchell and Werry competed in their respective sports this year in Paris.

Mr Pym said Hall of Fame inductees were selected through their links with the city, and those to be honoured were decided on by a variety of means.

“As long as they’re people who we regard as Ballarat people – born in Ballarat and nurtured in Ballarat, or come here to go to school,” Mr Pym said. “There are different circumstances.”

Mr Pym said about 100 people attended the induction dinner, which was held at the Ballarat Golf Club.

Among Mitchell’s achievements are four Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games. She won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Werry’s rowing career, meanwhile, has taken her to Olympic Games in Paris and Tokyo and has brought her top awards in four separate world women’s coxless fours events.

McInerney, a former St Patrick’s College student who has umpired in the Ballarat Football League, also notched up 502 VFL/AFL games from 1994 to 2019, including the 2004 and 2007 grand finals.

Templar, who died last December at 92, was known for his involvement in football and athletics as a player and coach. He played for Redan and North Melbourne, coached Stawell Gift winner Rod Mathews in 1999, and had the Ballarat Gift named in his honour.

Murphy’s football achievements include playing stints at Dunnstown, Redan, North Melbourne and Golden Point. He was involved in establishing the Central Highlands Football League, was its president from 1986 to 1992, and was also a sportsmen’s club founding member.

Foulkes was the coxswain of the Australian women’s eight at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and also competed at the 1993 and 2003 World Rowing Championships. She has had a Ballarat Grammar boat named in her honour.