Big name added to Hall of Fame

BENDIGO sporting icon Basil Ashman has been immortalised at Bendigo Stadium, with the Bendigo Sports Star Hall of Fame being named in his honour.

Ashman, who passed away in May last year, contributed to sport and business in the region, is a hall of famer of the Bendigo Football Netball League and was vice-captain of the Eaglehawk Football Club team of the century. He also was managing director of Ashman’s menswear and dry-cleaning service.

Close friend and former Sports Star Award panel member Robert Cook said naming the Sports Star Hall of Fame after Ashman was an easy decision, as the hall of fame itself was his idea.

“When we started to grow the Sports Star, we had an ongoing list of sports stars and what we needed to do was elevate the sports stars who achieved world recognition,” Cook said.

“Establishing the Hall of Fame was a great idea. It was Basil’s drive, he was passionate about it, he wanted to see it and now it’s alive.”

Ashman’s daughter, Kay Tomlinson, was in attendance last Thursday night to help unveil her father’s name on the Hall of Fame.

“Dad was such a wonderful icon of Bendigo with all the sporting events he did, running his business and he was such a family man,” she said

“He would be absolutely thrilled to be here and see what’s going on, he would just love it.

“When I was a kid, he was always running off to meetings to pick the hall of fame people, Sports Star of the Month and of the Year.”

Ms Tomlinson, the mother of Melbourne premiership player Adam Tomlinson, said her father was thrilled to witness the start of his grandson’s football career.

“He was a wonderful sportsman, wonderful Bendigo man, great family man and a really good dad,” she said.