Herb in the hall of fame

A BRILLIANT competitor in cricket and lawn bowls, Herb Hesse was inducted to the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Hall of Fame at the last turn of the century.

Hesse joined the likes of football coach Bob McCaskill, yachtsman Greg Goodall, Olympic boxer Des Duguid, and Olympic swimmer Faith Leech in the elite club.

A nine-time winner of Bendigo Bowls Club’s singles championship, Hesse was secretary of the Bendigo Country Week Bowls carnival for more than 25 years.

He was an A-grade skipper for 20 years and club secretary for more than 10 years. Hesse won the Bendigo District Champion of Champions crown on three occasions and won BDBA titles in pairs, triples and fours at least once.

Always keen to assist the sport’s future stars, Hesse also ran bowls clinics for schools.

He scored 132 runs as Bendigo United won the Bendigo District Cricket Association’s first XI grand final in 1937-38 against Harcourt.

It would be many summers until BUCC would mark another A-grade premiership victory. Hesse was A-grade captain at Bendigo United for 10 years and was awarded life membership of the club.

The classy batsman represented Bendigo against the Walter Hammond-led England in 1946. He also played A-grade pennant for Eaglehawk Golf Club, and marked a 10-year stint as captain and playing manager for Bendigo at the Melbourne Country Week golf carnivals.

Hesse also had a five-year stint as president of Bendigo Swimming Club. The Basil Ashman Hall of Fame is on display at Red Energy Arena in West Bendigo.