Volleyball has been played in regional Victoria since the early-1960’s. During those early days, most competitions, like the founders of our great sport, were run by, or in conjunction with, the YMCA. Competitions were running at the Ballarat School of Mines and the YMCA’s of Bendigo, Geelong and Warrnambool. In August 1966, an invitation was extended by the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association to play in the first State-wide event at Monash University. Geelong and Bendigo accepted the invitation with Melbourne represented by Sisu. For Bendigo players at least, this was the first exposure to ‘international rules’, which prevented upward scoops with open hands, introduced an action called a ‘dig’ and seemed to penalise most overhead actions using the fingers as ‘double hits’! Over the next few years, the sport expanded through the YMCA movement with weekly competitions starting up in Ararat, Warrnambool and Latrobe Valley. The Victorian Regional Council of YMCA’s proposed the first Victorian YMCA Championship in Warrnambool on 30th March 1968 with an entry fee of $4.00 per team. The sport continued to grow with additional regional associations affiliating with the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association (now VVI) who provided the coaching and refereeing assistance needed to raise the standard of play. In 1970, the YMCA Championships started to give way to the Victorian Country Championships with the first ever event held in Bendigo. In 1973, a re-organisation of the VAVA saw the proposal to create separate Victorian Country and Metropolitan Volleyball Councils. The VCVC was established in 1974 and took over the organisation of the Victorian Country Championships. For the next 10-12 years, the Country Championships grew in stature with the inclusion of two divisions for open men and women and junior divisions for boys and girls. Representative teams successfully contested Australian Country Championships between Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales on several occasions. In October 1985, the VCVC voluntarily wound up the Council and handed the responsibility for the Country Championships back to Volleyball Victoria, who by that time had full-time State Executive and Coaching Directors. Since that time, the Long Weekend in June has continued to be the date of the major annual volleyball event for most regional associations, even though in 1986 the Junior Country Championships were wound up in favour of state and national schools events. A number of regional associations have ceased to exist, as have a number of regional tournaments. Regional leagues were created in both the Gippsland and Central, North-West regions, with Gippsland the only one to survive. Some associations have successfully competed in the State League competitions at various times. Following the experience gained by a number of regional administrators working on the Sydney Olympic Games, a proposal to revamp the Victorian Country Championship was put to VVI in early 2002. Later that year, the Volleyball Victoria Country Championships Commission was formed to implement the recommendations of the review and take control of the event into the future. These championships now provide regional players and officials an opportunity to participate in a consistently well-managed event, using many international protocols and a high standard of presentation. Without doubt, this event now ranks as one of the best volleyball events in Australia. Source: 2022 Country Championship regulations The management of the Country Championships by the Victorian Country Championship Commission certainly achieved the objective of raising the standard of presentation, and delivering a consistently high quality event. However, the demands on Host Associations began to take their toll, with several Associations declining the opportunity to host the event due to the high workload. Similarly, the workload of the volunteer Commissioners also took its toll, with the Commission unable to fill casual vacancies. In 2023, the Commission handed the organisation of the Championships back to VVI, who with paid staff, were better equipped to manage the event.This item contains Correspondence of the Council in 1979 and reports on the Country Championships for that year; it includes the following documents: 11171.18a Letter to Tomas Santamaria re South Australian Country Match 11171.18b VCVC Letter to all associations re Expo Displays 11171.18c Letter to Hamilton Volleyball Association Re South Australia Match 11171.18d To the VCVC Senior Squad Members re availability to compete 11171.18e Notice of AGM Nov 1979 11171.18f Letter to Port Augusta re possible interstate challenge 11171.18g Letter to Hamilton Volleyball Association re affiliation 11171.18h Letter to Bob Kenter Latrobe Valley re resignation form VCVC Presidency 11171.18i To Latrobe Valley Volleyball Association regarding trophies for the country championships 11171.18j To the South Australian Country Volleyball Council re championships 11171.18k Letter from the South Australian Country Volleyball Council 11171.18l Letter re Country Championsips 1979 at Shepparton 11171.18m VAVA Secretary's Report 1979 11171.18n VAVA Annual Statements Oct 1979 11171.18o VAVA Executive Meeting Minutes Sept 1979 11171.18p VAVA AGM Minutes Dec 1979 11171.18q VCVC AGM Minutes Dec 1979 11171.18r VCVC Minutes Nov 1978 11171.18s VCVC Secretary's Report 1978-79 11171.18t VCVC Minutes of General Meeting Wangaratta April 1979 11171.18u VCVC Record Secretary's Report 1979 11171.18v To all Associations re Chinese Volleyball Team Visit 11171.18w To all associations re Country Championship Bonds 11171.18x From Bendigo Volleyball Association re costs for the country championships 11171.18y To all associations re annual player registration update 11171.18z VCVC Financial statement 1978-79 11171.18aa First Victorian v South Australia country Championships Report Dec 1979 11171.18ab Bendigo YMCA Volleyball Association re AGM in Bendigo on Dec 09 1979 11171.18ac Australain Volleyball Federation re changes to the constitution 11171.18ad Submission for Veterans Open tournament 1980 11171.18ae Letter from Seymour Amateur Volleyball re AGM Attendance Nov 1979 11171.18af Australian Volleyball Federation re Grading of referees 11171.18ag Ballarat Amateur Volleyball Association request for the country championships 1980 11171.18ah Australian Volleyball Federation re Sports Development Program 1978-79 11171.18ai Shire of Nathalia re new stadium 1979 11171.18aj Bendigo YMCA Association re taking part in the Sports Expo 11171.18ak VAVA to all associations - copy of the Australian Rule Book 11171.18al Official interpretation of Rule 21 11171.18am Official interpretation of Rule 21 11171.18an Submission for Veterans Open Tournament 11171.18ao Schedule for the Olympic Village Aug 1979 11171.18ap VAVA Sports Assistance Program grants 1979-80 11171.18aq Olympic Supporters Club of Australia Campaign 11171.18ar Letter re State Squad Representatives form VAVA 11171.18as Latrobe Valley Volleyball Association re monies owed from Geelong and Wangaratta 11171.18at Re visit by the Chinese Team 11171.18au Latrobe Valley Volleyball Association re visit by the Chinese Team 11171.18av From South Australian Country Volleyball Confirmation of interstate games 11171.18aw From Hamilton Volleyball re interest in affiliation 11171.18ax From Goulburn Valley Volleyball Report on the 1979 Open Country Championships 11171.18ay Letter from Hamilton Volleyball with registration fee 11171.18az VAVA re State Director of Coaching and Women's State Coach 11171.18aaa VCVC Country Championships Goulburn Valley Report 11171.18aab Wangaratta Volleyball U17 Country Chamionships Report 11171.18aac From Bob Kenter President - letter of resignation April 1979victorian country volleyball council, vcvc, victorian amateur volleyball association, volleyball victoria

Volleyball has been played in regional Victoria since the early-1960’s. During those early days, most competitions, like the founders of our great sport, were run by, or in conjunction with, the YMCA. Competitions were running at the Ballarat School of Mines and the YMCA’s of Bendigo, Geelong and Warrnambool. In August 1966, an invitation was extended by the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association to play in the first State-wide event at Monash University. Geelong and Bendigo accepted the invitation with Melbourne represented by Sisu. For Bendigo players at least, this was the first exposure to ‘international rules’, which prevented upward scoops with open hands, introduced an action called a ‘dig’ and seemed to penalise most overhead actions using the fingers as ‘double hits’! Over the next few years, the sport expanded through the YMCA movement with weekly competitions starting up in Ararat, Warrnambool and Latrobe Valley. The Victorian Regional Council of YMCA’s proposed the first Victorian YMCA Championship in Warrnambool on 30th March 1968 with an entry fee of $4.00 per team. The sport continued to grow with additional regional associations affiliating with the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association (now VVI) who provided the coaching and refereeing assistance needed to raise the standard of play. In 1970, the YMCA Championships started to give way to the Victorian Country Championships with the first ever event held in Bendigo. In 1973, a re-organisation of the VAVA saw the proposal to create separate Victorian Country and Metropolitan Volleyball Councils. The VCVC was established in 1974 and took over the organisation of the Victorian Country Championships. For the next 10-12 years, the Country Championships grew in stature with the inclusion of two divisions for open men and women and junior divisions for boys and girls. Representative teams successfully contested Australian Country Championships between Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales on several occasions. In October 1985, the VCVC voluntarily wound up the Council and handed the responsibility for the Country Championships back to Volleyball Victoria, who by that time had full-time State Executive and Coaching Directors. Since that time, the Long Weekend in June has continued to be the date of the major annual volleyball event for most regional associations, even though in 1986 the Junior Country Championships were wound up in favour of state and national schools events. A number of regional associations have ceased to exist, as have a number of regional tournaments. Regional leagues were created in both the Gippsland and Central, North-West regions, with Gippsland the only one to survive. Some associations have successfully competed in the State League competitions at various times. Following the experience gained by a number of regional administrators working on the Sydney Olympic Games, a proposal to revamp the Victorian Country Championship was put to VVI in early 2002. Later that year, the Volleyball Victoria Country Championships Commission was formed to implement the recommendations of the review and take control of the event into the future. These championships now provide regional players and officials an opportunity to participate in a consistently well-managed event, using many international protocols and a high standard of presentation. Without doubt, this event now ranks as one of the best volleyball events in Australia. Source: 2022 Country Championship regulations The management of the Country Championships by the Victorian Country Championship Commission certainly achieved the objective of raising the standard of presentation, and delivering a consistently high quality event. However, the demands on Host Associations began to take their toll, with several Associations declining the opportunity to host the event due to the high workload. Similarly, the workload of the volunteer Commissioners also took its toll, with the Commission unable to fill casual vacancies. In 2023, the Commission handed the organisation of the Championships back to VVI, who with paid staff, were better equipped to manage the event.This item contains Correspondence of the Council in 1979 and reports on the Country Championships for that year; it includes the following documents: 11171.9a Draft VAVA Constitution 11171.9b VAVA Draft Constitution Changes 11171.9c VAVA Executive meeting April 1979 11171.9d Seymour Amateur Volleyball Association re affiliation 11171.9e VAVA Minutes and Agenda Executive Meeting April 1979 11171.9f Disqualification of Players in Melbourne from all associations 11171.9g Latrobe Valley Volleyball association executive list 11171.9h Country Championships 1979 team entry forms 11171.9i Graham Watson transfer form 11171.9j Volleyball Equipment price list 11171.9k VAVA News to all country associations 11171.9l Swan Hill Association re score pad order 11171.9m Letter from Ararat Student re history of volleyball in Australia 11171.9n Letter to Hamilton Volleyball (Memorial Stadium) - promotional posters 11171.9o Draft No 2 VAVA Constitution 11171.9p From Goulburn Valley Association - referee request 11171.9q To Goulburn Valley Association Requesting Player registration details 11171.9r Letter explaing new VAVA draft constitution 11171.9s Australian Volleyball Federation Secretary's Report 1978-79 11171.9t VAVA Agenda for Sept Executive Meeting 11171.9u VAVA Notice of Executive Meeting Aug 1979 11171.9v Letters from members available for match against south Australia 1-2 Dec 11171.9w Australian Volleyball Federation Mailing List 11171.9x Paperwork for VAVA Executive Meeting Sept 1979 11171.9y VAVA Notice of AGM Nov 1979 11171.9z Bendigo YMCA Volleyball association Executive list 11171.9aa VAVA Executive Meeting Details Oct 1979 11171.9ab VAVA Executive Minutes and notices Nov 1979 11171.9ac Australian Volleyball Federation new National Executive Director 11171.9ad VAVA Request fro secondhand equipment 11171.9ae VAVA Minutes of Special General meeting to amend the constitution 11171.9af Notice of VAVA Executive meeting 11171.9ag The Ray Riordan Sports Admin Newsletter 11171.9ah The Ray Riordan Sports Admin Newsletter 11171.9ai VCVC Minutes of General Meeting April 1979 11171.9aj VCVC General Meeting Notices Nov 1979 11171.9ak VAVA 1979 registration Fees 11171.9al VAVA Minutes of Executive Meeting Feb 1979 11171.9am VAVA Minutes of Executive Meeting March 1979 11171.9an VAVA Proposed Referee Commission 11171.9ao VAVA Survey of Facilities 11171.9ap VAVA Office-bearers 1979 11171.9aq Bendigo Trophy Centre Change of Owners 1978 11171.9ar VAVA Promotional Material Resources 11171.9as VAVA Resource Material 11171.9at Department of Youth Sport and Recreation Training Video Pamphlet 11171.9au VAVA Grants for 1979-80victorian country volleyball council, vcvc, victorian amateur volleyball association, volleyball victoria