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: 11171.8a Department of Youth Sport and Recreation Courses for 1979 11171.8b From VAVA General Coaches Course Level 2 11171.8c VAVA Executive Officers List 11171.8d Letter from Ballarat asking for promotional posters 11171.8e To Mildura Volleyball re affiliation 11171.8f To Wangaratta Volleyball re costs for Country Championships 11171.8g To all associations re tournament rules and registration fees 11171.8h To all associations re VCVC Meeting March 1979 11171.8i Calendar of events for the VAVA Referee's Commission 11171.8j To VAVA re possible grant for U17 Championships at Wangaratta 11171.8k To Ann Mansfield re Volleyball Equipment stock 11171.8l Estonia Sports Club South Australia notication of annual tournament 11171.8m Country Volleyball Championships Team Entry Form 11171.8n From Geelong Volleyball asking for promotional posters 11171.8o To Kyneton Volleyball information for affiliation 11171.8p Australian Volleyball Federation advertising for coaches 11171.8q Wangaratta Volleyball Executive Details 11171.8r From J. A. Sporting Goods Price list 11171.8s To Horsham Volleyball re affiliation 11171.8t To Ararat Volleyball re affiliation 11171.8u Wangaratta U7 Championship referee's list and accomodation 11171.8v Notice of change of date of General Meeting 11171.8w Latrobe Valley Volleyball Association team colours 11171.8x 1979 Country Championships Shepparton list of accomodation 11171.8y Warrnambool Country Championships Team Entry Form 11171.8z From Goulburn Valley Volleyball contact details 11171.8aa From Kyneton Volleyball deference of affiliation 11171.8ab Notice of General Meeting at Wangaratta 11171.8ac Stawell Volleyball possible affiliation 11171.8ad Men's Volleyball draw 21-22 April 11171.8ae Wangaratta Volleyball U17 Championships Costs and schedule 11171.8af To Stawell Association re affiliation 11171.8ag VCVC Financial Statement 1978-79 11171.8ah VCVC Letter to the Shire of Nathalia 11171.8ai Letter re Fort Street Volleyball Club poaching players 11171.8aj Letter re Fort Street Volleyball Club poaching players 11171.8ak Letter to Coaches Commission re tournament 11171.8al VCVC Notice of general meeting in April 11171.8am VCVC re AGM Dates 1979 11171.8an VCVC re AGM Dates 1979 11171.8ao VCVC re AGM Dates 1979 11171.8ap Letter to Sports Services re design for tracksuit badge 11171.8aq VAVA Minutes of Executive Meeting Nov 1979 11171.8ar Country Championships Shaepparton Report 1979victorian country volleyball council, vcvc, victorian amateur volleyball association, volleyball victoria

Grampians Secondary Schools' Sports Association. Thirteen Annual Athletic Meeting Programme 6d Saturday 27th April 1929 Stored in Book 3 Sporting Programmes Page 23. Mitchell Cabinet From Cynthia Bodeystawell, education, sport

Historical Film FootageTwo Film Reels Larger one Green Plastic Smaller one Red Plastic Sport at the Stawell Technical School 0.00 “Cricket Practice” 0.33 “The Bowler ..t it” 1.10 “Our Football Team 1932” 1.33 “Have a Closer look at them” (Football at Central Park ) 2.20 “Some of the Younger Fry” (school boys at Central Park) 2.33 “Start of the 220 Yards” 2.57 “High jump Events” 3.30 “See how it is done” 4.27 “See how to jump” 5.44 “The Sack Race” 6.15 “Boot Scram How carefully …. The boots …” 6.25 “The rush of the bootless brigade” 7.02 “Start of the Apple in Tub……. Race” 7.12 “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away…. They want their apple” 7.32 “See – The Art of Getting….The apple. 7.59 Putting the Weight” 8.14 “Notice the graceful movements” Skene (Street site) 9.31 “ The Long Jump” Stawell Technical School Activities at Skene Street 10.10 “ Marching practice for Inter- Technical sports….. 1932 10.33 “Some practice starts. ( Tech school building Skene Street ) 11.54 Technical school building in Skene St 12.07 “The Fall in” 12.48 “Drill exercise” 13.40 “Drill Exercise Juniors” 15.09 “Dismiss” 15.24 “Classes Leaving School Room- Sorry to part” 15.52 “Bat Tennis” 16.23 “Ball passing” 16.50 “Over-head Ball Passing” 17.21 fancy dress on stage. Similar to Can Can 18.21 possible Egyptian dance Stawell Technical School Swimming 19.00 “Receiving Instructions-The Lull before the storm!” 19.09 “All ready in their gowns.—They’re off!!! (No, not the gowns.) 19.19 “Hey! Would you believe he’d do this on purpose?” 1st method of release and rescue 19.54 “Another patient “callin” for help- Life-saving is mostly ups and downs” 20.17 “Towing the patient in, so that he can’t struggle with the rescuer” 20.52 “Who’s drowning now? It’s either Sir Walter Dally or Frantic Drake getting ducked” 21.38 Swimming club room at Cato Lake 21.44 Diving tower Cato Lake Views of Stawell from Big Hill and from a Plane 23.18 Views from Big Hill 23.48 ? lettered title by Stawell Technical School 23.53 “Now, off we go in the Texas plane”(biplane) 24.07 “Stawell looks like a Doll’s Garden” 24.36 “Main Street Winds … beneath us” 24.55 “Lake Cato, Central Park, War Memorial” 25.16 “State School 502 with the “ants” out at play…. 25.53 “The North Western Woollen Mills” 26.05 “And now from the West side” 26.33 “Above the clouds at 7000ft.”(and landing the biplane) Technical School Trade Skill-- Carpentry 27.16 “Woodwork Department” “Model Dairy” – Built on walk-in walk-out principle with bails for 6 cows; also separator, cream, and feed room; Length 52 Ft Width 18ft. Scale 27.44 “Framing for Lean-to shed Many uses can be found for this type on the farm 28.08 “Putting the finishing touches to a Twi-roomed Settler’s House….” 28.42 “A good sturdy type of hand gate….. half full size.. 28.57 “This Double-batten gate costs the farmer13/-, can be made in 3 hours, and is good for a Century…. 29.20 “ A stand for…… 1.000 Gallon tank. 1/3rd Full size….. 29.45 “ Form for moulding Concrete fence posts…. These posts are fire-proof, white-ant-proof, and will not rot…. 30.11 “No 2. Carpentry.” Sinking Mortices in Styles of a pair of Gates….. 30.29 “Cutting Tenons on the Rails” 30.42 “Fitting Tenon into Mortice.” 30.53 ‘Marking and cutting for Brace” 31.46 “Turret Roofs. 1. Bell-shaped… 2. Ogee……… 32.03 “Cutting a Mitre such as is used for corner of Picture Frame. 32.51 “Testing Mitre for Square” 32.59 “No 3. Joinery.” Box-framed Window with Double-hung sashes 33.24 “Louvre Ventilators 1. Circular. 2. Triangular. 33.46 “Front Entrance Door and Frame, with Fanlight and Sidelights. 34.04 “Half Size Model of a Gothic Door 34.21 No 4. Cabinet-Making. Fitting shaped rail to turned leg of….. Music Stool, having a Drawer for Music. 34.43 “A Fire-screen….. with Painted Panel. 35.01 “A sitting down job.” Junior Technical Boys on Chair construction 35.22 “A modeling class at work. ------- Technical School Trade Skill—Plastering 36.09 “ A process of … casting in Plaster. Of parts…… 36.14 “Building the walls around the clay….. model. ------ 36.34 “Mixing the Plaster of Paris to pour for the mould….. 36.39 “Modelling Section. The running of Mouldings…. 36.43 “Building up…. The rough shape of the mould…” 36.55 “Moving thr template slowly along,….. in order to perfect the shape…… 37.30 “Moving the template along……. For the second time. 37.49 “The finished mould.” 37.55 “An end view showing …. The exact shape. Technical School Speech Day 38.40 Speech day 39.40 Display of art work, plaster models and carpentry 41.44 Science experiments Exploring the Grampians/Halls Gap 40.30 Exploring the Grampians Views from Mt William 45.54 Picnic Halls Gap 46.36 Swimming carnival Halls Gap pool Athletics at Central Park Stawell 43.56 Athletic events at Central Park including sack race and tandem racing Lake Lonsdale Picnic 49.41 Leaving for …. The School Picnic held at …Lake Lonsdale….. December 13th 1932 50.00 By the Lakeside 50.22 The boys take to the water. 50.46 One in, All in. 51.22 Hunger….. approaching, On with..the billy.. 51.34 The workers Partake of Nourishment. 51.47 Silent workers.(mothers picnic lunch) Wash up and Dry up. 52.20 General view at Lunch time. 52.53 One swallow does not make a summer… 53.10 Great Australian Bites. 53.28 Good-bye Sandwiches.. 53.57 Note the more than full expressions… 54.06 The last parade 54.16 Swim for the shore boys Under 14 years 54.43 Swim for the shore boys. Under 16 Years. 55.06 Swim for the shore boys, all in… 55.28 Ladies Race. Use your weight. 55.45 After the fall. 55.47 The winner Mrs Taylor. 55.06 Boys Races 56.20 How NOT to run.(backwards) 57.10 Try this one yourself….(backwards) 57.26 The Staff Spirit? 57.39 The Winner Mr Henderson.. Snow in Stawell 1949 58.01 1949 snow in Stawell Tech school, 502, Tech snow fight , Patrick St with courthouse 59.31 Big Hill scenery 1.00.06 Speech at Tech school quadrangle Street Parade down Main Street 1.00.22 c. 1945 Parade main St (possibly Peace celebrations) Sporting event Central Park 1.02.04 Central Park sporting event after the Parade, including Scouts erecting a tent. Historical Film Footage Stawell Tech 1932education