Historical information

This trophy is one of several from the 1930s that were awarded as part of the competitions held in Warrnambool by the Inter-Church Indoor Sports Association. One of the sponsors of this competition was Fletcher Jones, the well-known clothing manufacturer who had his head office and main factory in Warrnambool. This trophy was the Bates Cup and it was probably donated by Harold Bates, a property developer who was a Warrnambool City Councillor from 1941 to 1945. This trophy was for the deck quoits competition. The game of quoits consists of competitors throwing four or five rings or hoops on to a raised spike some metres away. The hoops are generally made of plaited rope and the game is said to have been started or popularized by sailors on board ship. In deck quoits the raised spike is usually replaced by concentric circles drawn on the playing surface. This game became very popular on ocean liner cruise ships from the 1920s on. The winner of this trophy is not known.

Significance

This cup is retained as a fine example of the trophies awarded for indoor sport in the 1930s in Warrnambool by the now-defunct inter church sporting association

Physical description

This is an electro plated nickel silver cup with two side handles and a thin stem on a silver base. The cup is mounted on a brown circular Bakelite stand.

Inscriptions & markings

‘I.C.I.S.A. Bates Cup Deck Quoits Championship’