A great turn out of club members, partners and a group of four Rotarians from the St Kilda Sunrise club attended last week’s visit to the NZ Sports Hall of Fame. We were lucky to be hosted by the articulate, passionate sports story teller and custodian of this incredible collection, Mr Ron Palenski. The Hall of Fame commemorates NZ’s greatest sports people. The visit jogged our memories and sense of pride in the amazing sports achievements of New Zealanders on the world stage. As you enter the Hall, you are met with large signature boards for all the inductees, some like Richard Hadlee vying to be top of the list! Then you can look, touch and feel the very canoes that MacDonald and Ferguson used to sprint them to Olympic Gold victory. You many also marvel at Sarah Ulmer’s bike on which she won her Olympic gold and which she just happened to drop off and skilfully assemble herself at the Hall, according to Ron, amidst a group of admiring cruise ship visitors. We were awestruck to visually see how far Yvette Williams long jumped to set a world record of 6.28m in 1954. Ron treated us to stories about how he, over a cup of tea and a scone, gathered memorabilia from Colin Meads. On leaving the farm, Colin came up to Ron’s car window and said “here this might be useful”– it turned out to be an armcuff that Colin used when he played with a broken arm during the 1970 tour to South Africa. We heard about Bob Charles, inviting Ron to gather ‘anything you like’ from his garages in North Canterbury. Bob liked to come to the Hall to see the display, and apparently remarked ‘so that’s where it went’, it just happened to be a ‘mashie’, which was the very first golf club of Bob’s. Ron shared many of his stories and experiences collecting, presenting and sharing the material that we can all marvel at. Even if you are not ‘sporty’ and trust me I’m not, this is a ‘must go experience’ for young and old. It’s a truly uplifting, mindblowing, memory jogging place to visit. If you’re thinking of a family-oriented Christmas gift for yourselves, or for our Salvation Army gift appeal, this is the just the ticket at $6 per person! Get in quick. While the future of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame isn’t in question, and new inductees will be made (think Richie McCaw) the home for the museum may change, watch this space, but no matter what, go now and support this museum. It’s unique in New Zealand, special for Dunedin, and inspiring for all. Many thanks to Bruce Cowan for organising the visit (and the social dinner afterwards at the ‘old fashioned’ yet unique Best Café) and of course to Ron Palenski. Visit the Hall of Fame website (
https://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/) and go there in person, I know I’ll be back again soon.
