Solved! The Great Gunning Trophy Mystery

Rodney Howarth with the Gunning Public School class photograph from 1955. Photo by Ann Darbyshire.

By Ann Darbyshire.

Following on the trail of just who was the “J Lees” on the trophy unearthed in Gunning by an enthusiastic local fossicker, Rodney Howarth got in touch with a member of the Gunning Historical Society. Rodney had a similar trophy to the one that had sparked the hunt for the Champion Girl Under 6 winner. It turns out through further research by Greg Murphy on Trove that it was indeed the same year as the J Lees trophy.

Rodney's trophy from the same year as the J Lees trophy

A former Gunning boy whose parents owned most of the strip of shops that now house the Picture House Gallery and other retail outlets, Rodney had another trophy that he won in his final year at school for that now outdated event – the Hop, Skip and Jump. He broke the existing record by about 13 inches and laments that although his father was a movie camera enthusiast, this heroic effort was not captured on film!

Rodney Howarth had another interesting piece to add to the trophy puzzle that was gradually revealing its secrets, a photograph of Gunning Primary School 1st and 2nd Class pupils in 1955. He appears in it as does Joy Beeton (nee Lees) who has been identified as the J Lees on the original trophy. Sadly she passed away last year.

Interestingly, the trophy that first appeared seemed to be quite large but were in fact very modest in size sporting two handles and a Bakelite plinth as seen in the photo of Rodney with two of his sporting trophies. A fire that demolished one of the shops in the arcade owned by his parents also destroyed most of his own ribbons and photos.

He had been given a copy of the 1955 photo from a former classmate. An enlarged version of this photo is now at the Gunning Library with some of the names filled out. Anyone from that era who thinks they can help fully identify the children in this photo is warmly urged to help.

Incidentally, one of the faces in the photo is that of Barry Thompson who was killed in the Vietnam War, the only person from Gunning to suffer this fate. It is hoped in the near future to share more information about this young man and honour his role in that very divisive war.

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