Richard Vagg, Barrie Vagg, Barb Wheelhouse, Liz Vagg, Kenn Boal, Louise Comer and Peter Watson outside the Grace Edwards OAM Clubhouse following the ceremony.
Photo by
Taylah Baker
Grace Edwards sure did hit harder than most.
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For five unwavering decades, she swung a croquet mallet with a silk touch few possessed — true, straight and dare-say graceful, as was her nature.
Even after her passing in 1998, the effects of her pioneering actions have rippled throughout Shepparton, the wider Goulburn Valley and beyond.
On February 4, members of Edwards’ family, alongside a hearty contingent of Shepparton Croquet Club members, gathered fittingly in the Grace Edwards OAM Clubhouse to witness the nomination of a true doyenne of the game into Croquet Australia’s Hall of Fame.
Peter Watson, of the SCC, reeled off her achievements. The list read long.
Some of the dizzying highlights included the 1973 Australian ladies singles title, two Australian Croquet Council gold medals, seven Victorian ladies titles and 17 interstate squad selections to name a few.
Shepparton's Grace Edwards has been immortalised in the Croquet Australia Hall of Fame.
Photo by
Taylah Baker
Edwards was also the first croquet player to receive an OAM in 1979 and served as Croquet Australia’s president for three years.
What she wasn’t, as Kenn Boal pointed out, was a rule-bender.
“I remember playing against Grace, walking in the court and being told ‘do you not have white trousers?’ and looking somewhat appalled,” he said with a laugh.
“She was a stickler for the rules, but (it was) one of the best things she always did — it was for the Goulburn Valley, it was for everyone.
“It wasn’t just for the Shepparton club, but it was about getting people involved in the Goulburn Valley.”
Those who played alongside Edwards knew: beneath her unassuming kindness lay a will of iron.
Barb Wheelhouse was curious about the sport during her school years, and as it just so happened, her classmates’ mother turned out to be one the best croquet players in a 200km radius.
“I decided I’d like to learn how to play croquet and Grace taught me — she was a wonderful teacher,” Wheelhouse said.
“She was so enthusiastic and keen for new people to start to learn.
“She very quickly threw me into admin and captaincy and that sort of thing. She had a wonderful sense of humour, always.”
Humour was one side of Edwards’ extensive arsenal.
Her advocacy was fierce, too.
Sir Garfield Sobers once topped the bill for an evening at the Sherbourne Apex Club, and during question time, up stepped the GV’s first lady of croquet to offer the legendary West Indian cricketer a game on local greens.
Edwards also travelled far and wide to play, twice representing Australia in the world’s premier team croquet event, the MacRobertson Shield.
Shepparton Croquet Club opened the Grace Edwards OAM Clubhouse in 1994 and the name carried over to its new location in 2002.
Photo by
Taylah Baker
She was well supported by her husband Jack, who was a groundbreaker in his own right as Wheelhouse fondly mentioned following last Tuesday’s ceremony.
“He was commonly known by those who’ve lived around here long enough as Mr Football and Grace was Mrs Croquet,” she said.
“They were the heart of those sports in this town for many years.
“I have lots of fond and happy memories of Grace and her time playing croquet and it’s lovely that the family were able to come and be here for her.”
Following the address of Edwards and her sterling achievements in the croquet realm, Richard Vagg stepped forward on behalf of the family.
“Over and above being a sporting icon of Shepparton, being a sporting icon of croquet, she’s just our grandma,” he said.
“She was loving to us, she’d be rapt with this honour, so we thank Peter, Kenn and Barbara especially for the nomination.
“We regard Shepparton as our second home, we spent many Christmases here down at the old croquet club and here now so it’s in our blood.
“On behalf of the family we thank the club, we thank the croquet hall of fame and this will be treasured for many, many years.”
From first setting foot into Shepparton’s croquet scene in 1944 to her passing in 1998, Edwards stood as a paragon of excellence and dedication to a sport she loved so dearly.
Her life's work not only elevated the sport within her community but also left an indelible mark on Australia's croquet landscape.
The recent nomination to Croquet Australia’s Hall of Fame is a nod to the woman who turned a genteel game into a masterclass of precision and power.
Even now, long after she played her last stroke, the game still whispers her name.
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