The decision of two men, Sam Darbyshire [left] and Alf Taylor [right] to form a local athletic club had a dramatic influence on the course of New Zealand and International Athletics far beyond what anyone realised at the time. Even today many athletes owe these men and women and their associates a debt of gratitude through the continuation of coaching and sporting principles that started on its journey in athletics at "Suburbs and down at the Park". Sadly the club is in recess at this time a victim of expanding Auckland and the shift to the suburbs, but the memories will always live on.
FORMATION OF WESTERN SUBURBS AMATEUR ATHLETIC CLUB
By Sam. Darbyshire (Co-founder)
Two ladies, Mrs. Darbyshire and Mrs. Taylor were discussing children playing in the street on trolleys and bikes, and the increase in traffic in the area in 1945. The talk led to Mr. Alf. Taylor and myself getting together and having a chat about athletics in the district. I made a number of inquiries from different people and especially of Mr. Herb Towers a legend of Auckland sport administration, who guided me on the ways of forming a club.
Meeting AIf Taylor again we decided to go ahead and call a meeting at his house in Williamson Avenue Grey Lynn; in the meantime AIf had approached Mr. Bill Allden (who was a member of Mt. Albert Club), his father, Bill Allden Snr and Mr. Arthur Hamlin who joined in when he heard of the prospect of a Club being formed. After a lengthy discussion it w as decided to form the Club and call it Western Suburbs Amateur Athletic Club to cover the districts of Ponsonby, Herne Bay, and Grey Lynn and that we write to the Auckland City Council and ask permission to have Grey Lynn Park as our headquarters.
This was approved, so a General Meeting was called, to be held in the Westmere School Hall on the 24th April 1945. A grand muster of people turned up to the meeting and by the end of the evening Western Suburbs A.A.C. was formed, and the Auckland Athletic Centre approved the Clubs registration. A group of enthusiasts led by Eric Fernandez and Keith Slatter organised the Harrier section for winter competition. The Club started its first season with 50 adults and 60 schoolchildren and the journey began.
The following members were elected members of the first Western Suburbs Athletic Club Committee:
President: Arthur Hamlin.
Patrons: Mr. Fred Hackett, M.P., Mr. J. Allum, (now Sir John), Mr. Bill Parry, M.P.
Vice-Presidents: Messrs. Sam. Darbyshire, A. J. Elliott, H. Breen Forture, Alf. Taylor, Roe, W. J. Aliden, W. C. AlIcot.
Secretary: A. T. Ingle.
Committee: W. C. AlIden, W. J. AlIden, Sam. Darbyshire, A. J. Courdron, R. Mortenson, Jack. Dunn, J. Roas.
Ladies: Mesdames Taylor, Sutherland, Neale and Miss Elkington.
Club Captain: Bill. C. AlIden.
Ladies' Captain: Miss Elkington.
Life Members:
Our club has been proud to grant five people the highest honour it can, that of Life Membership.
They are:
Albie J. Gregory - Joined the club in 1945 and granted Life Membership in 1955.
Jack w. Dunn - Joined in 1945, granted Life Membership in 1958.
Eric S. Fernandez - Joined 1945, granted Life Membership in 1958.
Meerv. R. Reeve ~ Joined 1945, granted Life Membership in 1964.
Keith C. Slatter - Joined in 1946, granted Life Membership in 1964.
Club Presidents:
Arthur Hamlin: 1945, 46
Sam Darbyshire: 1947, 48
Bill Allden: 1949, 50, 51
Albie Gregory: 1952, 53, 54, 55
Jack Dunn: 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60
Noel Milham: 1961, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66
Club Secretaries:
The seven people who have held this important and demanding position are:
Jack Ingles, Ron Cleal, Ivan Keats,
Albie Gregory, Raoul Dobbie,
Keith Slatter, Zelda Bridgens,
The Club Uniform:
Arthur Hamlin and Herb Towers had a magazine with a photo of 1936 Olympic superstar Jesse Owens wearing the United States uniform. This was thought to be a good uniform for the new club, they were originally of a satin material. The United States later changed their uniform.
Our first hurdles:
The first set of hurdles the club owned were made by a group of enthusiastic members busy with hammer and saw in Marsden's factory at Garnet Rd Westmere where Jack Dunn worked. Arthur Hamlin bought the first discus and also made the steel ring for the shot circle. Those were the days
The First 21 Years
Club athletes won 113 Senior Men, 64 Junior, and 37 Women's Auckland Titles.
Auckland Relay Championships showed the depth of club strength:
51 Senior, 54 Junior, and 30 women's Titles
New Zealand Titles were won on 113 occasions by 22 Club athletes.
We have always been strong in sprinting, hurdling, jumping and throwing. Our most successful senior even.s have been.
Javelin (13 titles), Long Jump (11) Discus (11), Decathlon (10), Triple
Jump (9) and Shot (9). Colin Crocker's 100 yards title in 1965, in 9.7
seconds, has been beaten in an Auckland championship event only by M.L.
Rae's wind-aided 9.5.
Other Auckland Championship records are held by
Paul Dallow (120 Yards Hurdles in 15.0, 1962), Roy Williams Pole Vault of
12' 1" in 1965 and decathlon of 7234 in 1966, David Norris (Long Jump 24'
6.1/2", Long Jump in 1966 and the 50's" Triple Jump in 1962), Les Mills (Shot 61'
11" and Discus 181' 7", both in 1966), Malcolm Hahn Javelin of 212' 3.1/2" in
1957, and Peter Hellreigel One Mile Walk of 6m. 46s. in 1952, and 3 Mile
Walk of 22m. 25.4s in 1953.
A HISTORY OF GREY LYNN PARK
Grey Lynn Park was once part of a large dairy farm known as Surrey Hills Estate, owned by the Hon. James Williamson. In 1883 it was offered to the City Council for 100,000 pounds and when the offer was turned down the Estate was subdivided. Several lots were purchased by the BNZ, and in 1909 they were presented to the Council as a park. The name Grey Lynn Park was chosen in 1901 being named after Sir George Grey.
In 1912 employees of B. W. Davies boot factory began playing informal Rugby league games there. The club called itself Richmond Rovers League Club and affiliated to the Auckland League in 1913 and were permitted to build a clubhouse.
The park was a deep gully and acted as a natural watershed for the area, with Cox’s Creek running through it to the sea, extensive drainage resulted in an excellent sports ground. In 1915, 5 more acres at the Southern end were levelled for a children’s play area and sports field. In 1945 the Western Suburbs Athletic Club was located at the park's southern end and until their clubrooms were completed in 1959 they used the old Home Guard Army huts. In 1976 Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club were permitted to construct a new clubhouse under a conditional use application.
WESTERN SUBURBS 
