Johnsonville Softball Club clubrooms and postal address:

Address: Phillip Street, Johnsonville, Wellington. New Zealand
Postal address: P.O.Box 13-129, Johnsonville, Wellington. New Zealand
Telephone: (04) 478 0072
Click here for a local map of directions.

SENIOR COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT: Lyn FARNSWORTH
SECRETARY: Michelle O'HAGAN
TREASURER: Adelle LOVATT
CLUB CAPTAIN: Maureen O'MORE
GEAR STEWARD: Chris LOVATT
COMMITTEE: Dave JOWETT, Donna FRANCIS, Donald KIRKCALDIE, Glenys POLLARD

JUNIOR CLUB
CONVENYOR: Donna FRANCIS
TREASURER: TBA

Club History:

The First Ten Years 1938 – 1947

The basic equipment for a softball game – bat, ball bases and mitt, could all be put into one man’s baggage. In 1937 that’s what happened – and New Zealand summers have not been the same since.

The man was Mr W H Wilson, credited with bringing the game of softball to New Zealand. He was the general works manager of the Lower Hutt plant of the ford Motor Company, and as such he had access to a pool of potential players – Ford employees.

The game got wider publicity when two of the Ford teams played a game of softball as a curtain raiser to a rugby league game. League players and officials recognised a good opportunity to keep teams together, and fitness and team spirit intact over the summer break.  Soon Fords were not the only people with softball teams.  By Christmas 1937 there were twenty softball teams in Wellington.

Exhibition games were held in sporting grounds around the Wellington area. Henry Morgan and Freddy Jacobs were among spectators when one such exhibition match was held at Johnsonville.  These two men were rugby players, and could see the advantages of keeping rugby boys together over the summer break and they recommended the new ball game to the rugby players they knew.

The first meeting of those interested in forming a club was held in Mrs Gardner’s establishment – a ‘dry’ motel – that stood in what is now the KFC car park.  From that meeting came a club with two teams of ten men a side. 

Early players included the family group who played together at Paremata, the Burns – Bob, Jim, George, Bill and Bob, the Liddles – Bert, Lloyd and Terry, Jimmy Renner, Jock Masterton, Colin Renouf, Ernie Mildenhall, Bob Cameron, Bob Engel, Bill and Mick Fisher, Ian Forsythe and Bill Cutting.

In mid August 1939 the Wellington Baseball (Softball) Association wrote to the Johnsonville Town Board requesting grounds be made available for a softball diamond. After initial refusal, the Board agreed to allow the Softball Club the use of the No. 3 ground at a cost of 12.10.0 a year.

The Cricket and Softball Clubs shared the Pavilion at the recreation ground for shelter from inclement weather, and the beer keg that the softball team brought along.  Some cricketers found the beer preferable to the tea and scones provided by the ladies of the cricket club, and there was a feeling of camaraderie between the two clubs. This later gave rise to the annual cricket and softball matches between the two clubs, and event, which survived until the late 70’s.

The ground and the games played there were characteristic of the town. When the softball club named themselves “Hillbillies” they gave themselves an apt title.  Like the hillbillies in America, they were seen by the city folk as rustics, country bumpkins lacking the polish of the Wellingtonians – the sort of people you would expect to find in a “cowtown” where there were cattle yards. But there was a positive side to being a hillbilly – strong family ties, strong sense of community, an ability to make do with what was to hand.  Visitors to Johnsonville found the local team, who worked on Saturdays and were quite likely to play in their rugby boots on summer Saturday afternoons, none too gentle and refined in their play, although they were less likely to indulge in the raucous interchange with umpires which characterised other, city teams.

As an established Club, affiliated to the Association, and with a home ground, the Hillbillies could take part in competition. There were trophies to be competed for, including the John Lennon Trophy.  This trophy was presented in 1939 by J. K. Lennon, for competition “between the seniors men’s clubs of the Dominion”. For the first three years the competition was run along the lines of soccer series like the Chatham Cup, but it was rapidly found that travelling (by surface or by sea in those days) cut into the time available for scheduled games. It took Johnsonville until the early 60’s to qualify to compete in this tournament.

Some names of the first decade players of softball with the Hillbillies