Jones and Parkes awarded with Life Membership

Pat Jones and Cathy Parkes OAM have been awarded Life Membership of Water Polo NSW, the first females to receive the honour.

The presentation was made at the recent WPNSW Annual General Meeting, inducting Jones and Parkes to a 29-strong group.

Pat Jones and Bill Jones (former President of WPNSW and WPA), Life Members WPNSW with Suzanne Ramke, President WPNSW

Pat Jones was heavily involved in women’s water polo in NSW in the 60’s and 70’s, was the inaugural NSW women’s team manager in 1969 and the inaugural national women’s team manager in 1976.

In 1990 Pat was appointed Chairperson of the Womens Water Polo Gender Equity Committee, a role established by the Australian Sports Commission to drive equal opportunities for women in the sport. As part of this position, Pat worked tirelessly to have water polo included in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where instead, FINA opted to hold an ‘olympic year tournament’ in Holland.

Pat then refocused the committee alongside the Sydney groups efforts in pushing for women's water polo to be included in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In 1997, Pat, the Australian women's team and several senior and junior players famously protested in their swimmers and caps during the arrival of the then FINA president and other officials. In Oct 1997, womens water polo was officially included in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games - 100 years after the men started playing at the Olympics.

Cathy Parkes (nee Turner) OAM played 1st grade for Sydney University from 1976-1989, captaining the team to 14 straight premierships, with a further 3 premierships before her retirement in 1994. Cathy was a member of the NSW State team from 1977-1986, captaining the side for 8 years and winning 4 National championship titles in 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1986. Cathy represented Australia at 2 World Championships, 5 World Cups, is a 6 time FINA medalist, is the 11th Aussie Stinger, accrued 81 caps for Australia and received her OAM in 2004 for services to the sport of water polo.

Cathy served on the Board of WPNSW in the 80’s, created the NSW Independent school girls competition and drove the upgrade of the Danebank School Pool to an Aquatic Centre, where many NSW representative players were coached by her.

Please note, this is a posthumous award, as Cathy passed away in 2007.

Suzanne Ramke, President WPNSW, at the 93rd AGM where Pat and Cathy were presented with Life Membership, shared with the Members 'While Pat and Cathy's stories follow different themes, both women were trailblazers and equally influential in NSW and Australia’s water polo history, and are worthy recipients of Life Membership to Water Polo NSW.

I am humbled, as the first female President of Water Polo NSW in the 94 year history of our sport in NSW, to present our first two female Life Members, in Pat Jones and Cathy Parkes OAM.'

View the WPNSW Life Members