NSW Club
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL CLUB OF NSW.
During 1981, Mrs Bobbie Hitchcock of Emu Plains, NSW and Mrs Tessa Hay of Wilberforce, NSW, both owners and exhibitors of Welsh Springers formed a “postal club” for owners, breeders & exhibitors of Welshies at that time. Accessing names and addresses from various available sources, such as show catalogues and the RASKC journal, they sent out letters inviting these people to join in forming a “Social Club”, which became the Welsh Springer Spaniel Social Club of Australia initially, then later of Australasia, because a couple of the members were from NZ.
The first meeting was held in October 1982, newsletters had been sent out since June 1982 and club events were mainly barbecues and meetings at specific dog shows where club members were encouraged to exhibit and ‘get together’. Mrs. Bobbie Hitchcock was the first President and Mrs Tessa Hay, the Secretary. The Social Club was maintained until during 1984 , meeting initially at various venues, then formally in a room at St. Anne’s Church at Strathfield, from January 1984.
Members decided they wanted RASKC Affilation, so the Club could hold Championship Shows. For this purpose, Provisional Affiliation with the RASKC was applied for and in July 1984, the inaugural meeting of the club was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Robert Curtis OAM, who was the Chairman of the RASKC Consultative Committee at that time. Included in Provisional Affiliation requirements was that the club would have to be affiliated with the member body where it was set up; this was the RASKC in NSW (later to become RNSWCC & now, Dogs NSW). We were unable to call the club WSSC of Australasia, or of Australia. Hence, the name was changed to Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of NSW on 11th July, 1984. It has maintained this name ever since.
Members from the earlier social club became Members. Associate Members and Junior Members of the WSSC of NSW. Inaugural position holders included Mr. Bill Crozier as President and Mrs Sylvia Crozier, Secretary, positions they had held in the former club. The club held shows and events according to provisional affiliation requirements; the first being a Picnic Parade at Cordeaux Dam in the southern outskirts of Sydney on 11th December, 1984. This was followed by various others (such as a series of Lesser-Known Gundog Breeds Match Days) and Open Shows. The club’s first Open Show was held on 7th April, 1985, in the grounds of Cumberland College of Health Sciences, Lidcombe. Judge for this event was Mr Robert Curtis OAM, who was also club patron at this time.
Having satisfied provisional affiliation requirements, the club applied for and was granted Full Affiliation. The first Championship Show was held on the 7th April, 1989. Interestingly, the club now holds 2 Championship Shows and 1 Open Show each year and has enlisted the services of many overseas judges, some of them breed specialists, as well as local judges to officiate. Four of the club membership have also judged the Championship or Open Shows, on occasion.
The WSSC of NSW now has a membership of around 90 (including some overseas), a far cry from the early 15 members of the social club. For long service to the club, 5 of the members have received Life Membership.
Bill Crozier, President, 28th May 2010.