Our History
The History of Berwick Little Athletics
Berwick Little Athletics has a rich history that dates back to the early days of Little Athletics in Victoria. Here’s a glimpse into our journey:
The Beginnings (1960s-1970s) Little Athletics in Victoria had its humble beginnings on October 3rd, 1964, at Landy Field in Geelong. The visionaries behind this movement were Trevor Billingham and his wife Christine Billingham. Soon after, Alan Triscott joined their efforts, laying the foundation for what we now know as Little Athletics in Victoria. Trevor and Alan embarked on a statewide journey to promote Little Athletics and establish new centres.
In the late 1960s, Trevor and Alan visited Berwick, leading to the formation of Berwick Little Athletics (Centre no. 62). Unfortunately, this centre operated for only a brief period before closing down.
Revival (1980s-1990s) In 1985/86, Berwick Village saw the reformation of a Little Athletics Club, which participated at the Dandenong Little Athletics Centre (Centre no. 38) until the 2000/01 season. During the 1980s, St. Margaret’s School in Berwick generously provided its facilities for the club’s training needs. The relentless efforts of dedicated committees led to the establishment of the Edwin Flack Athletics facility in the early 1990s.
For a decade, Berwick Village conducted training sessions both at the Leisure Centre and the Edwin Flack track while competing on Saturdays at the DLAC Centre at Robert Booth Reserve in Dandenong. Many Berwick Village athletes still hold Centre records at DLAC.
Casey Little Athletics (2001-2014) In the 2000/01 season, coinciding with the Sydney Olympics, the number of registered athletes at Berwick Village peaked at 150. In response to this growth, members voted to establish the Casey Little Athletics Centre (Centre no. 154). The first season of competition for Casey Little Athletics was held in the 2001/02 season at Edwin Flack Reserve in Berwick, with 259 registered athletes.
Over the years, dedicated individuals like Paul Olsson, Shane Triffitt, Peter Hughes, Stuart Merrick, and Steve Woolfe worked tirelessly to secure funding for the upgrade of the Edwin Flack Track to an All-Weather (Synthetic) Track. The track upgrade in 2014/15 temporarily led Casey Little Athletics Centre to relocate to Casey Fields.
A Return to Berwick (2015-2017) The return to Edwin Flack Reserve in 2015/16 marked a significant milestone for Casey as a Little Athletics Centre. Throughout this journey, various Presidents, including Paul Olsson, Michael Wallace, Shane Triffitt, Peter Hughes, and Steve Woolfe, contributed their leadership.
Embracing Our Identity (2017-Present) In 2017, Casey Little Athletics officially changed its name to Berwick Little Athletics to better reflect its location at Edwin Flack Reserve in Berwick, reducing any historical confusion associated with Casey Fields. From here under previous President Dan Langelaan and current President Damien Tonks Berwick continues to prosper.
Our Legacy Throughout its history, Berwick Little Athletics has provided thousands of children and their families with the opportunity to participate in a fun and fair athletic competition. Beyond athletic achievements, our centre has fostered lifelong friendships, nurtured good sportsmanship, and facilitated community engagement.
As we look forward to another successful era at Berwick Little Athletics Centre, we celebrate our past and anticipate an exciting future for all our athletes and their families.