Gordon Clarke
Gordon was a member from the mid forties for a number of years. He is listed to have ‘signed up’ on September 18 1944. Gordon’s daughter, Chel Indikt, has provided the Club with some information, including some photographs showing her dad with some of his club mates (not all of them known!! – can anyone help?)Gordon passed away on May 6, 2010. He had suffered from cancer and while in palliative care a volunteer helped record his memoirs which included the following……….
“……….I remember after we got married, which was in 1943, I took up athletics because I used to ride the bike to work from where I was living at the time which was Alphington near Fairfield. I used to ride past the training ground where the Collingwood Harriers trained and I was a 21/22 year old and I thought I could take up running because I was a bit of a runner. I did running all the time – I used to love running but I had never competed really so I took it on as assort of fun thing – just joined with the others. I used to run track work, cross country and all that. I was never real champion stuff but I could get enough to get the occasional trophy or two. There was always someone better than me but I really used to enjoy running.”One of the newspaper articles makes mention of a team of six runners from Collingwood Harriers travelling to South Australia to compete in the State 10,000 m cross country championship at Camden Aug 2 1947, regarded, in the article, as the toughest cross country in Australia.
“The course embraces 26 fences and two water jumps over sandy, rough and swampy ground which recent rains have aggravated.”
The six Magpies with their best times in brackets were listed as: D. (Don) Collins (34:54), J. (John) Morgan (35:21), R. (Ron) Skidmore (36:31), M. (Mort) Rickard (36:42), G. (Gordon)Clarke (36:40) and J. Crawford (36:58). (The ‘J. Crawford’ referred to in the article is almost certain to be I. Crawford)
An accompanying photo shows Gordon (Snowy) Thompson present with the Collingwood boys as ‘manager’.
Collingwood was regarded as the likely winner of the team’s race.
Gordon receiving the baton on a Club relay
Gordon receives the baton on a Club relay – ‘passer – ???”
A Collingwood team of the late forties – that’s Gordon back left
Pretty sure it’s Ray Coverdale (back right) and Don Collins (front right).
Any help with further identifications, (or corrections) are welcome.
August 2014
