Humbling award for Atkinson
• June Atkinson awarded Life Membership of Northern Golf by President Greg Williams.
December 6, 2023
After more than 40 years’ involvement on the fairways and behind the scenes, Bridport Golf Club Captain June Atkinson was humbled to last week receive Life Membership of Northern Golf.
The award was presented to Atkinson after the two-day City Week golf event at Bridport.
Atkinson is one of only two female Club Captains in the State and is already a Life Member of Bridport Golf Club.
The club’s Helen Davies said everyone was extremely proud of their humble leader and were thankful for her service.
“The fact that it was presented at home, in front of a large contingent of 18-hole golfers added to the significance of her achievements,” Davies said.
“As a club we are in awe of June’s accomplishments. She has a tournament named in her honour – the Ladies Northern B Grade Championship - June Atkinson Trophy and she is a great role model for girls and women in sport.
“Her impressive list of service includes membership of Women's Golf Tasmania North for 13 years, delegate to Women’s Golf Tasmania for 10 years, Publicity Officer of Women’s Golf Tasmania for 10 years and State Handicap Manager for 10 years to mention only a few.”
Atkinson was also Vice-President of Women’s Golf Tasmania - North for two years, on the Technical Committee of Women’s Golf Australia for three years, Northern Vice-President of Women’s Golf Tasmania for three years and Chairman of Women’s Golf Tasmania Course Rating Committee for two years.
“When I was told I was getting the award my reaction was ‘what for’,” Atkinson said.
“I have never considered that I did any more than anyone else on the committees, and I loved every minute of the time that I served.
“Being on these committees gave me the opportunity to meet so many lovely golfing ladies from all over the state and quite a few of them were at City Week.
“I guess it also gave me the confidence to take on Club Captain at Bridport!
“Apart from my Life Membership of Bridport Golf Club, it is the most humbling and exciting experience to receive an award like this. It has pride of place on our lounge room wall.”
Atkinson first picked up a club in Victoria to have a hit in 1979.
“I was born and bred in Melbourne, but never even thought of playing golf until we moved to live in Maldon in central Victoria when Bob became Manager of the CBC bank there.
“The wife of the Manager of the State Savings Bank of Victoria was a golfer and invited me to have a hit.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
“It is the most frustrating game I have ever played but such a challenge, and because it is an individual sport you are letting no-one down but yourself if you have a bad day,” Atkinson said.
“We moved to Tasmania in 1983 when we bought the top supermarket in Bridport and within a couple of weeks I’d joined the golf club.
“We had intended at that stage to move back to the mainland once our girls were through school, but life in Bridport is pretty hard to beat and now we’ll never leave.
“I think I went onto the women’s committee almost immediately which was my start in admin, and I’ve been on that committee almost every year since.
“I’m at present doing my 14th year as Women’s Captain (not consecutively), did two years as women’s President, two years as Co-Captain of the Club and I’m in my second year as Captain of the Club.
“I’ve also been a member of the Board for five years.
“I used to play every major tournament around the State when I was younger and was talked into nominating for the Northern Committee in 1990 by a legend of Tasmanian golf, Cons Pearce.
“I found this very overwhelming at first, but the learning curve had to be pretty fast.”
Atkinson paid tribute to Bridport Golf Club as an amazingly inclusive club where women and men are accepted equally.
“Gone are the days when men used to run our club; we now have a woman Secretary, woman Captain, plus two other women on the board, therefore half the board members are women.
“Of course there are different personalities in the club, but it is honestly like one big family where everyone supports everyone else.
“And the whole club is run by volunteers, from course maintenance, machinery maintenance, catering, cleaning and administration.