Gill, Eunice Elizabeth Perrott (1918 - 1987)

Eunice Gill was an All Australian netball player who had a long term and profound influence on the development of Australian women's sport and sports administration in general. A graduate of the University of Melbourne (B.A. 1940, Dip. Phys. Ed. 1945), her views on the importance of sport and physical education were influenced by another netball player, Lorna McConchie, who helped to establish the physical education course at the University of Melbourne, and who was one of Gill's teachers at university.

It became obvious very quickly that Gill not only had a talent for sport, but for teaching, coaching and administration, talents that her paid work and community interests allowed her to express and explore to the maximum. Gill eventually went on to obtain a permanent position teaching in the Department of Physical Education. She used study leave in 1972-73 to undertake a Master of Arts coursework degree in physical education at Leeds University, from which she graduated in July 1973.

While studying and teaching, Gill remained closely associated with the game of netball. She was appointed coach of the Victorian team in 1954, the same year she was appointed president of the All Australia Women's Basketball Association. In 1960, she was appointed coach of the Australian team, while still being the coach of the state team. She served on the executive of the International Federation of Netball Associations through the 1960s, 70s and 80s, contributing to the drawing up of an international code for the game in 1960.

She was influential outside of netball, too. Her reputation and qualifications led, among other things, to her appointment as a foundation member of the board of directors of the Confederation of Australian Sport in 1976. The following year she was the only woman on the Sports Advisory Council established by the Federal Government. In 1980 she was appointed to the committee established by the Victorian government to investigate the teaching of Physical Education in schools. As chair of the Australian Council in the early 1980s, she was responsible for the polices and procedures of the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme overseeing 33,000 registered coaches.

Eunice Gill died in 1987 and was posthumously honoured by the Australian Sports Commission, who created and named an award for excellence in coaching and coach development after her. Most recently, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame as an associate member. Those who knew her well praised her for her personal qualities of 'charm', 'dignity', 'diplomacy' and 'her delightful sense of humour' along with her legacy of improving the standard of coaching and administration and 'rais[ing] the profile of of women in the community.

Events

1945 - 1946	Member of the Victorian State Netball Team
1946 - 1947	Captained the All Australia carnival team
1948	Member of the national team to tour New Zealand
1953	Appointed to a permanent position in the Department of Physical Education at the University of Melbourne
1954 - c. 1960	Appointed coach of the Victorian team
1959	Awarded Life Membership of the Victorian Netball Association
1959 - 1967	Vice-president International Federation of Netball Associations
1960	Appointed coach of the Australian team
1966	Received a service award from the Australian Netball Association
1968	Organised the 1968 Biennial Conference of the Australian Physical Education Association
1975	Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to sport (especially netball), recreation and physical education
1975 - 1983	Senior Vice-President International Federation of Netball Associations
1976	Foundation Member of the the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Australian Sport
1977	Member of the Sports Advisory Council
1982	Appointed vice-president of the Confederation of Australian Sport
1982 - 1985	Chaired the Fifth Women's World Bowls Tournament
1983	Retired from the University of Melbourne
1983	Received a service award from the International Federation of Netball Associations
1983 - 1987	Vice-president International Federation of Netball Associations
1985	Patroness of the Victorian Lawn Bowls Association
1986	Appointed a Fellow of the Confederation of Australian Sport
1986	Awarded the Australian Coaching Council's certificate of merit for outstanding service
1995	Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame

Related Concepts

• Netball (c. 1900 - )

Related Corporate Bodies

• Netball Australia (1927 - )

  Eunice Gill was a member of the All Australia netball team and had a long standing involvement with the association as a coach and administrator

Related People

• McConchie, Lorna (1914 - 2001)

  Lorna McConochie taught Eunice Gill at the University of Melbourne and was a colleague in the Department of Pysical Education. She also worked with her in netball administration.

Australian Women Exhibitions

• She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2007, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/sg/sport-home.html. [ Details... ]