Liam Durkin
NAME a sport, and there’s a good chance Maffra has it.
What’s more, the club associated with that sport has probably been around for generations.
Maffra Croquet Club is part of a long lineage in the town’s sporting institutions, and celebrated its centenary recently.
Celebrations were held at the club’s headquarters on the corner of Boisdale and Pearson Sts.
As if lasting 100 years wasn’t a sure enough sign, the croquet club has been at the same premises since the first lawn was established in 1924.
Members gathered to reminisce on the life and times of the club, while impromptu games of croquet took place.
A photo board offered a pictorial history from the last century, as members shuffled in and out of the clubrooms where the anniversary cake took pride of place.
While the croquet club might lack the profile and presence of Maffra Football-Netball Club or the Maffra Lawn Tennis Club, the sound of car horns from drivers passing by to offer their congratulations showed the croquet club was regarded as every bit a part of the Maffra sporting fabric as the traditional powerhouses.
Croquet enthusiasts have kept the club going all these years, holding Maffra’s title as most likely the smallest active croquet club in terms of town size in Gippsland.
Throughout its history, Maffra has been a member of the Gippsland Croquet Association and East Gippsland Association.
The club has experienced tournament success competing against other clubs, although these days its members just enjoy playing socially.
Maffra has not played for sheep stations (or perhaps more accurately for Maffra, ‘cattle stations’) since COVID, but has not ruled out the possibility of rekindling more competitive matches in the future.
At the moment, the club’s small but dedicated members are doing all they can to keep croquet available as a sport.
Jenny Sherriff is relatively new to the game, having joined the club three years ago.
She said croquet offered a great outlet.
“It is more of a social club, anyone is welcome at the any age… it is just fantastic, it’s a great time,” she said.
“At the moment we are concentrating more on the social side, and as many members as we can get would be wonderful.”
Maffra Croquet Club plays Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am.
