History
HISTORY of the TASMANIAN BILLIARDS AND SNOOKER ASSOCIATION
In 1935 Launceston jeweller Moses (Mo) Joseph, Lionel Lunson and Ted Pickett organised a weekly Billiards and Snooker competition in Launceston between four clubs in Masonic, Ex-Servicemen’s, C.T.A. and Launceston Workingmen’s Club, which was the forerunner of the existing Association.
Interest in both games in the North increased and in 1938 Mo made an approach to the Australian Amateur Billiards Council for affiliation for Tasmania. This was granted in 1939, with head quarters based in Launceston. Contact was then made with a number of interested persons in the South of the State, which included Bert Whitney, Bert Munro, Doug and Harold Salter. From that meeting the Southern Tasmanian Billiards Association was formed and it was decided that each area would conduct a Billiards Championship and the two winners play off for the State Championship. Ken Harry won the Southern Final and Ted Pickett the Northern. The State Final played at the C.T.A. Club Launceston, saw victory go to Pickett and in 1939 he became the first Tasmanian to represent the State in the National Titles. In the same year Mo and Lionel Lunson were elected President and Secretary respectively, with Ted Pickett holding the office of Treasurer. Mo also donated a handsome perpetual shield for the State Billiards Final, which is still in existence today.
Shortly after the formation of the Tasmanian Association, southern billiards supporter and active competitor for the Hobart Workingmen’s Club in W. (Bill) Gourlay, in an endeavour to stimulate interest in the game and to encourage competition between the North and the South donated a Perpetual Trophy for teams event to be played for on an annual basis. This magnificent trophy “The Gourlay Shield”, which is still competed for annually on a triangular basis consists of a facsimile of a billiard table worked in silver and mounted on a solid block of Tasmanian Blackwood two inches thick and carved in the shape of a map of Tasmania. The trophy is also contained in a fixed position within its own Blackwood case with a glass front.
With the increased interest in Snooker, the Australian Council in 1952 decided to conduct an Australian Amateur Snooker Championship the following year, on a trial basis only, to be held every two years. Lockie Pickett, brother of Ted, won the first State Championship, but being unable to compete, Ted went to the National Titles in his place. The second national title two years later played in Adelaide saw Ted win the State Title and in the final of the National Titles defeated Jack Harris of South Australia.
With the popularity of snooker assured with national Titles being held every year, the association changed its name to the Tasmanian Amateur Billiards and Snooker Association.
With the tragic death of Lionel Lunson, Mo Joseph retired after the 1955 National Titles and the position of State President and Secretary was taken over by two active administrators in Sim Crawcour and Ted Dearing with Ted Pickett continuing as Treasurer. The next few years saw the Association in the grip of financial problems after one area failed to meet its annual commitments. However, stalwarts in Ted Dearing and Ted Pickett met the debt to the Australian Council with personal payments.
1959 was the year that the Australian Amateur Snooker Championship was held in Launceston and Tasmanian and the Southern Champion Kevin Burles, after finishing runner-up to Frank Harris of N.S.W. in the 1958 titles, turned the tables and won the second National Snooker Title for Tasmania. The following year 1960 saw him retain his title in Perth W.A.
With the election of Ted Dearing to the position of Secretary, he also held the position of executive member for Tasmania on the Australian Council and was never backward in presenting any case for the Tasmanian Association. Mo Joseph and Ted Pickett continued in the capacity of Vice Presidents on the Australian Council.
Early in 1964 Ted Dearing was unable to continue as Northern and State secretary owing to ill health and Ron Atkins was appointed to both positions.
On the North West Coast in the middle to late 1950’s interest was stimulated in both games by live wire billiard enthusiast in Arthur (Nick) Doran who encouraged coastal players, not only in the finer points of the game, but to travel to Launceston to compete in the Northern Section of the State Championships. In 1964 a meeting was held at Furners Hotel, Ulverstone attended by Nick Doran of Devonport, Gerry Aitchison of Smithton, Sim Crawcour, Ted Pickett and Ron Atkins of Launceston. The meeting resulted in the formation of the North West Coast Billiards and Snooker Association with an agreement that they contribute and equal share to the running expenses of the Tasmanian Association. Nick Doran was elected Coastal President and Gerry Aitchison secretary. The same year the West Coast Billiards and Snooker Association was formed, also on the same financial basis, but unfortunately they could not generate enough interest, even though they were granted the State Snooker Final that year and the following year they were disaffiliated.
1966 saw the Australian Billiards Championship conducted in Launceston and an invitation extended to coastal veteran 66 year old Nick Doran to compete for Tasmania after state champion Doug Salter had withdrawn. Nick won one match and was narrowly defeated in another. He also compiled a break of 121. The same year Ron Atkins was appointed executive member for Tasmania on the Australian Council.
At the time Mo Joseph and Ted Pickett were Vice Presidents of the Australian Council. In 1968 Sim Crawcour replaced Mo Joseph as Vice President on the Australian Council and Ted Dearing who had partially recovered from illness took over the position of State Treasurer. 1971 saw the election of Ron Atkins to the position of Northern and State President and Con Bakker to the position of State Secretary. The following year Ron Atkins and Ted Dearing replaced Sim Crawcour and Ted Pickett as Vice Presidents of the Australian Council.
In 1973 Nick Doran passed away on the North West Coast and the position of President was taken over by Bevan Watts, with Trevor Crawford as Secretary, a position he held for some years since the death of Gerry Aitchison. At that time the Southern Association with Len Booth as President and Bert Munro as Secretary were experiencing administration problems and a lack of interest in the game in the southern part of the State. 1974 saw the administration of the Southern Association pass into the hands of the United Social Clubs of Tasmania and immediately there was a resurgence of interest in both games. The same year John Reece became the first Tasmanian to win the Australian Amateur Billiards Championship. The following year he won the Tasmanian Championship for the sixth year in succession creating a Tasmanian record.
1975 saw Ron Atkins win the Australian Amateur Snooker Championship after competing in the Australian Titles for 12 years without success. 1976 and 1977 saw him retain the title and in the latter championship create two Australian records by winning his State Snooker Title for 14 years in succession and losing only three frames in the 5 round robin matches of the Australian Championship.
In 1975 Neville Pattison was elected as President of the United Social Clubs of Tasmania with Peter Saville as Secretary, and on the North West Coast John Williams replaced Bevan Watts. Neville was elected as State Secretary and the following year replaced Ted Dearing as Vice President on the Australian Council.
In 1976 regular competitions between Tasmania and Victoria commenced, playing a nine a side competition for a Perpetual Shield the Sim Crawcour memorial Shield donated by the late Tasmanian Presidents family.
1978 saw Rex Swain replace John Hanson as Northern Secretary and Neville Pattison attend the Australian council meeting as a second delegate for Tasmania. Ted Pickett was also elected Patron of the Tasmanian Association.
In 1979 Clem hogget was elected as President of the United Social clubs and two new nine a side team’s competitions were introduced on a triangular basis. The first for billiards was for a Perpetual Shield donated by the United Social Clubs in memory of former southern Administrator and state billiards champion in Doug Salter, titled the Doug Salter memorial Shield. The second was for Snooker donated by Patron Ted Pickett. At the latter event life membership badges were bestowed upon Ted Pickett, Ted Dearing and 79 year old veteran Dave O’Neill from Ulverstone.