IN the lead up to this weekend's official celebrations of the Queanbeyan District Cricket Club's 150th anniversary celebrations, Queanbeyan Age sports reporter Andrew Johnston spoke with QDCC president Peter Solway to gauge his thoughts on the momentous occasion.
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AJ: First of all mate, 150 years is obviously a remarkable milestone for any sporting club to reach. What do you put that longevity down to?
PS: That's a bloody good question. I think being a small community on the doorstep of bigger town like Canberra has its advantages and has helped the club to keep its identity over the years.
Queanbeyan's a very strong community and you see that reflected not just in the cricket club, but in all the successful clubs from this part of the world.
AJ: You've been associated with the QDCC as a player, an administrator and as a father for most of your life. How important has the club been to you on a personal level?
PS: I guess for me personally, the club has been a part of every aspect of my life. It's somewhere I've obviously been able to play a sport I've loved but it's also somewhere I've met a lot of good friends. It's also a big part of my family as well so there are a lot of connections there.
AJ: As a player, your club record on the field goes without saying and you've also been involved in the administration side of things in later years during a period where the club has been very successful. Is it possible to pick a highlight from all that?
PS: I think you cherish all the premierships you're involved with as part of the club but for me the highlight without a doubt was seeing the club play in last year's SCG Cup Final.
Watching Queanbeyan playing on the Sydney Cricket Ground, that's got to be the pinnacle when it comes to a club like ours. For Queanbeyan to experience that I think would have been a career highlight for a lot of blokes and the highlight of the club's existence.
AJ: The past few years have been a particularly incredible journey for the club not just on the field but off it as well with the opening of the Freebody Pavilion and the upcoming 150th celebrations. Is it going to be hard for the club to maintain that momentum?
PS: The good thing is in about six weeks once the season dies down, we'll get the opportunity to take a good deep breath and really reflect on everything. We've got good people on the club committee at the moment who are determined to continue seeing the club do well and I think that's half the battle.
AJ: Finally mate, that's 150 years done and dusted. What's next for the Queanbeyan District Cricket Club?
PS: I think we've got ourselves where we want to be in terms of facilities. We've probably got the best set up in Country NSW now with the Pavilion and our grounds at Freebody and Town Park so the club is in a good place. Now it's a matter of making sure we don't drop off from where we've got to and continuing to be just as successful for a long time to come.