Grievance Debate

Calisthenics

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:10): On Friday 14 September, I was privileged to attend the South Australian Calisthenics Association's 90^th year gala dinner. At the outset, I congratulate all involved on organising such a fitting celebration for the sport I have come to admire and enjoy so much. I am sure everyone in the room that night was or had been a participant, family member, coach, official or volunteer club secretary, treasurer, wardrobe mistress, prop maker and so on. I pay tribute to you all and thank you for your involvement. Whether it be past or current, calisthenics will need you all in the future.

I have spoken many times on cali, but I have some new information I would like to put on record today, particularly fitting because so much has been said about female participation in sport and the funding needed to address the appalling conditions women and girls have had to endure for so many years—a contributing factor to them even being involved in physical activities.

CASA worked hard to purchase their own building in 1987 and now pays the price for not being eligible for funding to keep the building in good repair, let alone update internal facilities. With amazing numbers involved in their heyday, they maintain a steady membership rate and compete against the stronger mainstream dual gender sports for the limited dollars on offer. Another problem for cali is that they do not have a national body, as New South Wales promotes physical culture and there is limited participation in Tasmania.

Calisthenics covers so many important developmental aspects: physical strength and ability, discipline and team spirit, stagecraft, design—in both costumes and sets, music and choreography—all with the bonus of the lifelong friendships forged by many girls who go on to participate and compete from Tinies to Masters.

The word 'calisthenics' comes from the Greek 'kallos' for beauty and 'sthenos' for strength. Calisthenics had its roots in England and Europe and was first pioneered in Australia in the 1890s during the Victorian gold rush as a means to keep citizens fit and healthy. Called 'physical culture' at that time, these exercises were often combined with apparatus to keep the wrists, elbows and shoulders supple. Large, heavy Indian clubs and iron dumbbells were used by the men to promote strength, and pretty scarf drills were used by the ladies. As physical culture slowly moved from exercise to performance art, musical accompaniment began to enhance performances and gradually became an integral part of the art form.

In 1920, Mr Noel Hubble opened the Central College of Physical Culture, with one of his participants being Eileen Le Cornu. One of his administrators was Eileen Hogarth, who was the coach for various clubs, as well as her own club, the North Adelaide Baptist club. Mr Hubble started out with 26 members and had up to 2,000 by 1924.

Calisthenics in South Australia really began in 1928, when Mr Black MBE organised a committee to form a Combined Congregational Church Clubs' Association (the CCCA). That year, 14 clubs affiliated and later, when other churches became interested, the constitution was altered to include every denomination. As president of the association, Mr Black remained an influential advocate for calisthenics in South Australia right up to his retirement in 1954. Due to its popularity, calisthenics clubs spread rapidly, mostly in Victoria and South Australia.

Up until the 1940s, calisthenics featured both male and female teams, and then male involvement died out as females took over the art. In 1938, the 11^th annual physical culture competitions were held here, in Trades Hall on Grote Street, West Theatre on Hindley Street and the Australia Hall on Angas Street, now fondly known as the Royalty Theatre, which is CASA HQ. This was also the very first time an interstate adjudicator was invited. During World War II, calisthenics competitions were suspended for four years. In 1956, the name of the association changed to the Combined Clubs Physical Culture Association Incorporation. In 1969, the name changed again to what we now know as the Calisthenics Association of South Australia.

Over the decades, calisthenics was introduced across the nation and it reached its peak in South Australia in the 1970s, with 6,000 participants. By 1979, there were approximately 100 clubs and numbers reaching an outstanding 10,000 in state competitions. In 1983, the Australian Society of Calisthenics was established, primarily to organise club competitions between the states. This body was later replaced by the Australian Calisthenics Federation. Calisthenics has evolved in a distinctive direction and remains a uniquely Australian sport. It is my great honour to be both national and state patron of calisthenics and a life member of CASA, although my contribution is dwarfed beside that of many others.

Mrs Esme Dobson OAM holds the longest voluntary position in CASA, being secretary for 58 years. In 1926, a 12-year-old Esme joined the Parkside Girls Club, and her involvement continued in a line of unbroken service. She would devote her voluntary time, at least eight hours a day and often 16 hours on the busy weekends, to the administration of calisthenics. She retired in March 1995 at the age of 80. It was a real privilege to meet and get to know Esme before her death, her funeral being one of the most moving I have ever attended. I was thrilled to meet her family at the gala dinner.

There is so much more to share about the history of calisthenics, supplied to me by Kelly Drake-Brockman, but that will have to wait for another day. To everyone in calisthenics, I say thank you for making me so welcome from the first day I was elected, as my first duty was presenting a cheque to the Ridgehaven Calisthenics Club. I will always do my best to represent you and promote the sport we all love.