History

An exploratory meeting was held at the then called Grumpys bar at Walton Park Motel where approximately 50 people turned up with the wish to formalise the starting of the WWGFC. A committee was formed with Graeme Maker as Chairman. The first few months was taken up in organising stationery, trophies (which are all contested for today), Club shirts, and most importantly, our first tournament – the Grumpy’s One base held at Great Barrier out of the Last Resort Lodge on Kaikoura Island. The name ‘Grumpy’s’ came about by the name of the restaurant sponsoring the main trophy for the tournament.

A weigh station was donated by Manukau Trucks and the necessary sign board was made.

This tournament went from strength to strength before the Club moved to Pah Farm (Kawau Island) from which time the contest was ‘based’ from boats fishing it, as it is today. The best year for numbers was when it was in the capable hands of Rod Jones and there were over 40 boats. At this time the tournament was then moved to the Boating Club at Fitzroy, Great Barrier. However the bar and atmosphere at the Last Resort in my opinion took a lot of beating with many long hours and sore heads in the morning.

The Club also ran the 10kg Tournament generally from the wharf at Sandspit, with the late Gordon Brown officiating as M.C and weighmaster. During these early years, mainly through the assistance of Duncan Harvey and Don Heydon, we were able to have the Club affiliated to the NZ Big Game Fishing Council. Our so called clubrooms or headquarters moved after a couple of years from Grumpy’s to the backroom of the Bridgehouse, and Friday nights became well attended Club nights, as well as the annual Kids Christmas Party with Santa being ably performed by Graham Whitmore.

As always, Club boats took on the challenge and fished other club tournaments with great success with boats like the Lady Barbara and Violator leading the way. Most of the original Clubs members are still with the Club today. However after Walton Park Motel was sold, as with the Bridgehouse, a new era evolved with the moving of the Clubs headquarters to Pah Farm.

The Club at this stage was in limbo with no fixed abode, not even a place to have our executive meetings. We were using the RSA in Warkworth, Whangaparoa and Wellsford. Nevertheless the competitions still kept happening thanks to the people involved.
Graham Whitmore and Phil Brooker were kind enough to let us store all our trophies, mounts, and other gear in their workshop, and we even were able to have quite a few meetings there.

In 2005 the executive received a letter from the Sandspit Yacht Club wanting to know if we were interested in setting up a discussion group to see if WWGFC would like to come under the umbrella of the SYC as a division.

Meetings were held and it went to both clubs AGM’s. Whereupon with agreement of both clubs a 2 year trial period would commence.
This two years was up at the end AGM 2008. I personally would like to the two clubs interact together still with their own identity but under the umbrella of Sandspit Yacht Club.

Wayne Brown (Brownie)