Bill James OAM – A Loyal Servant of the Game
Bill James OAM – A Loyal Servant of the Game
Bill James OAM of Shellharbour aged 80 years. A loyal servant of the game Bill James passed away in March following many years of indifferent heath.
Bill began his association with the rugby league in 1950 playing under 18’s with Shellharbour and representing South Coast in 1952
He gained his referees ticket in 1964 and officiated until 1969 during which time he was Secretary/Treasurer of the Referees Association and his son Adam refereed in the group for a number of years.
At Shellharbour he was club secretary for seven years between 1972 and 1981 and president in 1983 and delegate to Group Seven.
With Group Seven he was President 2002-2005, on the Board of Directors 1991-99 and 2001-05, delegate to Southern Division and Country Rugby League, and a long term member of the selection committee, Referees Appointments Board, judiciary committee and the Kevin Walsh Scholarship Award and manager of numerous representative teams and was elected a Life Member in 1995.
He was a Southern Division selector and team manger for country championship games, Amco Cup matches and a game against the touring Great Britain team and was honoured with Life Membership of the Division and a country under 18 selector for one season.
In 1980 Bill arranged the sponsorship of the referees association by Cleary Brothers that remains in place today and is one of the longest running continuous sponsorships in the history of Australian sport.
He retained a keen interest in rugby league and attended games where possible despite health problems in recent years and as Co-Patron was at the Group Seven general meeting on February 24th and the Group Seven Under 18 player of the year trophy is named in his honour.
Bill James was a man of great integrity and in 2002 received the OAM for his service to the community and sport and after retiring from employment at Cleary Brothers in 1996 he became involved in volunteer police work in the Lake Illawarra area command and over the next twenty years (including assisting detectives on murder cases) volunteered more the 23,000 hours of his time receiving numerous awards including the Police Commissioner’s Certificate of Merit.
The esteem he was held in the police family was shown by the large number of serving officers, detectives and volunteers who formed a guard of honour at his funeral at All Saints Catholic Church Shellharbour City.
Bill was a life member of Shellharbour Workers Club serving on the committee soon after it was first opened in a small house in Mary Street, foundation Secretary-Treasurer of Shellharbour Bowling Club, Treasurer of the golf club and the time of his passing was treasurer of Blackbutt Flinders Probus Club and the Illawarra Branch of the Order of Australia Association and has been a Justice of the Peace for a long period.
Our sympathy is extended to wife Carmel and son Adam in their loss.
