She would work into the wee hours of the morning, stitching and sewing the final pieces together for her North Otago netballers’ uniforms.
That is just how things were done well into the late 1970s, when there were no flash factories supplying uniforms, and big rolls of material used to land on the doorstep ready to be turned into playing kit.
If it were not for people like Glenn, key parts of her association’s history would be missing.
North Otago Netball celebrates its centenary this weekend, a milestone life members Glenn and Eileen Johnston, and her niece, Julie Grave, are proud to have reached.
The trio note the progress a small association in the heart of the community has made over the century.
Netball was originally called women’s basketball until 1970 and teams were nine-a-side until Netball New Zealand adopted the seven-a-side game in 1958.
Johnston recalled her earliest memories of playing at the former Friendly Bay courts, believed to be where the Oamaru Bike Park is now situated, nearly 74 years ago.
Games were later moved to Waitaki Girls’, then the Taward Street courts, where netball has remained since 1965.
In the late 1970s or early 1980s, the association extended the pavilion, a project Grave was heavily involved in alongside then-president Norma Burns.
Grave played for Old Girls, now known as Old Boys, and served as North Otago’s secretary for several years during an important period.
Johnston was a player, sat on the executive helping organise the draws and coached several teams through the years, including St Joseph’s, St Kevin’s, Old Girls and representative sides.
Glenn was a player, umpire, manager, made the uniforms for several teams and was later a uniform manager.
But they all helped in countless ways through the years and kept the association ticking along.
"We were always here every Saturday — first to arrive, last to go," Glenn said.
Many greats have come through North Otago, including the late Georgie Salter, a Silver Fern turned coaching great who was established when she landed in Oamaru but left an indelible mark.
She coached various teams, including Waitaki Girls’ and North Otago representative teams, and was a life member of the association.
Others have been more recent including Silver Ferns defender Jane Watson, who attended St Kevin’s College, as did former Silver Ferns midcourter Maree Bowden.
Former Southern Steel players Taneisha Fifita and Jen O’Connell also came through the Waitaki Girls’ ranks, and Southern Blast coach Abbey McKenzie — who also coaches North Otago under-18 — came through the association.
The association will have a packed day of netball games tomorrow to celebrate, alongside memorabilia, photos and a cake, and a function is proposed to be held in May next year.
Celebrating 100 years was a special occasion.
‘It’s a real achievement," Grave said.
"There’s been an awful lot of people over those years involved in getting us this far and it’s all been voluntary."
Johnston highlighted the generosity of the community in helping them reach the milestone.
And do the group of life members still make their way to the courts every Saturday?
"Oh yes — too right we do," Glenn said.
