Our History

We are proud to recognise the outstanding commitment of our Life Members to the organisation and to basketball in Bundaberg.

1973 Ron Wagner

1974 Peter Barnes

1977 Sheila Phillips dec

1978 Merv Nielson dec

1985 Terry Doherty AM

1990 Alan Jenkins

1992 Ray Renouf

1993 Gordon Wharley

1994 Margaret Wharley

2012 Denise Hannay

2012 Dorothy Knott dec

2021 Andrew Bainbridge

Everyone who was involved in the early years of its re-formation would remember Ron Wagner as an extraordinarily keen treasurer, an excellent player and a fine coach.

It was usual for Ron to run a canteen on carnival days when there would be more than 30 teams playing across two days, and then go home to balance the books.

Ron was known to stay up until 11pm on the Sunday night after a carnival weekend looking for a lost sixpence (5 cents).

In the early years, Ron would be seen selling drinks from the front of his VW ... as well as scoring, refereeing, coaching and playing.

Ron Wagner

Terry Doherty AM

Terry Doherty began refereeing basketball in Bundaberg in 1967 and, apart from four years away from Bundaberg on teaching transfer, he continued refereeing in Bundaberg every year until his 1985 Bundaberg Basketball life membership, and for many years beyond.

During the 15 years of Bundaberg Basketball involvement between 1967 and 1985, Terry represented Bundaberg Basketball as a referee at more than ten state championships and at six Australian championships. Terry was awarded his Queensland referee badge in 1970 and he was awarded his Australian referee badge, also in 1970, at the under 18 boys’ Australian championships in Perth.

During this period, Terry was a member of the Bundaberg Basketball management committee for eight years and served as president of Bundaberg Basketball for three years.

He was a member of the then Wide Bay ABA management committee for six years and was a member of the Queensland Basketball council for six years.

During those years, Terry was heavily involved in the coaching of junior basketball players within the Bundaberg Association. He coached Bundaberg junior girls’ and boys’ teams and senior women’s teams at more than eight Wide Bay championships and coached Wide Bay juniors at six state championships.

Terry was coach of the Wide Bay senior women’s team at two state championships. He was assistant coach / team manager of Wide Bay or Queensland teams at four Australian championships, including the first Queensland team to win an Australian championship.

Terry was appointed as Queensland state rules interpreter in 1980 and served iin that position for ten years. He also served as secretary of the Queensland Basketball Referees’ Association from 1970 to 1974 and from 1979 until 1982, a total of nine years, and he served as vice-president of QBRA during 1974, 1983 and 1984.

In 1985 Terry was appointed as the inaugural Basketball Australia referee commissioner, and as a member of the Basketball Australia referee education committee which developed the first accredited Level 1 Basketball Referee Education program.

In 1982, in Fiji, Terry conducted the first of seven international referee education programs, and the following year was appointed by Oceania Basketball as Queensland’s first internationally accredited referee educator.

This was followed by his involvement in the 1983 Olympic Solidarity referee education program, also in Fiji, and by his conduct of referee education programs in the Northern Marianas Islands and Guam in 1985.

Terry Doherty was elected as a Bundaberg Basketball life member in 1985, and was inducted into the Basketball Queensland Hall of Fame in 2025.

Ray Renouf was convinced to play basketball at the age of 16-years by a work mate, David Knott. In those days, games were at the Catholic courts in Woongarra Street.

After consultation by Bundaberg Basketball with Bundaberg City Council, the association was granted a 100-year lease at Flint Street. Basketball members worked at Bert Wagner’s (Ron Wagner’s dad) house making backboards and at the site digging holes for power and backboards to be erected, to enable games to be played at Flint Street.

Ray’s representative basketball commenced almost immediately, representing Bundaberg senior basketball as a 16-year-old, playing and sometimes captaining and coaching representative teams during those early years of Bundaberg basketball.

Ray was an early Level 1 certified coach and coached junior basketball for decades. His coaching encompassed junior boys from under 12 to under 18, taking many teams to Queensland state championships. He also coached the Bundaberg men’s and women’s representative teams including for a short time in the Queensland State League.

In 1993 Ray was appointed coach of the Queensland under 17 boys’ touring team and in 1994 assistant coach of the Queensland under 16 boys’ South Team. In 1995 Ray was the Central Queensland under 14 boys’ manager at the Australian Junior Country Basketball Cup, and in 1995 he was the Queensland under 16 boys’ manager at the Australian championships.

In 1997 Ray was appointed Network Coach for the National Junior Development Program Wide Bay. During these years Ray held Level 2 Basketball Coach and Sports Medicine certifications.

Ray Renouf’s many years of refereeing included games within the Queensland State League and numerous A grade men’s and women’s finals. A highlight of his refereeing was officiating at the Australian Secondary School Championships.

In addition, Ray was a Level 2 score table official and was State League score table chairman for many years. As a club person, Ray, along with Debra Barney and the late Burnie Mogg, started Allstars Club. They built Allstars up to having 20 teams in juniors and seniors. At one stage Allstars held the Bundaberg Basketball Club Championship Trophy for ten seasons.

As an administrator Ray joined the Bundaberg Basketball committee shortly after he started playing. He held many positions including committee member, vice-president of seniors and juniors and president of juniors.

Ray was a member of Bundaberg Basketball’s original Queensland State League committee. With his wife Cheryl, Ray’s involvement in basketball in 2024 is as a spectator, mainly watching their two grandsons playing club and Bundaberg representative basketball.

Ray and Cheryl also play in the Walking Basketball games amongst lots of friends. Ray and Cheryl are proud that their children, Darren and Leisa, both represented Bundaberg for many years, and both represented Queensland, Darren at Under 18 Australian championships.

Leisa represented Queensland at every Australian championship for which she was age eligible and was a member of three Australian championship winning teams. Leisa was also selected in under 16 and under 18 honorary Australian teams and played in the Australian Women’s’ National Basketball League for the Brisbane Blazers.

Ray Renouf

Gordon Wharley

Gordon Wharley commenced playing basketball in 1954 in Charters Towers as a 10-year-old junior player. In 1958 he moved to Townsville for work as an apprentice with Queensland Railway and continued to play in both junior and senior competitions with Townsville Basketball Association.

In 1964 work commitments led Gordon to Bundaberg where basketball games were played at the Holy Rosary Church court in Barolin Street. A group of diehard players including Gordon began work manufacturing backboards and frames and other facilities for two bitumen courts in Flint Street.

Gordon was a member of the management committee of the newly reformed Bundaberg Basketball.

Gordon Wharley played and coached basketball with Devils Club, played at a representative level, including being chosen for Central Queensland Zone, and was a regular association referee. Gordon’s coaching of junior players developed many highly-skilled players who went on to play representative basketball.

1969 saw the Wharley family move to Sarina where Gordon’s love of the sport continued as a senior player, committee member, referee and coach for both Sarina and Mackay Associations. While representing North Queensland Zone at the 1970 state championships, Gordon was asked to nominate for the Queensland State Team but was unable to get time off work to attend training and the Australian championships. As Gordon has said, I would have loved to have been part of that team. Certainly, his presence in the Queensland team would have strengthened the team.

In 1971 the growing Wharley family moved to the mining town of Moranbah – alas no basketball facilities – so the Wharleys travelled into Mackay each weekend to play. Eventually the state school allowed the basketball community to play games on their court until Moranbah Basketball Association was formed and courts made available. Together with some mates the Wharley family formed Rebels Basketball Club and once again Gordon became a senior player, coach, referee and association president. For the next 16 years Gordon watched Moranbah basketball grow to a very strong standard for which he rightly feels proud.

In 1988 the Wharley family returned to Bundaberg joining All Stars Basketball Club as player, coach, referee, score table official, canteen convenor and president of Bundaberg Basketball for several years.

As time went by Gordon continued to play in the veterans’ competitions finally returning to Mackay in 1998 for work but no longer playing the game.

Having returned to Bundaberg, Gordon was a regular volunteer as a canteen worker and since 2023 he has participated in Walking Basketball a fun and exercise program for people who love the game of basketball but who no longer play competitively.

In 1993 Gordon was honoured with Life Membership Bundaberg Basketball and in 2022 he received the Basketball Queensland Diamond Service Award recognising more than 50 years’ service to basketball in Queensland.

Margaret Wharley (nee Palmer) started her basketball career in 1964 in Bundaberg playing at the Holy Rosary Church court then moving to the Flint Street complex when facilities were completed. Margaret was a member of Devils Basketball Club until 1967. In 1968 Margaret’s basketball career was put on hold with the start of her family and in 1969 the Wharley family moved north to Sarina. In 1970 Margaret joined the Sarina and Mackay Basketball Associations as a senior player and referee, and a playing representative of North Queensland Zone.

1971 saw a new addition to the Wharley family and a move to the mining town of Moranbah. No facilities were available for basketball at the time, so Margaret travelled to Mackay each weekend to play. Moranbah Basketball Association was formed with Margaret and her husband Gordon in leadership positions, and four bitumen courts built to facilitate a growing number of people interested in participating.

A group of friends including Margaret formed Rebels Basketball Club where she participated as a senior player, coach, referee and committee member for the next 16 years.

1987 the Wharley family moved back to Bundaberg and in 1988 Margaret joined All Stars Basketball Club as a player, coach, referee and as a Bundaberg Basketball Association CBL score table official, canteen worker, manager of the State League women’s team.

Margaret also gained her Level 2 Coach Accreditation and volunteered as a Junior Association manager of under 16 Girls South Queensland Team, Show Me Camps, representative coach of Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 Girls’ teams over several years finishing with the under 16 Boys’ State Classics in 1997.

Margaret’s basketball career slowly wound down, playing mainly veteran competitions, and in 1998 the family moved once again north to Mackay with Margaret enjoying basketball as a very keen spectator.

Back in Bundaberg and volunteering as a canteen worker, in 2023 Margaret formed Walking Basketball, a fun and exercise program for people who love the game and play at their own pace.

In 1994, Margaret was elected as a Life Member of Bundaberg Basketball, and in 2022 she received a Basketball Queensland Gold Service Award to recognise more than 35 years of service to basketball in Queensland.

Margaret Wharley

Andrew
Bainbridge

Andrew Bainbridge was first introduced to basketball in 1978 when he was aged 13-years, playing juniors for All Stars. He progressed through the All Stars ranks and was soon playing “A” Grade at 15-years of age. In a sign of things to come, Andrew was elected to his first committee position when he was aged 18-years, with the All Stars Basketball Club.

Andrew helped to form the first Raiders men’s team and to win a Division 1 final with them; he also won a Division 1 final with Solarbo. Andrew would finish up playing for Waves Basketball Club, winning a Division 1 final there as well. This is ironic because Waves were Andrew’s arch enemy in his early playing days and he had vowed never to play for them – yet he ended up playing with Waves until he stopped playing, aged 50years, in 2015.

Bundaberg Basketball was accepted into the Queensland State League in 1987 and this started Andrew’s 33-years involvement with the Bulls and the Bears. Andrew’s involvement was as a player, coach and assistant coach, skills coach, administrator and sponsor.

He was the first coach of Bundaberg Bulls in the reformed Southern Cross League in 1999 and coached the team until 2003. His continuing coaching has included club senior and junior coaching.

Around 1988, Andrew began his individual player skills sessions after he had been asked to work with Julie Stringer before she left for America on a basketball scholarship. Another player in those early years who also asked Andrew for help with individual skills was Jamie Hand who also went to America on a scholarship.

Andrew’s skills sessions have continued ever since and have catered for all levels of players. Over the years, those weekly individual skills sessions have assisted import players, WNBL and NBL players, state league players, juniors and Special Olympics players. Andrew continues on-going roles as a coaching consultant.

Andrew Bainbridge has contributed to Bundaberg Basketball for more than 40-consecutive years. These contributions have encompassed phases as a player and within all the game’s coaching and administrative elements, and as a sponsor.

His administrative roles have included club and association president, vice-president and committee member. Andrew Bainbridge was elected as a life member of Bundaberg Basketball in 2021.