Harrup Park Country Club awarded for outstanding support for women’s cricket in Qld

The club was described as having ‘one of the best female cricket programs in regional Queensland’.

WINNERS: Left to right – Secretary Mackay Cricket Matt Doolan, vice chair Carissa Mansfield, chairman Terry Doolan and general manager Adrian Young.

Mackay’s Harrup Park Country Club has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to women’s cricket in Queensland, taking home a prestigious Keno and Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence.

The club won the ‘Support of Sport’ Community Award which was one of 24 awards handed out to clubs and individuals across the state at a gala ceremony in Brisbane on Tuesday night.

Judges praised the club for its encouragement of sport through the provision of facilities, training programs, financial support and the contribution of club staff to help sporting groups.

The club was described as having “one of the best female cricket programs in regional Queensland”, achieved through establishing strong relationships with the local community and Queensland Cricket.

This included helping to bring the Brisbane Heat WBBL franchise to Mackay.

Harrup Park sports development director Louise Broadfoot said the support from the club for female cricket in Mackay was essential.

“Not only does Harrup Park offer these amazing facilities, they also offer a genuine pathway for junior cricketers, from an eight-year-old girl playing here on a Friday night through to the ability to come along and watch the Brisbane Heat girls play in a women’s Big Bash game,” Ms Broadfoot said.

Club chairman Terry Doolan said he wanted to thank Jo Oliver-Arnold and Paul Anderson for their support of the women’s cricket program.

“Without those people we couldn’t have received the award, they are the ones that started it all,” Mr Doolan said.

“With the Great Barrier Reef Arena going ahead, the potential for more women’s cricket in Mackay is going to be huge.”

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Clubs Queensland chief executive Kelly Egan said Mackay’s community clubs had been outstanding in their service and their support of their communities, pushing through the challenges of COVID-19 when clubs were temporarily closed.

“This is a great example of clubs that have really gone beyond their remit to support their community, becoming a focal point for people to come together again once it was safer after COVID-19 lockdowns,” Mr Egan said.

Harrup Park Country Club’s The Boundary Café also placed second in the best dining category for venues seating between 51 and 100 people.

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Originally published as Harrup Park Country Club awarded for outstanding support for women’s cricket in Qld