The year is 1947 – World War II is over, India and Pakistan gain independence from Great Britain and a UFO allegedly lands at Roswell, New Mexico.
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Closer to home the Orange Rugby Club has been plying its trade for a year, mainly playing against Sydney-based life saving clubs and agricultural colleges, but something is still missing, a way to continue fostering community spirit and alleviate the hardships of post-war life.
Enter ‘Trix’ Malcolm, a man who first floated the idea of an all-Orange rugby union competition.
It was to be, and so Emus Rugby Club was formed under the watchful eyes of six keen enthusiasts of the 15-man code – Don Strachan, John Smith, Jim Caldwell, Noel Culverson, Neville Plowman and Kevin Eslick.
The kangaroo had already been adopted by many a club nation-wide and so the men looked to the other side of Australia’s coat of arms for inspiration, landing on the Emu.
Boasting a jersey of emerald green, similar to that of Ireland, the Emus played in the inaugural four-team competition in 1948, against Wests, Wallaroos and Woollen Mills.
Wests won that title, before Emus claimed the 1949 premiership.
While Emus’ jersey has deepened to the shade of bottle green we know today, the club itself has remained steadfast in its original priniciples, has stood the test of the time and will celebrate its 70th anniversary this weekend as a result.
While the emu itself cannot move backwards, the club bearing its name has continued moving forward through those seven decades and now stands as one of the longest continuing clubs in NSW Country Rugby Union history.
The club has evolved over that time, fielding teams in a number of different sports and forming an Old Boys Club, a Golden Oldies unit and even a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who often raise plenty of money for various charities.
As it stands, Emus fields teams from Wallas all the way up to the senior grades, and a women’s team as well.
Through every one of those 70 years, one man has been casting his watchful eyes over the club in a number of different capacities – Don Strachan.
As a former Wallaby, he’s the most celebrated Emu of all-time and is now the last surviving foundation member.
“I’ve had a marvellous time over the years … to me, Emus has always been a family club,” he said.
“(In my time) that’s the way we felt about each other, that’s the way we played. The closest thing to my heart with Emus has always been that we’ve never shut the door on anyone.
“We’re very proud of all the facets of the club, also, the ethics of the club. We’ve always been a very ethical club as far as sportsmanship is concerned.”
At 88 years old, Strachan can be spotted at every Emus home game, sitting with his mates at the back of the grandstand, casting a watchful eye over the current crop of players.
He still remembers the early days like they were yesterday though.
He played most of his rugby as a prop, captaining Emus from 1953-58 and Combined Country from 1953-57. He was picked in the Wallabies squad to tour New Zealand in 1955, playing in nine of 12 games including two Tests.
The Test at Auckland that year remains his career highlight.
After his playing days, Don instigated the Central West Rugby Union Referees Association, and was an official from 1962-70.
He was a president of Emus and his two sons Andrew and Philip both donned green at various stages.
Last year, Emus recognised Strachan’s long-term dedication to the club by naming the main ground at Endeavour Oval the Don Strachan Oval.
In his eyes, Emus’ 70th year is not its crowning moment, rather another stepping stone in its existence. But, it’s one he can’t wait to celebrate at Saturday night’s anniversary ball.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
