WILLIAM (BILL) WALKER
&
Stoney Creek Swimming Club
Stoney Creek Swimming Club was in existence from 1930 until it closed in 1980, due to water quality issues.
An area of Stoney Creek was roped off and used as a pool. The club established interclub competitions and which brought in visitors to the area, while also allowing Stoney Creek to still be used by locals as a popular swimming hole. The club held carnivals, and club meets regularly, as well as offering swimming instructions to locals. A bathing shed and clubhouse was built on the banks of the creek. Electric lights were strung across the creek to allow for night training and a small jetty was constructed and used as a diving platform. Stoney Creek was being used as a natural resource that established both a community safety asset as well as a source of entertainment that solidified swimming and water activities as part of local culture. (From Lake Macquarie History Website)
In the early days, races were ~50yds across the creek, and back for the 100yds. The course was later developed to be 50yd along the creek between the two piers to standardize race distances, and to be wide enough to allow championship events to be held there. Races in the early years were often held over non-standard distances that we recognize today e.g. 53yds and 68yds.
There are two infographic signs now located near the original site.
Stoney Creek Swimming Club
The SCASC held monthly dances on a Saturday night, and Euchre parties on a Tuesday night.
William (Bill) Walker was born at Killingworth, just south of West Wallsend, in 1913. Many of Bill’s extended family are buried in the West Wallsend Cemetery.
The foundations of the house Bill grew up in, are still visible. This, and the farmland that once surrounded the Killingworth house, are part of the current coal mine leases. Bill’s grandson Chris was able to do an exploratory walkthrough of the site with the Education Officer of the mine, and the house’s foundations are now clearly marked on their maps.
Bill’s father was also a William Walker. He moved to Killingworth to work in the South Wallsend mines after he got married.
Bill’s father then enlisted in WW1, along with his brothers-in-law, and fellow miners. William served in the 3rd Australian Tunneling Company (3ATC), that saw action in Europe. He suffered from the effects of Mustard Gas. Their names are listed on the War Memorial at Killingworth.
Some of their exploits can be seen in the movie Beneath Hill 60.
Bill’s mother was Sarah Anne Punton, and was the great granddaughter of Maria and Robert Locke.
Maria is well known to Australian Historians as the daughter of Yarramundi, the “Chief” and Koradji (Clever Man) of the Boorooberwongal Clan of Darug, in what is now the Richmond Windsor area. Maria’s marriage to Robert, was the first legally sanctioned marriage of a white man to an Aboriginal woman. Maria was also the first Aboriginal person to be assigned a convict, that being her husband Robert. It also came with the condition that if she didn’t like him, she could give him back to the crown.
Of interest is the fact that Maria’s first marriage was to Thomas Walker Coke (AKA Dickie) who was Bennelong’s son.
After WW1 the effects of mustard gas prevented William from working underground again. William then took a job with the PMG. (Post Master General which in those days included telephones, before it was split into Australia Post and Telecom which today we know as Telstra). If you check out some of the internet node boxes that still exist on the footpath, you can still find some stamped with PMG.
William then moved his family to Bolton Point and into a house right on Lake Macquarie’s waterfront. William also installed the radar units at Shoal Bay during WW2. It is here that Bill would have learned to swim, and fish. How Bill learned to swim, and who taught him remain a mystery to the family at present. He may have learned to swim at school.
Swimming went through a boom when the laws pertaining to daylight bathing were lifted. Many swimming clubs were formed to promote swimming and water safety. I am told that schools used to have their swim days at Stoney Creek. A newspaper article from that era encouraged teachers to bring their students down to SCASC for swimming lessons. Coaching was given each Wednesday.
Bill went to Toronto Public School. It is unknown if he attended High School, as the nearest one was in Newcastle involving a long train ride. In those years you only had to attend school until age 13. Many men of Bill’s age did not attend High School.
There are stories of Bill swimming from Bolton Point to Toronto, and then hiking up to Stoney Creek to compete in swimming races at the Stoney Creek Swimming Club.
Bill became a professional fisherman, and worked at this during the Great Depression. There are stories of them camping by the lake; setting the nets overnight; then cutting timber during the day; and doing that six days a week. Camping in the many parks around Lake Macquarie was still legal well into the 1960s.
Stories are told of them rowing the fishing boats from Bolton Point out through Swansea Heads to fish around Moon Island, then rowing back home. This probably helped with Bill’s fitness.
Bill won many trophies in his time at Stoney Creek Swimming Club. Usually he was the back marker in the handicap races. One document shows him giving the field a 17s head start in an event and then winning. In races across the creek and back, he would often wait till the field reached the other side before starting, and winning.
Many of Bill’s trophies are at the Lake Macquarie and District Historical Society located in the Old Toronto Railway Station building.
This is now only open on a Wednesday.
I made a trip down there with Bill’s grandson Chris, on Wednesday 17th August 2022 to record the inscriptions on them, and to meet up with Bill’s niece Janice who volunteers there.
Exactly how far Bill progressed with his swimming, and everything he competed in, and won, is unknown at present. More research is needed on this. You would have to check the Northern Districts Amateur Swimming, and Australian Country Swimming Association’s, record books. I as yet have been unable to get anything out of Swimming Australia.
The Stoney Creek Swimming Club’s minute books are held by the LMDHS. There are plenty of newspaper items on Trove mentioning Bill’s swimming exploits, and Stoney Creek Swimming Club.
Bill’s grandson Chris had this clock restored to perfect working order. Bill was 1st in the Senior Men’s Championship at Boolaroo Speers Point Amateur Swimming Club in 1938-39 winning the C Rees Trophy.
I do know that there are stories about Bill going away to swimming and training camps with rep squads etc; and Trove articles of him swimming in regional events at Cessnock, Maitland, and in Newcastle.
It is known that Bill won several events in Sydney, and returned with trophies. The family still has, and treasures, two beautifully coloured bowls, that Bill got on one of his trips to Sydney. Purchased rather than won I’m told.
I understand that Bill perhaps had the potential to attend the Empire and Olympic games, but there are many stories as to why he couldn’t go. Not the least of which was the inability to have time away from work in the Amateur Era. A quick check of the 100m world record times, shows that the 57s mark was only broken in 1934. One Trove article of that era shows that a heat time of 59s by Noel Ryan, the Empire Champion and holder of many records, didn’t make the local carnival 100yd final that Bill was in.
I found a Trove newspaper article about the Hunter Valley Championship for men at Cessnock in Feb 1941. Bill was interviewed about his chances of winning against Button the person who had won it the previous year. Bill replied with words to the effect that his chances were excellent, as his best time at Cessnock was better than Button’s best time. Bill came a close 3rd when Button and Newbiggen dead heated in a record time.
There are also stories of match races between Bill and other well-known swimmers being organized on the lake after WW2. From the stories told, I suspect that one of these was against Robert Newbiggen, former Australian Surf Champion, who Bill swam against in the 1941 NDASA 100m Open Championship.
Sadly, there are stories of Bill not being able to swim in some events for various reasons.
Bill served as Captain, and later was Coach, Delegate to NDASA, and Secretary of Stoney Creek Swimming Club for many years. Comments were often made about his great penmanship.
A pic of the SCASC Minute Book from 4th October 1934 is at left.
What is known about what Bill won is from the inscriptions on trophies held by LMDHS, and family; photographs with notes on them; and Trove articles. I am sure more will be discovered on Trove over time.
The following is a very incomplete list. (This only includes championship races, not weekly club races)
1932 SCASC 2nd 50yd Championship
1932-3 SCASC Club Champion +
1933 SCASC 2nd Senior Men’s Point Score
1933 SCASC Senior Championship
1933 SCASC 1st Sealed Handicap
1933 SCASC 200yd Senior Men’s Champion
1933 SCASC 2nd 50yd Senior Men’s Championship
1933-4 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score – Day
1933-4 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score – Night
1933-4 SCASC Senior Men’s Champion
1934 3rd Northern Districts Amateur Swimming Association Grade Championships
1934 NDASA 100m A Grade Champion
1934 2nd 75yd A Grade at NDASA Championships
1934 3rd 50yd A Grade at NDASA Championships
1934 SCASC 100yd Champion
1934 2nd 100yd First Class Handicap at Bankers’ Carnival in Newcastle (Bankers’ Trophy)
1934 Finalist 50yd Northern Districts Championship
1934-5 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score – Day (Members’ Cup)
1934-5 SCASC 2nd Senior Men’s Point Score – Night
1934-5 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Championship
1934-5 Messenger Cup (Senior Men’s Championship)
1935 SCASC 1st 50yd Senior Men’s Championship
1935 SCASC 1st 100yd Senior Men’s Championship
1935 SCASC 1st 200yd Senior Men’s Championship
1935-6 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score
1935-6 HYMAN CUP for Senior Men
1936 SCASC 100yd Men’s Champion
1936 SCASC 200yd Men’s Champion
1936-7 HYMAN CUP for Senior Men
1937 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s 100yd Championship
1939 3rd 100m Northern Districts Senior Men’s Championship
1939-40 SCASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score – Day
1940 1st 50m Men’s Handicap at West Maitland’s King George V Memorial Pool’s opening carnival
1940 1st 100m Men’s Handicap at West Maitland’s King George V Memorial Pools opening carnival
1940-1 SCASC Senior Men’s Championship
1940-1 SDASC 1st Senior Men’s Point Score First Half Year
1941 NDASA 3rd 100m Districts Championship (Newbiggen and Button dead heat)
1941 SCASC 2nd 150yd Men’s Championship
1941-2 1st Senior Men’s Point Score – Full Year
1942 2nd 110yd Senior Men’s Freestyle Championships
1942 1st 4 x 50m relay Australian Country Swimming Championships at Young
The team pic
· Standing L to R Haines, Weekes (Manager), Walker
· Kneeling L to R Haines, Hingst
1943 3rd 100m Northern District Freestyle Championship for Senior Men at Cessnock (In record time)
1943 SCASC 2nd 100m Senior Men’s Championship
1943-4 SCASC ?? at 15th Annual Presentation (Article says he was presented with a trophy but not what its for)
1944-5 SCASC A Grade Senior Men’s Champion
1945 1st Men’s Open Handicap at NSW Country Championships at Armidale (He camped in a park in a tent)
1945 7th Annual NSW Country Championships 2nd Heat 1 110yds at Armidale (No mention of a final)
1945 7th Annual NSW Country Championships 1st Heat 1 220yds at Armidale (No mention of a final)
1946 Country Championships 2nd Heat 2 100m Senior Men’s Freestyle (No mention of a final)
1946 Australian Country Swimming Championships 1st 10 man relay at Young
Its interesting that 5 members are from Belmont, and 5 from Stoney Creek.
There are 2 managers, one from each club.
It would be nice to have more info on this event.
Interclub events often had a Flying Squadron relay with 16 team members.
1946 2nd 50m Combined Championship Swimming Carnival organised by NDASA
1948 SCASC Men’s Champion
1949 Presented with a fountain pen for services to the SCASC at the November meeting
“Bill was still the back marker in long distance races at SCASC in the 1950s when I used to swim there” Leslie Field
Bill married Ellen Annie Stone, and had three sons. Sadly, his second son Ernie, died in a childhood accident.
When his first son was born in 1937, Bill moved from his parents’ home to Harris Street Toronto.
At his father’s insistence Bill moved from fishing into manufacturing Engineering Studs, possibly at Lysaghts, as he won the individual tug of war championship at one of Lysaghts Picnic Days. (Insert pic of that trophy) Company picnic days were big events in those years. Bill tried to enlist in WW2 but found that his job was classified as “Essential” and “Protected” thus he was unable to enlist, and had to stay and work where he was. I think his father was trying to protect him from the horrors of war that he had been through.
At some point after WW2 Bill found himself working for Lake Macquarie Council as a Bridge Carpenter. A lot of the old timber bridges, and baths, around the lake were in part built by Bill. As a preschooler, I can remember running into my grandfather Bill, as he and his work crew were building a small timber footbridge near my home.
Bill also used to sail, and race, 16, and 18 foot skiffs on the lake with two of his sons John and Robert. They used to build their own boats. They only stopped sailing when fiberglass boats appeared on the scene, making timber boats obsolete. I can still remember the three of them building boats in the shed at Toronto, and how quickly they could do it.
The plans for a winning 16ft skiff that Robert build were found displayed under a glass topped coffee table.
In those days the 18fters had no limit to sail area or crew size. When the wind dropped, several crew members were abandoned to lighten the boat, and they had to swim ashore.
Bill’s eldest son John did his National Service, and was a qualified sharpshooter. In winter time, Bill, John, and Robert, (and others of Bill’s extended family) would go “culling” kangeroos on properties. Rabbit trapping was also a big affair, and I can still remember the ferrets at the Punton’s house. Apparently I used to love roo and rabbit as a young child. Rabbit was a regular menu item when I visited my grandparents, as was fish. John was often “paid” to cull introduced feral pigeons in some places where they were a nuisance. I can remember accompanying him on one such trip for the day. Bill’s nephew William also has some interesting stories of John shooting pigeons.
There was always a large vegetable garden in the backyard of Bill’s Toronto home, as there was at his parent’s home at Bolton Point. Probably as a result of needing to be self-sufficient during the depression, and post war eras. (See Victory Gardens for more info) Monsterio were a favourite, and still are today, along with macadamias, mulberries, blood oranges, and grapes. My father John, also had a vegetable garden in his backyard, along with oranges, bananas, and passionfruit. This was an era when you had to hunt, fish, and grow fruit and veg to survive. Maybe we are headed back that way with the covid food shortages that are happening at present in 2022.
Bill always seemed to know where the best spots on the lake were to camp and picnic; and where to find the best mulberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and loganberries, that grew wild around the lake. As a youngster I remember many trips spent gathering berries with my grandfather Bill. My brother Chris and I always got the job of climbing the mulberry trees. And mushrooms, though today I wouldn’t recommend going bush picking them. There seems to be too many toxic varieties today.
Bill’s favourite holiday spot was Brooms Head in Northern NSW near Maclean. My first memory of this place is when my grandparents took me camping there as a 4yo. It was here that Bill taught me how to fish, and to swim. The road from Maclean to Brooms Head in those days was little more than a track.
Bill first went there in the late 50s after buying his first car. He would often take his wife and kids on road trips, and settled on Brooms Head for his annual holiday.
Camping here during the month of May became an annual event for Bill’s extended family, for many, many years.
The last big family gathering there was in October 2019 before covid and John’s passing.
The families used to assist the fishermen in the hauling of mullet, with the obvious advantage of a few fish. Fried mullet row (the yellow kind) sandwiches with tomato sauce were a delicacy. Well for me anyway.
Sadly Bill died from a heart attack while tending his garden in 1975 aged 62. Thus he never saw the closure of his beloved swimming club.
The article to the left dated 29th June 1982 tells of the demolishment of the dressing shed and club room a week earlier.
Bill’s youngest son, Robert, lived in the Toronto house until his passing aged 70 in 2012.
Bills eldest son, John, passed away in 2020, aged 83.
At the time of writing, 20 August 2022, Bill has the following surviving descendants…
· 4 x grand kids
o 9 x great grand kids
§ 5 x great-great grand kids (The youngest of which is William)
This article was compiled by Bill’s grandson Tony after conversations with Bill’s grandson Chris, Bill’s niece Janice, and Bill’s nephew William.
Many thx to James from the LMDHS for his time and assistance.
I’d like to thank the current owners of the family homes at Killingworth, Bolton Point, and Toronto, for allowing us to view the properties for this article.
And finally, I’d like to thank Fiona Starr, historian and former curator at Sydney Living Museums, who posted the original question. Fiona writes stories for STORYPLACE about museum objects, and was seeking information about the 1936-7 Hyman Cup won by W. Walker of Stoney Creek Amateur Swimming Club.
Lake Macquarie and District Historical Society
http://www.heritagehunter.org.au/lake-macquarie-district-historical-society-inc
Sydney Living History Museums
Story Place
Tunnellers of WW1 Research Website
Walker, William 5854 (Bill’s Father)
Maria Locke – Australian Dictionary of Biography
Interesting newspaper articles…
The Newcastle Sun’s In The Spotlight Column Tue 28 Nov 1933
Bill Walker’s record with the Stoney Creek Club shows him to be a swimmer of class with excellent prospects.
Swimming from scratch, he has for the last two week-ends recorded second place, in the men’s senior final, over 200 and 100 yards, respectively.
After their races on Sunday, he and club mate A. Duggan partnered E. Burgess, of the Premier Club, who conceded them two and three seconds respectively, in an exhibition swim over 100 yards, and the three finished practically on terms, with the honors in favour of Burgess.
They were clocked to do the journey in 62s which is fair travelling under any conditions, but when it is realised that the swim included only one turn, and that there was at the time a perceptible ‘fresh’ in the creek, which tended considerably toward slowing the times, the effort reveals even more merit than at first sight appears.
A feature of Walker’s swimming is his staying power, as he sometimes does not seem properly to ‘warm up’ until he has covered a lap or two.
It will be interesting to see him over the longer distances.
The Newcastle Sun’s Sportpourri Column Wed 7 Mar 1945
Bill Walker, secretary of the Stoney Creek Swimming Club, did not take up swimming until he was in the late 20’s, and now well into the 30’s he is one of the north’s best sprinters.
At the club’s carnival on Sunday, Walker not only competed in every event for which he was eligible, but he also carried out the secretarial duties of what was a most successful carnival.
He is probably the tallest swimmer in the Newcastle district, if not in the State.
Note – I reckon it was the late 1920s not his late 20s, simply because of what he had won in 1933 when he was a 20yo, and the fact that he was the Northern Districts A Grade 100m Champion in 1934.
Interesting bits…
He once gave someone a 110s start in a 100yd race.
He once gave someone a 135s start in a 150yd race.
An article from 20th November 1953 NDASA notes that the Stoney Creek Amateur Swimming Club has reformed.