Hall of Fame and Legend inductees confirmed
Eight prominent figures within Australian bowls will be recognised for their lifelong contribution and outstanding achievements during Bowls Australia’s 2022 Hall of Fame and Awards Night in October.
There will be three elevations to the Hall of Fame Legend category, with Karen Murphy AM, Steve Glasson OAM and Rob Parrella OAM set to be immortalised in the exclusive club.
Australia’s most capped international exponent with 668 international games, Murphy enjoyed a 22-year long career at the sport’s highest level, claiming medals of all varieties at five Commonwealth Games and World Bowls Championships amongst many other notable highlights. Murphy remains involved in the High Performance program, following her retirement in 2019, as the National Assistant Coach.
Glasson holds the honour of being the first Australian world singles champion, in 2004 at Ayr, Scotland and the first Australian to be world number one in the men’s singles, while on the national stage he secured the Australian Indoor Championships title a record nine times. Off the green, Glasson is the country’s most prolific and successful National Coach, with a decade-long career that resulted in historic performances at the 2012 and 2016 World Bowls Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Parrella etched his name into the sport’s history books as the nation’s first Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold medallist, and just the second ever Games gold medallist, in 1990 at Auckland, and has also earned silver and bronze medal varieties in the blue-ribbon discipline at the 1982 and 1994 events respectively.
The Hall of Fame membership will grow by five, with Marion Stevens, Denis Dalton, Bert Sharp, Bert Palm and Ron Tuckerman confirmed as inductees for the October function.
Stevens secured gold medals from both of the sport’s pinnacle events in Auckland, with triples and fours golds from the 1988 World Bowls Champions and a Commonwealth Games gold two short years later.
Dalton represented the nation on 40 occasions, winning bronze medals at two Commonwealth Games, 1982 Brisbane in the men’s pairs and 1990 Auckland in the men’s fours. Dalton also represented both Victoria and NSW in more than 300 Tests.
Western Australia’s Sharp only donned the green and gold regalia at two events, but enjoyed the ultimate success in his maiden appearance, claiming a gold medal at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games in the men’s fours.
Palm competed in the 1950 British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games, but left his mark on the sport some 16 years later, winning the men’s pairs gold medal at the 1966 World Bowls Championships in Kyeemagh, NSW, a feat which helped the Jackaroos secure the Leonard Trophy for the men’s champion team.
Tuckerman, who sadly passed away just last weekend, was a distinguished bowls administrator, who presided over his club, state and nation, notably as President of Bowls Australia from 1992-94 and as an executive member of World Bowls and Commonwealth Games Australia. He coached the under-25 and open-age Australian teams on numerous international tours, including the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.
The 2022 Hall of Fame and Awards Night will occur on October 9 or 10, staged alongside the 2022 Nationals competition on the Gold Coast, with tickets to be made available for purchase closer to the event.
Bowls Australia congratulates the three deserving Legend elevations and five Hall of Fame inductees, and will recognise their achievements during the 2022 Hall of Fame and Awards Night.
2022 Bowls Australia Hall of Fame inductees
• Marion Stevens
• Dennis Dalton (deceased)
• Herbert (Bert) Sharp (deceased)
• Albert (Bert) Palm (deceased)
• Ron Tuckerman (deceased)
2022 Bowls Australia Hall of Fame Legends elevations
• Karen Murphy AM
• Stephen (Steve) Glasson OAM
• Robert (Rob) Parrella OAM
