Collingwood Harriers Athletic Club Inc

MEMBER BIO

Madeline Caddaye And Gladys Price

A look at the list of Life Members in the clubrooms shows the name, Marshall, twice. Indeed the Marshall family has played a large part in history of the Collingwood Harriers, but the appearance of Norm and Reg’s names on the honour board only tells part of the story.

Madeline and Gladys were sisters of the Marshall boys and also played a very big part in our Club over a long period of time.

Both ladies were granted Life Membership of Collingwood Harriers despite never ever being actual members of the Club.

From the very early days of the Club, the Marshall family was represented in all of the activities associated with an organisation such as ours. This extract from the September 1974 issue of The Magpie, the Club magazine of the day, gives an idea of the foundation of this relationship.

“On July 28th, Mrs Marshall (Snr), passed away.

To many members, the name of Mrs. Marshall will mean nothing, but to others, the name is synonymous with Collingwood Harriers. Indeed three of the Marshall clan are Life Members of the Club, with daughter Madeline being the only female life member of the Club. Sons Norm and Reg joined the Club only a short time after its formation and together with brother, Clem, who followed them, ran for many years. Their four sisters helped out on the social side and two of them, Madeline and Gladys, in later years married Collingwood Harriers.

Madeline and Gladys can tell many stories of the times their mother was confronted with a few ‘extra’ mouths to feed as Norm or Reg brought home training mates for a meal. Apparently, Mrs Marshall never missed a beat and this grand lady, who has now left us at the age of eighty-eight must be given praise for helping to mould some of that Collingwood Harrier spirit, still so prevalent today.

To all the Marshall Family – our deepest sympathies.

Vale – Mrs. Collingwood Harriers”

The world was a different place!

Because the Harriers was only for males in the early days, it was only through social activities that the ‘fairer gender’ could get involved. The Club regularly held social events with dances, hayrides and picnics, fancy dress nights among others, playing a great part, not only in developing a Club spirit and camaraderie, but also providing an opportunity to put the tough times of the depression and a little later, the approach of the hostilities of World War 2 on the back burner for a couple of hours.

Madeline and Gladys were very involved in these social activities, doing what they both continued to do well into the 1970s. Suppers, decorations, costumes and the general organisation of functions became a large part of their lives.

Both ladies met their future husbands at the Club, with Madeline marrying Phil Caddaye while Gladys fell for the charms of Harry Price. Both these gentlemen had passed away by the late fifties, however Madeline and Gladys continued their association with the Club, always supporting all the social activities organised.

For many years, the monthly Social Committee meetings were held at Madeleine’s home in

Winifred St. Northcote. There was always a terrific supper for the committee members after the meeting had concluded.

Madeline and Phil’s son, also named Reg, did join the Harriers and competed for a short period, while Gladys and Harry’s only offspring, Miriam, who was obviously excluded from the competitive side of things, was a regular attendee at some of the Club’s social functions for many years, often helping her mum, aunty and the other workers with the behind the scenes chores.

In the late sixties, after a very wet period in Melbourne, the Merri Creek that ran near Madeline’s house in Northcote, broke its banks, with the result that the water made its way through her house, (among others), thoroughly soaking all the carpets.

The call went out!

On the Sunday morning, as the skies cleared, over thirty Harriers arrived at Winifred St., removed all the carpets and did a great job with a general clean up. Ian Allpress went to his workplace and ‘borrowed’ one of those industrial standard ‘hot air blowers’, brought it to the house, placed it with the outlet just inside the front door and let it rip! It didn’t dry the whole house, but it certainly made a difference.

All the carpets were taken to the Clubrooms (Coulson Reserve) and draped over the seats to help with the drying process. They were there for a couple weeks, before being removed for cleaning and reinstallation.

Those still around who were in the Club at the time, will well remember the smell of wet carpet in the Clubrooms – not pleasant at all!

There was another brother, Clem, who competed with the Club for some years, including some fine walking performances. Clem was not involved for as long as the others with his path heading in another direction. Two younger sisters, Valda and Merrill, also did not have the extensive involvement of Madeline and Gladys, but nevertheless were known to many and were certainly likely to be, with their families, at any function of a significant nature.

Both Madeline and Gladys were absolutely thrilled to be installed as Life Members of Collingwood Harriers.

And they saw it all!!

The ladies both worked in the canteen at the opening of the new track in 1975!

In many ways Collingwood Harriers was their life!

November 2017

NAVIGATION