Woodford’s living legend
By Geoff Lacey
The Woodford Bowls Club is a small club about an hour’s drive west of Brisbane and has approximately 70 members. The club is proud to introduce its oldest living legend, (Henry) George Cox (86). To acknowledge George’s service to lawn bowls, the club held an Open Fours Day in his honour on October 31. Teams from SE Queensland and as far north as Bundaberg joined the event.
George’s initial bowls administration commitment was with the Woodford Men’s Committee and he served in almost every role including Chairman of the Board (1999), selector, games director and men’s president (2007). In 1998, George joined the Caboolture District as the Woodford Club’s delegate, a position he retained until the amalgamation of the districts, where he became the new district delegate in 2019. In 2005, George was elected district president and went on to be the district delegate for Bowls Queensland for more than three years. For eight years, George was on the district match committee where he was known for his fairness, impartiality, and knowledge of the rules.
In 2007, George joined the Caboolture Branch of the Queensland Past Presidents’ Association and was elected as president in 2010, then became junior, followed by senior, then vice president of the State Past Presidents of Queensland in 2011. He was president in 2012 and remains on the state committee. George was made a life member of Woodford BC in 2016 and is the Patron of the district. He has visited more than 160 Queensland bowls clubs across the State and has played bowls at more than 100 of those clubs.
George was born in Brisbane on July 3, 1935 and grew up in Wellers Hill. When George was six-years-old, his mother was laid up for about 12 months after falling from a horse, so George’s aunts added him to their broods which is when he became interested in local sports. His mother encouraged him to participate in several sporting events, including representing Brisbane in rugby league and representing Queensland in cricket in Sydney at a national carnival in 1952. From1954, George served as an Ordinary Seaman on the HMAS Vengeance for operational service in Korea.
After marrying Margaret in 1958, the couple and their children lived in Goondiwindi, Warwick, Gympie, Kilcoy, Beachmere and Caboolture before settling in Woodford in 1991. George has been a talented administrator whose heart and soul is in bowls. Thank you, George, for everything you have done for bowls.