During her time with the SNA, Val Barrass embodied the true definition of what a volunteer is.
Netball
If the sport of netball had saints, Shepparton’s would be Val Barrass.
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For more than 80 years, Barrass was Shepparton Netball Association’s constant, its pulse that beat palpably during a full lifetime of Saturdays spent court side.
A scorer, an umpire, a best-and-fairest winner, a custodian of rules, a quiet force who conducted Brauman St’s cheerful cacophony every weekend, Barrass’ tenure ended on March 16 when she died peacefully aged 94 years.
The Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame officially recognises Barrass’ dedication — not to mention a legacy that spans the better part of netball’s modern history — inducting her into its Honour Roll.
She first entered the Shepparton netball scene in 1943 at 12 years old, lured in by a casual call to arms from a teacher needing an extra body on the basketball court.
Barrass said yes and she never said no again.
She laced up for five decades, umpired for decades more, and when the body didn’t allow it — though her mind was sharp, able and itching to play — she rose to the throne of the control box.
Every Saturday, like clockwork. Rain, shine or Shepparton frost.
And though she never collected a cent for her umpiring efforts — she used to speak about being “a multi-millionaire if I got paid like they get paid now” — her wealth was measured in moments.
In whistle blows, gravel court burns, chalked-up wins and the thrilled chatter of the all-abilities players who would race to her with the day’s goal tally.
The kids may have thought they were reporting the score.
They were really paying homage.
Barrass began when the game was still called women’s basketball, before netball was a term that even lingered on the lips of Australians.
She watched the game evolve from cowbells to digital timers, from dust to asphalt, from a local pastime to a nationally televised sport.
And still, every weekend, she sat in her perch above the courts — watching, guiding, remembering.
SNA life member and former president Tanya Phillips would add one more action to this list: smiling.
“I think a lot of people’s memories would be like mine, listening to her voice at every break and the end of every game on a Saturday,” she said.
“When kids came up to umpire, Val always knew their names, and she was the happy face to greet them.
“I think that’s what the younger kids would remember most — that she always had a smile on her face. Always.”
Her name is etched not just in SNA’s history books, but also physically into its very infrastructure: The Val Barrass Control Box.
It’s not just a booth. It’s a shrine. A reminder of what it means to give, without need of reward, or ego, or even recognition.
However, that doesn’t mean Barrass flew under the radar.
Rather, her accolades came in spades: life membership, long service and distinction awards with the SNA, a Netball Victoria Distinction Award and a City of Greater Shepparton Sports Award, to name a few.
SNA also named an umpires award in Barrass’ honour, given to up-and-coming officials each year.
Anybody who’d crossed paths with her on Saturday mornings would know that her induction into the Hall of Fame is far more than another recognition — it’s a nod to the embodiment of netball in the Goulburn Valley itself.
Yet, Barrass would have accepted it just as she did all the others.
“She would have felt honoured,” Phillips said.
“She’d certainly be humble, but she’d have a big smile on her face.”
Val Barrass at her 80 year celebration of volunteering at the SNA.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The Val Barrass Control Box was named in her honour five years ago.
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