Today is a very sad day for our club as we advise members of the passing of Tom Newhouse OAM. Tom was part of the very fabric of Baulko as someone who made a significant contribution in our club’s growth. Tom came to Baulko in 1966 and served our club for more than 50 years, being instrumental in the development of football in the hills area over many decades.

Tom was introduced to a love of the roundball by his father’s commitment to the game in the Granville district as a young child. Jack Newhouse was a Life Member of Granville & District Soccer Football Association, having first been involved in the Association in 1906. Anyone who knew Tom knew just how important his father’s legacy in football was to him. Tom, like his father, built an incredible legacy for community football.

Tom’s early football was at various GDSFA clubs both as a player and referee. In 1957 however, he and Sheila moved to Baulkham Hills, and that’s when we at Baulko struck gold! Tom joined Baulko just a few short years after the inception of the soccer division (1962). The fledgling Baulkham Hills Soccer Division welcomed Tom’s inimitable enthusiasm.

For some 50 years Tom continuously held at least one Executive, Committee or Service role in the soccer division of the original Baulkham Hills Sporting Club, now Baulkham Hills Sports.

Tom’s Honour Roll of Executive duties is extensive. He still holds the title of longest serving executive member of the soccer/football division. He was Secretary /Treasurer (1967 – 1971), President (1972 - 1976), Registrar (1977 – 2007), Assistant Registrar (2008- 2009) and Club Service Record Archivist (1978 - 2018).

Tom not only assisted in the formative years of the club through his administrative duties, he also contributed to the Club’s playing success in a variety of practical ways. For more than 30 years, beginning in 1966, Tom coached teams ranging from Under 10’s to the BHFC Premier League. Tom also coached Baulko’s first ladies team in 1969, which included his sister-in-law, and wife Sheila.

For many, memories of Baulko soccer/football are inextricably linked with Tom: clearing fields, gala days, car rallies, service awards… the list is long. Everything from the pre-season 10 pm dashes to Tom’s place with a fist full of cash and list of names, hoping to get teams in before registration cut off, or the familiar Friday afternoon pick up of oranges and Roundball Reviews from Tom’s verandah.

As a much loved and respected clubman, Tom’s name is forever linked to our club as patron of our Junior goal difference award. For his extensive service to the club, Tom was awarded the Soccer Division’s first Life Membership in 1980. In the soccer division’s 40th year, 2002, Field 4 at Ted Horwood Reserve Baulkham Hills was dedicated in honour of Tom, being formally named: “Tom Newhouse Field”. Tom was recognised at an association level as GDSFA Club Person of the Year winning the Laurie Ferguson Award in 2001. He is also the patron of the GDSFA Super League championship trophy named in his honour.

The list of awards bestowed on Tom is extensive. Not just club awards and association awards, he has also won State awards and two national awards: ‘The Australian Sports Medal’ in 2000, and his Order of Australia medal, received in 2002. All of these awards recognised the incredible contribution he made to the football community over many decades.

Long after he left committee Tom remained our official service record archivist. A job he did for more decades than any of us are able to calculate. Our best guess is that he had been collating the service records since 1978.. He was diligent in his calculations and right til his last years, as in decades previous, calculated all the records ‘by hand’ with his trusty HB pencil and wooden ruler in one hand, and red pen in the other. No fandagle computer nonsense for Tom! Even more remarkable than the time he took to pour over each player’s record was his ability to recall detailed player histories including coaches and titles for the majority of long term players. He took geat pride in serving our club and thoroughly enjoyed presentation every year until recently, awarding service awards to both juniors and seniors.

So well known in the local area, be it at the shops or at a playing field, Tom couldn’t walk further than a few metres without someone calling out: “Hey Tom! Great to see you mate!” In recent years, as Tom’s health declined, a visit to Ted Horwood Reserve always roused him. Most recently last year, when once again he was wheeled around his home fields his memory became clear and the images of his past once again filled his thoughts. He stood to once again walk on the field and touch the goals. His happiness was tangible.

We at BHFC, owe Tom Newhouse an enormous debt of gratitude for all he did to promote the sport locally, build our club, and influence the many generations of players who have benefitted enormously from his unselfish and ceaseless service to Baulko.

We extend to his wife Sheila, his son Brad, daughter Jenny and their families our deepest sympathies. From all at Baulko we thank Tom for everything he did for us, he will be missed by many and remembered fondly forever in the story of our club.

“Baulko to Win!” *

Vale Tom Newhouse

(*Tom’s sign off at the end of every report for decades.)