Sydney Branch Committee has a dedicated team sifting through the archives. This page showcases some of the highlights that they have discovered.
Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group
1973-2025
A Scottish Country Dancing Class was started in 1973 by Ann Andean in Nowra and continued until Jock and Ann Andean departed for Cowra at the end of 1975. 1976 saw Ethel Hall take over as teacher and on 11th February 1976, the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group came into being with 41 people attending its first meeting.
President: George Lucas; Secretary: Jane Jordan; Treasurer: Val Molyneux.
Committee members: Beatty Beattie, Ethel Hall, Rhonda Davenport, Jason Downes, Roger Kelly, Hugh Molyneux and Ray Morrison.
Classes were held on Wednesday nights at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church Hall in Kinghorne Street, Nowra.
The teachers included:
Ethel Hall, Henry Hall, Dorothy Fry, Jean Deveraux, Jean Conway, James Caldwell, Heather Bardsley, Rosemary Gardiner and Steven McAleer.
Another SCD group had started in the area at Greenwell Point and in 2007 merged with the Nowra Group and changed the class night to Tuesdays, continuing on Tuesdays until its closure in 2025.
The Senior Citizens Club also hosted a Thursday daytime class for many years, supported essentially by the same members but also by some members who could not attend evening classes. This class continued until 2019, having been taught by Heather Bardsley and the Nowra Class teacher Rosemary Gardner who then transferred to Darwin. in 2020.
March 2020 saw COVID restrictions in place, so classes were suspended until 15th September of that year, when the class resumed under RSCDS guidelines.
In September 2020 the class moved to the North Nowra Community Centre due to the church's deteriorating floor surface, but returned in April 2021 after the church had rectified the problem.
Despite a very active and enthusiastic group, the use of many publicity avenues, local area engagement and advertising both in media and through U3A, it was becoming difficult to attract meaningful new dancers to the group.
February 2024 saw the group suspend classes due to several factors of prolonged absence of key people and at the final AGM it was decided that the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group should be wound up.
This occurred in February 2025 after receipt of NSW Government acknowledgement.
Social Life of the NSCD Group
The first Nowra Ball was held in 1975 to help celebrate the centenary of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church where weekly classes were held. Balls were an Annual Event until 2012 being held at the historic School of Arts, the Sports Centre, the church Hall in 1978 or the Nowra Showground. This event had a dinner at 8:00pm, then dancing to Hugh McKenna "Orchestra" from 9:00pm-2:00am. It is difficult to imagine a programme of that length!
The Formal Balls were replaced by Annual Socials in 2013, due mainly to costs and logistics, and were always held in St Andrew's Church Hall. The group was well served during its time by loyal and trusted members who would decorate venues with flair and imagination. Prime among these were Dorothy Fry, Jean Conway, Judy Devereaux, Jill Meakin, Heather Bardsley, Dottie Schunmann and finally Belinda Bell and Eleanor Risby.
The final social of the group occurred on 8th February 2025. It was a well-attended event made possible by the groups remaining members and visitors from local area clubs.
ADDENDUM:
Sydney Branch of the RSCDS records its appreciation of the loyalty the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group, its members and teachers have always shown the Branch in its endeavours as one of the NSW south coast outreach clubs.
1973-2025
A Scottish Country Dancing Class was started in 1973 by Ann Andean in Nowra and continued until Jock and Ann Andean departed for Cowra at the end of 1975. 1976 saw Ethel Hall take over as teacher and on 11th February 1976, the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group came into being with 41 people attending its first meeting.
President: George Lucas; Secretary: Jane Jordan; Treasurer: Val Molyneux.
Committee members: Beatty Beattie, Ethel Hall, Rhonda Davenport, Jason Downes, Roger Kelly, Hugh Molyneux and Ray Morrison.
Classes were held on Wednesday nights at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church Hall in Kinghorne Street, Nowra.
The teachers included:
Ethel Hall, Henry Hall, Dorothy Fry, Jean Deveraux, Jean Conway, James Caldwell, Heather Bardsley, Rosemary Gardiner and Steven McAleer.
Another SCD group had started in the area at Greenwell Point and in 2007 merged with the Nowra Group and changed the class night to Tuesdays, continuing on Tuesdays until its closure in 2025.
The Senior Citizens Club also hosted a Thursday daytime class for many years, supported essentially by the same members but also by some members who could not attend evening classes. This class continued until 2019, having been taught by Heather Bardsley and the Nowra Class teacher Rosemary Gardner who then transferred to Darwin. in 2020.
March 2020 saw COVID restrictions in place, so classes were suspended until 15th September of that year, when the class resumed under RSCDS guidelines.
In September 2020 the class moved to the North Nowra Community Centre due to the church's deteriorating floor surface, but returned in April 2021 after the church had rectified the problem.
Despite a very active and enthusiastic group, the use of many publicity avenues, local area engagement and advertising both in media and through U3A, it was becoming difficult to attract meaningful new dancers to the group.
February 2024 saw the group suspend classes due to several factors of prolonged absence of key people and at the final AGM it was decided that the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group should be wound up.
This occurred in February 2025 after receipt of NSW Government acknowledgement.
Social Life of the NSCD Group
The first Nowra Ball was held in 1975 to help celebrate the centenary of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church where weekly classes were held. Balls were an Annual Event until 2012 being held at the historic School of Arts, the Sports Centre, the church Hall in 1978 or the Nowra Showground. This event had a dinner at 8:00pm, then dancing to Hugh McKenna "Orchestra" from 9:00pm-2:00am. It is difficult to imagine a programme of that length!
The Formal Balls were replaced by Annual Socials in 2013, due mainly to costs and logistics, and were always held in St Andrew's Church Hall. The group was well served during its time by loyal and trusted members who would decorate venues with flair and imagination. Prime among these were Dorothy Fry, Jean Conway, Judy Devereaux, Jill Meakin, Heather Bardsley, Dottie Schunmann and finally Belinda Bell and Eleanor Risby.
The final social of the group occurred on 8th February 2025. It was a well-attended event made possible by the groups remaining members and visitors from local area clubs.
ADDENDUM:
Sydney Branch of the RSCDS records its appreciation of the loyalty the Nowra Scottish Country Dance Group, its members and teachers have always shown the Branch in its endeavours as one of the NSW south coast outreach clubs.
This is the 4 panelled painting of Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich, Dornie, a legacy of Nowra group that is now held by Sydney Branch.
It was used as a backdrop to the musicians at Winter School 2023 in Kiama (pictured L to R, Bill Unger MC, with the Black Bear Duo, Emma Nixon and Iain Mckenzie)
Originally it was painted for the Nowra Ball of 1st June 2002 by our lovely dancer, Wanda Meville, who has now passed away.
It was used as a backdrop to the musicians at Winter School 2023 in Kiama (pictured L to R, Bill Unger MC, with the Black Bear Duo, Emma Nixon and Iain Mckenzie)
Originally it was painted for the Nowra Ball of 1st June 2002 by our lovely dancer, Wanda Meville, who has now passed away.
Please contact Sydney Branch if you have any valuable historical Sydney Branch material
which should be preserved.
which should be preserved.
RSCDS Sydney Branch INC.
Copyright 2020