Lawn Bowls
27 November, 2025
Trio recognised with life membership
The Warracknabeal Golf Club recently welcomed a group of new honorary life members, with Leonie Atkin, Shirley Liersch and Wayne Gove all recognised for their contribution to the club and sport over the years.
At just nine, Atkin started playing golf as a junior at Sheep Hills with her parents, Doreen and Keith Johnston.
She became a successful golfer early on, winning the women's championship numerous times before joining the Brim club after marrying Graham, where she won seven championships.
In 1994, Atkin joined the Warracknabeal club and has played competitive golf since.
She has had great success at the club, winning the championship for women 13 times, her first being in 1999, when she was one of 40 females competing for the honours and up against some challenging competition in the likes of past champions Dianne Kosloff and Nola Clarke.
Atkin has also played pennant golf for the club in the Wimmera competition for over 25 years, and in 2001 won the Wimmera Champion of Champions.
Just a couple of years later, Atkin was named the Warracknabeal Senior Sportsperson of the Year, adding another achievement to her growing list.
But her commitment to the sport hasn't just been on the course, with Atkin holding the office of Women's Captain in 2005-06, and being ladies president in 2015-16 and 2023-24-25.
She has also been an active member of the Women's Match Committee, including several years as secretary.
Always obliging to share her expertise, Atkin has helped organise clinics for both juniors and golfers new to the sport, and more recently has taken on the club's catering group and clothing shop.
Mary Massey, of the club, said the members hold Atkins in high respect for her opinions on golfing issues.
"She is knowledgeable and wise with her comments and always worth listening to," she added.
Debby Barling agreed with her fellow club member, adding that Atkin is no stranger to success with her golf, having won so many club championships and numerous other titles.
"Possibly more than any of us can count," she said.
"Other than that golf swing (which is pretty incredible), it is the way she carries herself in the clubhouse and during the little drink sessions afterwards."
Also accepting life membership was Shirley Liersch.
Nominated by Michael Marchment, Liersch's contribution to the Warracknabeal Golf/Bowls Club began in 1978, while helping the catering coordinator, Dot Haulser, for many years, and later with Judith Marshman, with functions to generate club finances, before taking over the role as coordinator herself.
She has assisted in catering for many events over the years, including birthdays, business parties, Christmas parties, funeral wakes, and plenty of tournaments.
Known for her delicious biscuits, cakes, jams and puddings, which are sold for the benefit of the club, Liersch has generated great profit for the club, with proceeds going to the bowls and golf areas.
And as if her tasty treats weren't enough, Liersch has also established herself as a bit of an all-rounder, always willing to lend a hand and assisting in building and painting the golf cart sheds, cleaning up metal at the golf shed, looking after the garden surrounds and purchasing plants to brighten things up.
Although Liersch has other interests, like the Cemetery Trust and Lions Club, the bowls and golf club has been a focus over many years, while continuing to play both sports competitively.
She has represented the golf in pennant, been the only lady president of the Golf side, and on the general committee as both a representative for bowls and golf.
Lastly, but not least, Wayne Gove also received the honour of becoming a life member, with his club golf membership spanning an incredible 46 years.
Gove joined the club in 1965 as a junior and became a full member at 18.
But in 2001, Gove decided to break from golf.
As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Gove couldn't stay away, rejoining the club 10 years later and continuing since.
Gove has been an affiliated member of the bowls club for 35 years and has been on the bowls committee for 15.
He's been the club treasurer for numerous years, on the match committee for seven years and a pennant selector for six.
He is also the current vice president.
For golf, Gove dedicated 17 years to the match committee and was the club captain numerous times.
He's been on the general committee for 14 years and held the position of club treasurer for 24 months.
More recently, Gove has been on ground maintenance, assisting with the raking of the bunkers and doing his turn on the extremely important bar roster.
He's also been involved in the development of golfers as juniors, assisting with coaching and the running of junior tournaments.
On both the course and the greens, Gove has been a champion in mixed, pairs and singles (bowls) numerous times, as well as claiming the Golf Club Champion (Open) and an incredible 14 times, amongst many other achievements.