“It was huge,’’ Bev Gohl (nee Robertson) said.

Bev was the chief instructor for the area. Her family helped form the Cundletown Marching Girls Association along with the Mathers family. Bev and her sister Gloria marched with Taree before joining Cundletown.

In 1959 a Cundletown team won the Ampol National Marching Girls Contest at Yamba. 

So to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory, a reunion of various marching girls groups will be held at the Cundletown Museum on Saturday, February 23. This will start at 9.30.

Bev recalls that at one stage there were three marching girls groups in Cundle, three more in Taree and another three in Coopernook. Nabiac had one, while there were two at Gloucester and two at Wingham.

“It was precision marching,’’ Bev explained.

The sport had its origins in Australia during the Depression of the 1930s when teams were formed to keep young women fit, according to Wikipedia.

It became more organised during the 1940s with a system of scoring developed. Points were deducted for lack of precisions, dressing, movement and length of pace. At its peak marching competitions drew large crowds.

The groups here would meet up to three times a week for practice. The Cundle girls trained at Cundletown School grounds.

“Gloria (Robertson) worked at Bruce Humphries’ store opposite the school and was able to train the girls after work,’’ Bev explained.

“Council then granted us our own training ground at Albert Square as we needed pegs in the ground to mark the area required for displays.’’

In 1961 the Cundletown Rondaleers junior team travelled to Tasmania for the Australian titles.

They finished seventh overall and fifth in leadership. Cundletown Highlanders competed in the Australian titles in Sydney in 1963, with Laurelle Mathers the leader.

On March 19, 1961 Cundletown hosted the Mid North Coast Zone Open Championship at Taree Park.

“It was held at Taree because we didn’t have a grandstand in Cundletown,’’ Bev explained. “One was needed for the march past.’’

This was sponsored by the Taree Chamber of Commerce and advertisers on the program were A and L Connors of 60 Manning St Taree (for choicest fruit and vegetables at competitive prices along with soft drinks, confectionery and sandwiches to order) along with Bruce Cowan and Co, real estate agents and general property salesman of 229 Victoria Street, Taree.

Mayor of Taree, Ald E O Martin opened the proceedings and 30 teams from Port Macquarie, Cessnock, Wallsend, Shellharbour, Kempsey, Windale, Lambton, Richmond-Windsor, Castle Hill, Stockton, Belmont South and Gloucester along with Taree, Coopernook and Cundletown were there. Competiton was in midgets, juniors and senior championships. The day ended with a mass serpentine march.

Marchers started from the age of eight, with seniors usually around the 16 or 17 mark, Bev explained.

The Cundletown Rondaleers were the NSW champions in 1961. The team was Betty Duncan (chaperone), Judith McCarthy, Annette McSwan, Wendy Goodacre, Yvonne French, Carol Lewis, Judith Duncan, Beverley Hinton, Shirley Mathers, Leslie Medcalf and Cheryl Weiley.

They were great times, Bev said. 

“And it's about time we got together. There are plenty of memories for us to share.”

Bev needs to know some idea about numbers by Friday, February 15 and can be contacted on 6552 1165.

At this stage no marching is on the agenda. 

“But you never know,’’ Bev added.