Marjorie Carr (right) with her daughter, Dorothy Carr
“Everything I’ve done has been low key – I’ve been in the background a lot. I’ve just been looking to help people, really.”
Marjorie Carr
Ōtorohanga’s Marjorie Carr summed up her community contribution that way.
Others saw it differently.
She received a King’s Service Medal (KSM) in the New Year’s Honours for services to netball and her community.
Carr played netball at provincial and representative level, but her major contributions have been made courtside, primarily as a coach and fundraiser.
Over more than six decades she has held roles with the Ōtorohanga Netball Centre – a life member of the club and the centre’s patron since 2007.
Marjorie Carr
She is also a past president of the Ōtorohanga Umpire Association (1982–1992) and received service awards from Netball Waikato/BOP and Netball NZ.
She was also instrumental in developing Ōtorohanga College’s netball programme while working as a teacher at the school.
“I spent many years coaching and encouraging every girl at Ōtorohanga College to play netball,” she said. “To see them give it their best, whether it was highly competitive or social, has been so enjoyable and rewarding.”
The 87-year-old’s name is still regularly heard at the college whenever a ‘most outstanding netball player’ is awarded the Marjorie Carr Trophy.
She learnt many of her earliest lessons about sport on her own driveway and in dairy farm paddocks.
“There were four girls in our family and we often had some neighbours come over to play games when I was growing up. We played out on a rough old farm field as well.”
Netball is not her only sport. For more than 50 years, this life member and patron of the Ōtorohanga Tennis Club has been a player, coach, fundraiser and president (1988–1991).
These days she’s more drawn towards yet another code.
“Golf is my new game, I took it up when I retired,” she said.
“I have been enjoying playing at Waitomo Golf Club since then.”
In addition to sport, Carr has been president of the Ōtorohanga Lyceum Club of which she has been a member for about 20 years.
Her daughter Dorothy Carr is also giving back to netball.
“She’s been following in my footsteps very nicely… she’s already given so much as well.”
Dorothy, Pukenui School principal, an experienced coach and current president of the Ōtorohanga Netball Centre, is pleased to carry her mother’s legacy forward.
“For Mum to be recognised for her contribution to netball, as well as to our community, is absolutely lovely and I’m really proud of her,” Dorothy said. “When you’re in a small town, people who drive sport and promote opportunities and pathways are so important.”
Dorothy is one of many motivated by Marjorie.
“I was never fast or dynamic but I was a bit of a strategist and Mum encouraged me to give it my all. But she was never in it just for her kids – she has helped anyone and everyone over the years.”
Marjorie Carr (right) with her daughter, Dorothy Carr
