The Sheffield Shield is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shield is named after Lord Sheffield.
Australia's softball history began in 1939 when Gordon Young, Director of Physical Education in NSW, began to promote the game in schools and colleges. In 1942, during World War II, US army sergeant William Duvernet organised softball as a recreation for US nurses stationed in Victoria. Another American, Mack Gilley, introduced the game to Queensland in 1946. Australia's first inter-state championship was played in Brisbane in 1947 and was won by Victoria. The second national championship was held in Melbourne two years later. It was at this championship that the Australian Softball Federation was formed with Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales being the founding members. The other States of Australia have since joined. Eight Australian Championships are now conducted each year - Women's, Men's, Under 23 Women and Men, Under 19 Women and Men, and Under 16 Girls and Boys. Softball has been a major sport in the schools program for some time now and it is estimated that more than 250,000 children play the game each year.
The Elinor McKenzie Shield is a trophy symbolizing the Under 19 Women's Championship of Softball Australia.
The John Reid Shield is a trophy symbolising the Men's Open Championship of the Softball Australia organisation. It is named after New Zealand born state umpire John Reid who was also an internationally recognised reporter on the sport of softball.
The Joyce Lester Shield is a trophy symbolizing the Under 23 Women's championship of the Australian Softball Federation. The Joyce Lester competition was first held in 1997 to bridge the gap between the Under 19 National Championships and Open National Championships. It is named after Joyce Lester, an Australian softball player and coach.
The Claxton Shield was the name of the premier baseball competition in Australia held between state-based teams, as well as the name of the trophy awarded to the champion team. From the summer of 1989–90 until 2001–02, and again since 2010–11, the tournament was replaced by one of three other competitions: the original Australian Baseball League (ABL), the International Baseball League of Australia (IBLA), and since the 2010–11 season the new ABL. Despite other competitions being held in place of the Claxton Shield, the physical trophy has remained the award for the winning teams. Though city-based teams have competed for the Claxton Shield in some seasons, the name engraved on the shield is that of the winning state; for the 2010–11 ABL season won by the Perth Heat, "West Australia 2011" was engraved.
The Queensland Softball Association, now known as Softball Queensland, organises and develops the sport of softball in Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1946 as a women's association, it runs an annual state championship and state league, and attends all ASF National Championships.
Softball in Australia is played in Australia.
Haylea Petrie is a softball player from Australia, who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Jade Wall is an Australian softball player. Wall started playing softball as a nine-year-old. She had a softball scholarship with the Queensland Academy of Sport. She represents Queensland in state competitions and, at one point, was the youngest player on Queensland's open women's team. She has been a member of Australia women's national softball team on the junior and senior level. She is on the short list of players vying to compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships.
Sandra Holden is an Australian softball pitcher. She teaches high school science at Livingstone Christian College and resides in Ormeau, Queensland. She represents Queensland in national competitions and she is a member of the Australia women's national softball team, where she represented the country in a 2009 tour of Japan and in a January 2012 test against New Zealand. She is trying to earn a spot on the team that will allow her to compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships
Softball is played in Queensland .
Softball is played in New South Wales, introduced to the state in 1939. By 1984, there were 1,356 registered teams in New South Wales. Players from Australia have been on the men's and women's national team, had AIS scholarships, played at universities in the United States, and professionally in the US, Japan and Europe.
Softball is played in the Australian state of Victoria.
Softball is played in Tasmania. The game was brought to the island during the late 1940s from Melbourne, Victoria. The sport would grow in popularity in Tasmania with 56 teams in 1976 to 216 in 1984. Men's softball is not popular in Tasmania. The first softball only facility was built in Tasmania in 1984.
Softball is played in South Australia.
Softball is played in Western Australia.
Softball is played in the Australian Capital Territory. The game was influenced early in its history in the territory by Queanbeyan. There are efforts to increase participation in the sport in the ACT. The territory has won the Gilleys Shield three times in a row. Players from Canberra have been on the national team, held Australian Institute of Sport scholarships and played for American universities.
Softball is played in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy is the annually awarded championship trophy, of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL), to the winner of the AWIHL finals. Originally donated in 1995, the trophy is named after Joan McKowen who died September 15, 1992 and her husband Maxwell McKowen died in 2010.
