Gold Medal won in 1973 – First Oceania Games (held in Sydney, Australia). Competing Countries: Guam, French Polynesia, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.
While basking in the afterglow of the Olympic Games, we wanted to celebrate one of our champions: Did you know UNE’s Nola Holmes was an athlete? Her sporting prowess is as a champion volleyball player.
Nola, who most of us know as the First Year Advisor for the UNE Business School and School of Law, has a hidden past as a volleyball champion in the 70s. She played in the Australian Women’s Volleyball Team, the NSW State Senior (and Junior) Teams, and was the Captain of the Australian Youth Team, and later Coach to the Junior teams for regional and state competitions.
Nola competed domestically in every Australian state and multiple times internationally in New Caledonia and New Zealand, winning an impressive cache of medals. Her team competed in the International Invitational Championships, Oceania Games, Australian National Championships, and Australian Club Champions, just to name a few!
Despite the Australian Volleyball Team winning the (zone) Oceania Games, they, unfortunately, did not make it into the Olympics as they were up against Japan and Korea, who were already Olympic qualifiers and medallists (extremely tough contenders). As a result, it wasn’t until the Sydney Olympics in 2000 where Australia automatically entered as the ‘host country’.
1973 Nola with her teammates in New Zealand in 1972. Australian team members were selected in conjunction with major Australian Championships.
“A highlight was as a member of the Australian Women’s team in the first Oceania Games (1973) held in Sydney with other National teams, teams from Guam, French Polynesia, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, New Caledonia. I was honoured to be chosen to give the Athletes’ Oath at the Opening Ceremony, as I was the youngest player from any team (yes, I was still at high school). Our team went on to win the Gold Medal.”
Oceania Games in 1973
In amongst these feats, she also managed to master an array of Estonian volleyball terms because in one senior club, all her teammates had migrated from Estonia. Nola brings her hard work, determination and dedication from her volleyball championship days to her current role as the First Year Advisor for UNE Business School and School of Law.
