Elly Pickles (Goodwin)
Water polo player
Inducted Dec 2013
Elly Pickles was born in Cessnock in 1980 and attended Cessnock Primary and Mount View High Schools. Elly then studied at the University of Newcastle where she graduated with her teaching degree.
From an early age, Elly demonstrated her passion and prowess as a swimmer. She won gold and silver medals at age championships during her high school years, and represented her school at the All Schools level nationally.
In her final years of high school, having turned to water polo, Elly represented Australian School Girls, NSW Under 16s (with whom she won the Australian title), and was also in the Australian team that won a test series against the New Zealand All Schools national team.
From 1997 to 2002 she represented St George, in Sydney, at the Australian Clubs Championship, and has also played with that team in the national league as captain.
After leaving school, Elly extended her participation in water polo by playing in the Australian Under 20s team, the NSW Open squad and the Australian team.
Her career in water polo continued, and includes highlights of playing in the Australian Women’s University team that toured the United States; the Hunter Hurricanes (as both captain and captain/coach) and membership of the National League’s All Stars Australian team (comprising the top seven players in the League).
It is fair to say, in fulfilling her commitment to the sport of water polo, Elly has travelled extensive distances on a weekly basis to attend training sessions in Newcastle and Sydney, as well as scheduled games and tournaments.
More recently, for the past three years, Elly has coached the NSW All Schools water polo team, seeing the team win the national championship trophy each year.
Elly has been a previous recipient of a Cessnock award, when she gained the Australia Day Cessnock City Sports Award aged 19.
Elly was also awarded a University of Newcastle Blue for Water Polo in 2002, in recognition of her outstanding record of sporting achievement and representation of the University in her sport whilst enrolled as a student.
Plaque location
105 Vincent Street, Cessnock (garden bed)