Jillian made her mark in Kyabram — particularly on the local and district netball scene — when she left St Joseph’s at Echuca, then a boarding school, as a 15-year-old and has never lost her passion for the sport during the past 70 years.
Before she left Kyabram in 1986, for a new life on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Jillian’s untiring efforts for the local St Augustine’s Netball Club and Kyabram and District Netball Association did not go unnoticed or unrewarded.
Jillian the coach, counsellor, confidante and administrator was awarded life memberships of both bodies due her time in the town.
But anyone who thought Jillian may have taken a back seat in netball when settling into her new life in the Sunshine State could not have been further off the mark.
A move to form a netball club at the newly built Catholic and Anglican Unity College at Caloundra where some of the grandchildren of her seven children attended was right up her alley and together with two other mums set about forming and running a netball club to represent the college.
Initially enough players were recruited to field three teams. In 10 years that number has grown to 18 teams, the most of any club in the local association.
Again Jillian’s input to this success story expanded into personal tributes and honours.
In fact her contributions not only won her a successful nomination for Queensland’s Netball Mum of the Year honour, but also the same award at national level.
Just recently Jillian was awarded with a life membership of her club but even more satisfying personally a special perpetual trophy — dubbed The Jillian Boyle Spirit Award — has been named in her honour by her club.
And of all the accolades Jillian has deservedly earned in her long career in the sport this perpetual award — to be presented each year to a junior and senior netballer — she said this award has hit her big heart the hardest.
‘‘This award epitomises my values of fun, friendship and fairness and I’ll treasure it forever,’’ Jillian said.
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