A True Blue Revival

By Jacob Casha

Trevor Elton has lived his whole life in Home Hill.

Born and raised, true blue.

That’s why, when he caught wind that the town’s beloved community sports club was on the brink of demise at the turn of the decade, he knew he had to step in.

And that, he did.

Faced with dwindling numbers, unpaid rates, and the looming threat of closure, the Home Hill Community Sports Club had been one of the big losers when COVID struck in 2019.

The stream of travellers had run dry, membership had fallen to single digits, budgets were evaporating, and the greens of the near-century-old venue were in complete disrepair, often doubling as a makeshift soccer pitch.

“The club was pretty much on its knees,” said Trevor.

But he never remembered it that way.

For decades, the club had been the steady lifeblood of the community; a haven for locals from all corners to connect and unwind, and often the venue of everyone’s special occasions.

When Trevor took on the role of club president five years ago, he vowed it would see these days again, not only for the sake of its members, but the community as a whole.

“It was never about any kind of personal applause,” he said.

“It was about keeping alive something that means so much.”

The road to revival began with the club bus.

Costly to maintain and no longer viable, it was sold, freeing up much-needed financial wiggle room and giving the struggling club its first real breath of life in years. From there, the snowball began to pick up momentum.

With the proceeds, Trevor moved quickly to clear outstanding debts and steady the club’s finances, laying the foundation for a broader revival.

From that foundation, he spearheaded working bees to restore the grounds, applied for and secured a $200,000 grant to rebuild the green, and transformed the hall with new carpet, air-conditioning, and aesthetic upgrades that gave the club a new lease on life.

With that, members began to pour back in, with numbers soon eclipsing triple digits. The club grew stronger by the day, and the venue once again began to reflect its local stature as a storied pillar of the community.

And even as the club continues to surpass anything it had ever been before, Trevor refuses to rest. His current pursuit? A brand new cover for the greens, which he admits is a mammoth task, but given his history, more a matter of when rather than if.

His exploits saw him awarded Volunteer of the Year at this year’s Australia Day Awards at the Burdekin Memorial Hall; an award he said was a bonus rather than the end goal. Characteristically, he was quick to acknowledge the role of the team behind him, giving special credit to wife Judy.

“It was a proud moment—for myself and for my wife, who’s always backing me up and being there with me. It’s just as much hers as it is mine,” he said.

“These clubs rely on volunteer work, and I'm only just part of the club The award I got wasn’t my award—it was everybody's award, and if you look around the Burdekin, there are so many other people out there who deserve it.”

When Trevor took on the role of club president five years ago, he vowed it would see its glory days again, not only for the sake of its members, but the community as a whole. Photo credit: Jacob Casha

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