Fred Edwards

When the Townsville Men’s Amateur Basketball Association transferred to Corcoran Park courts from McInnis’s ant bed tennis courts in Charters Towers Road in 1952, Fred Edwards was one of the players who moved with the game.

Fred was playing basketball for Bouncer’s Club in 1952 when Charlie Doyle (QBHF 2016) was posted there in the Royal Australian Air Force. Fred represented Townsville and North Queensland in basketball from 1954 through to 1970, a period of 17 years. During that time he was selected tor Queensland on seven occasions: 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959 as captain/coach, 1960 and 1961 as captain and in 1967. There is no doubt that Fred would also have been selected in the intervening years between 1954 and 1967 but for the costs of travel from Townsville to the championships.

In 1961 Fred was a member of the All States Australian basketball team which was led by captain – coach Lindsay Gaze and which completed an undefeated tour of new Zealand. Fred’s playing career in senior basketball from 1952 until 1970. He then gave his time to coaching junior club teams in Townsville.

In those early days of basketball in Townsville, players were asked to fulfil administrative duties in their clubs. Fred was secretary / treasurer of his growing club, Bouncers, for several years during the 1960s. Fred was an outstanding athlete and sportsman. He played “A” grade cricket in Townsville and represented Townsville and North Queensland in cricket, and represented Townsville and Queensland in Hockey.

Fred's influence on basketball has continued through the generations with all six of his children, three girls and three boys, playing the sport. Fred’s eldest son, Shane, represented Townsville, North Queensland and Queensland in junior age competitions and played for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.

His youngest son, Glen, represented Townsville and North Queensland as a player and played QBL for Burdekin in the Queensland State League. His second son, Craig, has coached junior club basketball for some years in Brisbane.