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Feature Story THE LIONS CLUB THAT’S CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA’S SPORTING GREATS Forbsey’s mate Bob Knight (second from right) with fellow Lions volunteers outside the museum. Story by Tony Fawcett They are achievements ingrained in the Australian sporting psyche … Don Bradman becoming arguably the greatest batsman of all time, Herb Elliott outpacing the best as the greatest middle snare 700 Test wickets. Thanksdistance to runner one Lions of his Club era, and and the Shane amazing Warne collection spinning of his sporting way into memorabilia the record booksof one as man, the Australiansfirst to can now relive many of these heady achievements. It’s as simple as visiting the Rochester Sports Museum, a Lions International centenary initiative of the Lions of the northern Victorian town. Opened late last year and located at the local railway station, the museum’s intriguing collection includes everything from Test cricketer Adam Gilchrist’s wicket-keeping gloves and one of golfer Greg “The Shark” Norman’s iconic hats to a tennis dress worn by champion Martina Navratilova at the Australian Open and potato farmer-turned marathon runner Cliff Young’s tracksuit. In the more than 4000 exhibits are a blazer worn by Herb Elliott at the Cardiff Commonwealth Games which marked the start of a freak run in which he smashed the four-minute mile barrier 17 times, one of Dennis Lillee’s controversial aluminium cricket bats, a signed photograph of Mark Taylor from when he scored a world record 334 not out in Pakistan, a tracksuit worn by Soviet Olympian Sergey Bubka who broke the world record for men’s pole vault 35 times, and memorabilia from the likes of Dawn Fraser, Merv Hughes, Serena Williams, Bill Roycroft, Debbie Flintoff-King and hundreds more. Forbsey’s sporting legacy Fascinatingly, all this fabulous treasure trove has been amassed by a dynamo of a sports fan, local identity John Forbes, for 22 years the sponsorship manager of sporting goods company Puma. “Forbsey”, as he is affectionately known, rubbed shoulders with the world’s sporting elite, signing up hundreds to the Puma brand – and in gratitude Rochester Lion, stepped in, suggesting a museum for his advice and friendship they plied him with as part of his club’s 2017 Lions International memorabilia. Centennial celebrations. Initially a pop-up shop in town, it vastly increased annoyance, he stashed these items in any in scope when several rooms at the local railway availableAt first, much corner to hisaround wife theFaye’s couple’s occasional Mitiamo station became available. “The only things that lived in here for 10 outside in a skip waiting to be transported to the years were possums,” recalls Bob Knight localhouse, tip. until one day he arrived home to find them proudly standing amidst the exhibits in today’s They were quickly retrieved by Forbsey. professionally curated museum. Today he frankly admits that yes, this is “a “Our club put in more than 600 volunteer hours passion that’s got out of hand”. painting, plastering and carpeting it before it was A few years ago when Forbsey’s career ended anywhere near ready,” he says. because of Parkinson’s Disease, (within six “It’s in such a good spot, on the run through town, months he was also diagnosed with bowel with good parking and it’s been an excellent cancer), many believed his collecting days had exercise for us.” ended. The museum operates with 48 local volunteers, The exact opposite was the case. Memorabilia including about 15 Lions working in shifts, and And when Merv Hughes organised a special 2011 visitors. cricketflooded match in from in the Forbsey’s champions. honour, cricketers of Forin its Rochester, first four populationmonths attracted about 3100,more thanthe 1000 the calibre of Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist museum’s success has been a giant morale queued to take part. Although rain interrupted booster for all following the devastating 2018 play, it raised $30,000 for Forbsey’s favourite closure of Murray Goulburn’s massive cheese- charity, the Blue Ribbon Foundation that honours making factory close to the centre of town. the 166 Victoria Police members who have died in the line of duty and of which he was a founding Doing it for Forbsey member and chairman for more than 20 years. Despite the museum’s invaluable collections, Bob insists it’s Forbsey and his passion for sports and Finding a home sports people, and their love for him, that is the Realising his collection needed a permanent heart and soul of this museum. home, Forbsey started looking around. “When we started off here,” he recalls, “our club That’s when his long-time mate Bob Knight, a had to raise money so we had a sports night up at the school gym. Forbsey gave me phone numbers for these people that I should never have had phone numbers for, and I’d ring them and say ‘I’m Bob Knight of Rochester Lions and John Forbes…’ ‘Oh, how’s Forbsey’ they’d interrupt before I could explain further. ‘What can I do for Forbsey?’ “And on the night we had 38 top athletes, Olympic champions, AFL captains and players, Australian basketballers and netballers, people from all of these different sports … and not one of them charged a penny. They all came for Forbsey and we made $30,000 on the night.” “Forbsey has such a great rapport with sports people all across the country and around the world, so when they come here they just drop stuff into him. “Greg Norman walked in one day and just plonked There is memorabilia from practically every area of Australian sports achievement. down his hat and signed it.” last October, rather than a ribbon to cut Rochester LionsAt the setmuseum’s up a banner official through opening which by Herb the world- Elliott beating champion would run. “It was quite funny,” recalls Bob, “because before the run-through Herb turned to Forbsey and said ‘you had better run though with me … but just remember, Forbsey, I have never been beaten’.” While it’s taken about $160,000, including a $102,000 Victorian government grant and $14,000 from the Australian Lions Foundation, to set up, Rochester Lions believe the museum is a venture that will swell Lions funds for years to come. Expertly curated and designed by Laura Stedman from Melbourne’s Levoi Consulting and project managed by Rochester Lion Sam Watkins, the to pick up the $10-a-week rent for the railway club benefitted from the Bendigo Bank agreeing With the advent of Coronavirus, the museum has temporarilystation rooms closed for the but first is hopeful five years crowds of the will lease. Emotionalflood in once memories again once normality returns. For his part, Forbsey, 79, is delighted his beloved items are being shared and appreciated by others, especially younger generations. John “Forbsey” Forbes, the heart and soul of “I used to admire so much the people who Rochester Lions’ new sporting museum. represented their country,” he says. “Representing your country is the biggest thing you can do in treat them as friends.” your life.” A born yarner, today he happily recalls his Every item in the museum, he explains while dealings with the greats, including the time he occasionally shedding a tear, brings back happy spotted a young, earring-wearing Shane Warne memories of the person who gave it to him and playing cricket in Melbourne’s St Kilda seconds what their relationship was. team and advised his Puma boss they should sign He puts his love of sports people down to when him up. he was six and his father, then in his 40s, suffered “I went down and watched him for two weeks in the seconds and he just turned the ball that far. In typical country fashion, those in the district, And I said to Herb, ‘we’ve got to sign him. He’s fat especiallya stroke that sporting confined clubs him and to bedtheir for members, two years. “the and he’s got curly long hair and he smokes’. And glue that holds the community together”, pitched Herb said ‘can he play?’ I said ‘he can’.” in to help the Forbes family. Forbsey never forgot In an illustrious career, Forbsey’s unlikely signing their compassion and generosity. went on to become Australia’s greatest Test On leaving school, he moved into sports cricket wicket-taker, second only in world ranking administration in the Rochester area until the to Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. then boss of Puma, Herb Elliott, offered him a job in 1986. Rochester Sports Museum (www.facebook. Quickly, under Herb Elliott’s tutelage, his com/rochestersportsmuseum) is normally admiration for sports people lifted to new open Thursday to Sunday, from 10am- heights. “He gave me a bit of advice,” recalls 4pm, entry $5 (or by appointment) but has Forbsey. “Don’t just take them as a commodities: temporarily closed until the Coronavirus subsides. Below: Just some of the many items on Above: The museum was professionally curated by display. Laura Stedman. Below: Forbsey checks out just a few of Above: Forbsey’s mentor and former boss Herb Elliott the museum’s more than 400 exhibits. during one of his record-breaking runs. Below: Forbsey delights in showing young visitors around the museum. Above: Cricket great Merv Hughes is one of numerous sports people who helped in establishing the museum. Right: Forbsey with boxer Jeff Fenech. Below: AFL greats Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett were just two of the many Forbsey signed up during his career in sports sponsorship. Below: Forbsey is a regular visitor to the museum and inevitably attracts a crowd of admirers..