Irene McInnes
 | This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; try the Find link tool for suggestions. (April 2025) |
Alice Mary Irene McInnes (born 29 April 1893; née Black) was one of the founders of the New Zealand Basket Ball Association (NZBBA) in 1924, along with Betty Armstrong and Myrtle Muir.[1]
Biography
[edit]In her early life, Black was known as Rene. She was born in Victoria, Australia, to Blanche Ann Black (née Ireland) and Robert Sheriff Black. She had three siblings: two brothers, Gerald Ireland Black and one sister, Gladys Muriel Black. Following the death of her mother, her father remarried Helen MacKenzie and fathered three more children, Helen MacKenzie Black, Elizabeth Ann Black and Robert Sheriff Black, Irene's half-sisters and brother.[2]
McInnes attended Christchurch Teachers Training College from 1912 to 1914 and passed university courses in math, inorganic chemistry, geology, French and physics as part of her teacher training. On the eve of the First World War, she qualified as a science teacher.[2]
She worked during the war at Waitati Primary School in Blueskin Bay, and later at Columba School for Girls as the mathematics and science mistress. During this time she was an active member of the YMCA.[2]
McInnes was the first president of the NZBBA, and was also the first Life Member.[2] Mcinnes strongly believed netball was critical for the health and well-being of girls, particularly as women's roles began to change after the war. She had a deep commitment to girls' wellbeing and wanted to create opportunities and improve the quality of life of women.[3][4] She was also interested in standardising rules in New Zealand.[5]
The NZBBA was, at the time, the only sports body in New Zealand run by women.[6] The volunteer community was very active and instrumental in the sport's success.[7] In 1927 the name was changed to New Zealand Basketball Association (NZBA).[8] To come in line with other netball playing countries and to avoid the ongoing confusion with the indoor game of basketball, New Zealand and Australia renamed their game of basketball to netball in 1970. In 2025 Netball New Zealand (NNZ) became the first national netball body in the world to reach the 100 year milestone.[8]
Personal life
[edit]In 1919, she married Ralph Saxelby McInnes in Dunedin and they had three daughters, Edith Irene, Blanche Alice and Alison Mary and one son, Paul Black McInnes.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Remember the people". Amateur Sport Association.
- ^ a b c d "Netball New Zealand". www.netballnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "Reflecting on 100 years of Netball New Zealand". 1News. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "Netball New Zealand". netballnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "'Our game' turns 100: the pioneers of netball - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "NNZ Celebrates World First With 100th Milestone". Scoop News. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "Permanent home wanted for treasures as 100-year netball exhibition opens". RNZ. 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ a b "SunLive - Netball New Zealand reaches 100th milestone - The Bay's News First". www.sunlive.co.nz. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
- ^ "Paul Black McInnes | New Zealand War Graves Project". www.nzwargraves.org.nz. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ "Alice Mary Irene, BLACK". 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2025.