Mystery of the missing Keller Cup sports trophy

A coveted sporting trophy, the Keller Cup, which took pride of place at Gunnedah Intermediate High School from 1929 through to 1960, went missing after it was decommissioned and despite extensive inquiries, was never located.

The cup was donated by the Parents & Citizens Association in honour of former principal Leo Keller.

In August 1929, Mr Keller was placed in temporary charge of the Bowral Inspectorate after serving as principal at Gunnedah Intermediate High School from 1928-29. After completing his training course in 1909 he assisted at the Arncliffe, St Peters and Leichhardt schools. He graduated with a BA in 1914, and MA in 1919.

As a high school master, Mr Keller taught with success at the Dubbo, Fort Street, East Maitland and Canterbury High schools.

The Keller Cup was hotly contested at inter-town athletics carnivals for schools throughout the north west and was once one of the biggest events on the education calendar.

A newspaper report from the North Western Courier, dated August 20, 1931, described the popularity of the competition, with epic back-to-back victories for a team from Manilla against Gunnedah, Boggabri, Narrabri and Quirindi.

The article reported that the victory was shared with Gunnedah, both teams scoring 55 points followed by Quirindi 39, Boggabri 13, and Narrabri 12.

“The standard generally was higher than in previous contests with the Manilla, Gunnedah and Quirindi representatives outstanding both as regards to physique and numerical strength of teams,” the newspaper reported.

In all, 29 athletic events were contested and in the majority of cases, the times recorded constituted records for Keller Cup competition. At the conclusion of the sports, Gunnedah pupils entertained Narrabri and Boggabri teams until they left by train.

The following year, the Moree Gwydir Examiner, of August 29, 1932, reported a victory to Gunnedah Intermediate High School in the Keller Cup competition which also attracted entrants from Moree District School, which finished third. In the boys’ events, Moree practically swept the pool, but the girls were badly outclassed. Other schools to compete were Quirindi, Manilla and Boggabri and for the first time the Gunnedah Convent School.

The competition comprised the following events – boys seniors and juniors, 100, 220, 440, and 880 yards, relay race, long jump, and high jump, and one mile for seniors only. Girls – 100 yards, skipping, relay race, overhead ball, and tunnel ball.

The school gaining the most points in the whole of the events became the holder of the Keller Cup.

The Manilla Express, of August 5, 1941, reported that Manilla District Rural School was represented by a team of 33 athletes at Gunnedah. Competing against five other schools, Manilla “did quite well for themselves being beaten on aggregate points only by Gunnedah”.

Fast forward to August 1949, when the Muswellbrook Chronicle published a report on the annual athletics carnival for the Keller Cup, which was “once again a great success”. The 40 athletes and supporters who made the trip from Muswellbrook had a very enjoyable day. The competition was keen, the program packed with thrills.

“The march past through the streets was most spectacular, all schools turning their teams out in fine style.”

BLAST FROM THE PAST: A surprise visitor at the presentation of the replica Keller Cup was Jean Jones (formerly Dever), right, who was a recipient of the cup as a junior champion in the 1940s. She happened to be holidaying in Gunnedah at the time of the presentation. She is pictured with Leo Keller’s daughter Bett Murray.

The article reported that Muswellbrook had fielded a very strong team and taking the lead early, maintained a winning margin to the end. They won the trophy with 671/2 points, against Gunnedah 47, and Coonabarabran 371/2.

In addition to the Keller Cup, Muswellbrook won the Sam J Lands Cup for seniors, and the Brunton Cup for junior events, and finished second in the Wilmot Cup.

“The carnival reflected great credit on the organisers at Gunnedah whose generous hospitality was much appreciated by all present,” the article reported.

“All competitors showed a fine sporting spirit and must be congratulated on their performances. It was a great pity that both Quirindi and Coonabarabran could not participate since greater numbers make for keener sport.

“Despite this fact, however, the five contesting teams displayed a highly competitive instinct as the three broken and one equal record amply prove.

“To Rex Eather, an all-rounder, goes the credit of reducing the 100 yards under-17 time by one-tenth of a second. John Bramall, a promising minor of Gunnedah equalled the 10 seconds record for 75 yards, under-11 years.

On display at the Water Tower Museum are the Keller Cup, the Pritchard Cup, the Sam Lands Cup, and the Cartwright Cup for the march past.

“Competitors and spectators alike unanimously agreed that the sports were outstandingly successful from all points of view.

“The march past, won by Gunnedah, was the most impressive if least exciting event of the whole program.”

The Keller Cup even earned a mention in The Land newspaper in September 1939 when Gunnedah won the Keller Cup with a score of 67 1/2 points. The Sam J. Lands Cup for juniors was won by Coonabarabran. The Brunton Cup for minors was won by Gunnedah, with The Wilmot Cup won by Narrabri, which also claimed the Palmer Cup for football against Gunnedah.

In 1989, after an extensive search for the missing Keller Cup by the Gunnedah High School reunion committee, Leo Keller’s daughter, Bett Murray, of Springwood, travelled to Gunnedah to present a replacement cup which contained the names of winners from 1929 through to 1960, apart from the war years when it was not contested.

The replacement cup was presented to the reunion committee president Peter Worthington who in turn presented it to the president of the Gunnedah & District Historical Society, John Buchanan, to be placed in the museum, along with other items relating to the school. Former local students from Bett Murray’s class were at the presentation but her sisters Mary Keller, of Hunters Hill and Margaret Gray, of Goulburn, were unable to attend.

Today, the Keller Cup takes pride of place beside other sporting cups in a cabinet donated by the Gunnedah High School reunion committee at the Water Tower Museum.

Leo Keller’s daughter Bett Murray was able to catch up with old school friends Ken Smyth, Bill Detheridge and Vince Donoghue at the presentation of the replica Keller Cup.