Voted best club in NZ 2017 & 2018!
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WHANGAMATA OCEAN SPORTS CLUB
Who started all this? On the 3rd April 1958 a meeting was held in Carl Spender’s garage to form the Whangamata Boatmen’s Association.
Objects of Association quote “To enable boatmen to approach and consult Thames County about all matters concerning boat owners and users re wharf and harbour facilities.
Wally Findlater became Chairman until 14 May 1960 when Stan Death accepted nomination and was elected unanimously. The successive committees for several years wrote reams of letters to the Thames County Council trying to gain amenities such as fresh water on the wharf and lower landing built onto said wharf for ease of loading and unloading. Finally, Stan organised working bees and members of the club were levied Three pound Ten shillings ($7.00) each and under Stan’s supervision we had a bore put down, supplied our own pump and laid the water onto the wharf. This was completed in 1960. Then after much more correspondence with the Thames Council re wharf lower landing, they supplied the timber and the club by way of working bees built the lower landing, this was completed in 1962.
In June of 1960 the Committee changed the name from the Whangamata Boatmen’s Association to the Whangamata Boat Club & in 1961 became incorporated.
Through all these years each successive committee never lost sight of the need of having our own Clubhouse and in 1982 this became a reality. A game fishing section was formed within the club and by a Motion at a Special General Meeting changed our name to Whangamata Boat and Game-fishing Club Inc.
This only happened with more meetings and correspondence with the Thames Coromandel District Council, the final result was that in 1985 with much hard work, all voluntary, we had a Clubhouse complex adjacent to the wharf which housed the Whangamata Boat & Game fishing Club, the Whangamata Marine Radio, the Whangamata Search and Rescue Organisation and the TCDC’s Harbormasters Office.
In 2011 a bold new plan was submitted by then Club Manager Des Addison for an extension from 400sqm to 600sqm. This was supported by the committee and members. This extension went ahead and was completed to much celebration on June 6th 2014. Since then the Club has grown to over 6600 members. WOSC won NZSFC Club of the Year in 2017 & 2018, something we are very proud of. Our current committee is focused on the continued growth of our membership, staff sustainability and supporting a conscious effort to conserve our oceans for the future. A huge thank you to all the men and women ho have helped build this Club to where we are today, NZ’s premium Fishing Club!
