Dave Collier: A dedicated man
By Paul Corliss
“Today, while the rest of us are lounging in our recliners recovering from the Christmas feast of the just and deserved, HCC Patron Dave Collier is toiling away in the midday sun preparing the pitch for your New Year’s use (well, for the Seniors at least). His faithful dog Rosie (RIP) huddles in the shadow of the wheelbarrow to escape from the burning rays. What a great bloke... no wonder HCC is a great club.” - Barry Tilling, VC Dave Collier, Captain J. E. Labudde-HVCC Winners, CSCA Junior A 1965- 196.
That snippet was written just before New Year’s Eve in 2015.
And another quote from a few years after that one, when our wee lads were playing Canterbury selections:
The best in Canterbury against the best in the Valley. A good contest of cricket and character by lads ‘small in stature, but big in cricketing heart’ … Oh, by the way, it was nice to see our slowly aging but still agile and honourable Club Patron Dave Collier and his wee Rosie (a Cavalier King Charles spaniel to be precise) still contributing to cricket in the Valley. Not just mowing and whitening the boundary, sweeping the pitch between innings and repainting the creases, he still found time to undeservedly heckle the photographer and complain about the warmth of his cup of tea. Several of the visiting parents commented on how impressed they were not just with the facilities and inspiring environment but the grounds and the welcoming attitude of Heathcote people. Well done the Valley, I say.”
It’s not just been a long innings; it’s been a long Valley family involvement – literally life-long. It reflects a whole range of things that Dave would likely casually disavow. Such things as genuine commitment, continuous contribution, personal integrity, special leadership and, of course, a love for the great game of cricket. I would add ‘love of community’ into that equation as well.
Grandfather Jack Collier and father Maurice were part of ‘The Originals’ in the club’s formative year of 1928, his uncle Herb joined in, in 1931, and brother John in 1951. Dave joined about 1953, was a proven and most competent cricketer in the competition title-winning 1954-55 Third B side, in the 1956-57 season was in the competition winning Junior A team and in the Junior C winning team in 1959.
Dave was Club Secretary and Treasurer in 1954. He joined the Committee in 1957, and continued to contribute through the 1960s and 1970s. Dave followed the late Keith Petheram as Patron in 1998 and, extraordinarily, is still going in the 2023-24 season.
In 1963-64 Dave captained the Junior A side to another competition success and was confirmed as Club Captain in 1964-67. He was deservedly elected a Life Member in 1982.
Dave reached his 50 years of service to Heathcote in 2003. It is now of course, 2023, so he’s knocking on 70 years’ service.
Life members from the competition-winning Senior A side of 1974-75, including Dave himself in 1982, were Bevan ‘Trout’ Murray, John Bate and Bert Thompson. Dave captained the Third A grade team to the Suburban championship in 1987-88 and the second grade in 1988-89.
Branching out from the family-operated ‘Colliers for Coal’ based in Woolston, for many years Dave ran Colliers Transport, a select fleet of trucks carting between warehouses and the port. In addition to himself and office administrating daughter Jane (who played for Heathcote in the inaugural, very gifted and competition-winning Women’s team of the 1980s), the company also employed truck driving sons and all Heathcote cricket players - the late Phil, Chris and Steve.
Steve’s then wife Maree was also a valuable player in the inaugural Women’s team. Etienne Collier, Steve’s son and of course Dave’s grandson, is already making a name for himself in the club’s junior ranks. In between selling raffles at pubs, pigs-in-a-barrow, delivering phone books, it was Dave who helped lead the sacks-of-coal delivery club fund-raiser in the 1970s-1980s, humping great sacks of coal on shoulders to houses in and around the Valley until the coal wagon at the railway siding was emptied and the cricket club’s coffers full.
Wicket preparation in the 1970s although the common complaint was that the strip was a good batter, except it took half an hour to settle down. Patron Dave was still stirring (very good at that) his whitewash to the prescribed consistency until his final stint titivating the hallowed soil ended in 2020.
It was Dave, on behalf of his family, that donated the digital scoreboard that eased our way past yet another Premier grade entry requirement.
And that’s his lot? Not likely. Approaching his 90s, Dave has been literally slashing and hacking away, week after week and with some support, at the infestation of that ball-swallowing forest of wild hemlock and fennel, interlaced with blackberry and a range of other shrubby weeds across the bowling club driveway.
And Dave’s only wish, his only demand from the current crew, the current Club that is Heathcote? He finished the 94th season official opening with this parting shot: “Don’t forget I want us winning Premier grade before our centenary in 2028. So, enjoy your cricket… And I now declare the 94th season officially open.”