COMMUNITY + FITNESS

History

Robinvale Basketball Association

Our Name

We believe the original name of our association was RCBA – Robinvale Community Basketball Association, which has since evolved into what we are now known as: Robinvale Basketball Association Incorporated.

The exact date of this name change remains unclear. However, we have photographic evidence of flags from the 1960s bearing the RCBA name, while all treasurer’s books from 1987 onward consistently refer to us as Robinvale Basketball Association.

Our Venues: The Evolution of Basketball in Robinvale

Over the years, basketball in Robinvale has been played across nine different venues, spanning from 1960 to current. Here’s a look at our journey:

First Court (1960s)
Located somewhere over the railway line, behind where the police station stands today.

Second Court (Late 1960s – Early 1970s)
An outdoor asphalt court on Perrin Street.

Third Court (1970s)
Outdoor courts situated behind the current stadium (now a car park). Our original clubrooms, used for many years, were later handed over to the netball committee have now been demolished.

Fourth Court (Mid-1980s)
Basketball moved indoors for the first time at the Robinvale Secondary College ECA Centre.

Fifth Court
With only one indoor stadium available, we also used the outdoor college courts to accommodate growing player numbers.

Sixth Court (Early 2000s – Present)
The current Robinvale Recreation & Aquatic Centre built with the support of our community, which helped raise funds to match government contributions. Over time, we also had access to a school stadium as a second court, but space constraints led to it being deemed unfit for play.

Seventh Court (Early 2000s)
We contributed over $13,000 toward outdoor multi-purpose courts for basketball, netball, and tennis. These courts are still standing but have been ruled unfit for use in recent years.

Eighth Court (Early 2010s)
St. Mary’s School Stadium was completed, providing a much-needed second indoor court. This was a game-changer, removing concerns about extreme weather, rain, and night time bugs.

Ninth Court (2020-2021 COVID Era)
During the pandemic, we were among the few clubs in Victoria to complete a modified season. With outdoor community courts unsafe for competition, we were permitted to play an outdoor season at the MVAC courts.
This required significant effort from the committee due to ever-changing restrictions and lockdowns.

Tenth Court (2023-Present)Robinvale Recreation & Aquatic Centre.
Thanks to community efforts and successful funding submissions, we have secured a second indoor court at Robinvale Recreation & Aquatic Centre! It has been built as an extension behind the current stadium, in the very spot where many of us once scraped our knees and rolled our ankles as kids. This marks our 10th court in 65 years, setting the stage for an exciting future for basketball in Robinvale.

Here’s to the next 60-65 years—who knows where the game will take us next!