Neil Kakoschke Entrance

**Fast Facts**
Type of event	Establishment The Neil Kakoschke Entrance to the Mallala Sports Park
Street name	Wasleys Rd
Town or locality	Mallala
Date ended	June 27, 2004
Managed or hosted by	Mallala KESAB Committee and Mallala and District Lions Club

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A tribute has been paid to one of Mallala's most dedicated volunteers with the opening of the "Neil Kakoschke Entrance" to the Mallala Sporting Complex on Sunday 27th June 2004.

Neil, who voluntarily nurtured and maintained the Mallala oval for over 30 years, was invited to unveil an inscribed plaque, and the District Council of Mallala Chairperson Margaret Gameau officially declared the entrance open.

Neil offered a history of the turfing of the oval which began in 1973 in the midst of a drought, with a legacy bequeathed by Mr C Johnson and with assistance from the Government Red scheme. As treasurer, Neil recalled the soaring water bill which prompted the sinking of a bore in 1982. In the early days it wasn't uncommon for the oval to be mown using a fleet of household lawn mowers. When the Mallala Golf Club closed in 1976 they donated a mower pulled by a tractor, which was given by Max Howell. In the early days it was an exhausting process watering with hoses, but the introduction of a new watering system in the mid 1990s dramatically reduced the workload.

The president of the Mallala Kesab Committee Maureen Tucker congratulated Neil on having the entrance named after him saying that "it was a well deserved honour". She said that the idea to build an entrance wall was muted many years before but was shelved when an application for funding was not approved. Maureen said that In March 2002 the Mallala Kesab Committee started fundraising as well as seeking support from the local sporting bodies. The Mallala and District Lions Club was approached and the men pledged their support, with John Curnow and Howard Edson spending many hours planning the project. The Lions men cleared the area, dug the foundations and assisted the builder when required. Mr Erwin Smyth built the walls and Elite Paving made the cement caps for the pillars.

Jim and Ronda Dunstan of Ngapala S.A. hand painted the tiles which depict the history and sporting interests pertaining to the Mallala district, and this greatly enhances the visual effect.

It was a very successful project jointly funded by the Mallala Kesab Committee, Mallala and District Lions Club and the District Council of Mallala Partnership Program.