Of all the dedicated volunteers who form part of the West Harbour community, few can claim a historical family connection quite like Harry Kimble.
Harry, who currently acts as the Club historian, has family ties which date back to 1900 when the son of Western Suburbs player Les Wickham married into the Kimble family.
His father, Frank, was a player and coach in the 1930s, while his nephews and grandsons have all represented West’s Juniors.
“On and off, I have been involved in the Club since 1952”, he said.
“First as a player and ballboy, before volunteering as video cameraman, committee member, archivist and eventually as the historian.”
During his time as Club historian, Kimble was also the driving force behind Against All Odds, the 2011 publication which records in immaculate detail the Club’s history since foundation.
For Kimble, the idea stemmed from a desire for accurate storytelling and was a long time coming.
“It is a history that everyone, even current players should be proud of,” he said.
“Preserving history is vital, so when I was hearing stories being told that were inaccurate, I wanted to remedy the errors that were being made.
“It has not always been plain sailing throughout the years, there have been many ups and downs and that’s why I decided on the books title.”
Kimble believes that without the book, much of the Club’s proud history would have been lost.
“The stories were just not right,” he said.
“Slowly the facts were becoming myths, and history is too irreplaceable to lose.”
The book also gave Kimble the opportunity to give back to the Club and the sport which had offered he and his family so much.
“I’ve always had such a fantastic time, in any of the roles,” he said.
“I’m proud of it all, but 1953 sticks in my mind when I was the ballboy for our 1st Grade side.
“When I was a player, I had no real ambitions to play at a high level, but I just loved being involved and giving back to the coaches and the game.”
Kimble has been a wonderful servant to the game of rugby, benefiting more than just the West Harbour community.
As well as volunteering for the Pirates, he was instrumental in forming rugby clubs in Greystanes, Blacktown and regularly contributed to rugby magazines across Europe and the Americas.
“The game has been very good to me,” he said.
“It’s has taken me around the world and experience things I never would have otherwise experienced.
“I’ve always said that I’m a fan of rugby before I’m a fan of any one team or Club.
“But my connection with West Harbour is by far the strongest, and it’s now an integral part of my family’s history.”
Declan Armstrong
Media and Communications Officer
