The Dave Lotty Award

 

Dave Lotty was recognised in a Club award in his name, announced at the Uringa Orienteers Annual General Meeting on 13 March 2026. This annual Award has been established to honour Dave’s contributions and commitment to Uringa.

Helen Murphy offered this tribute on behalf of the Club:

‘Dave, this is a thank you tribute for all that you have done for Orienteering and in particular for Uringa. 

We have started a perpetual trophy in your honour. Your name will be part of Uringa Orienteering for years to come. This trophy will be passed on to someone who gives time, energy and commitment to the enhancement of sport and our club. We will ask you to present it for the first time shortly.

Our younger members or those who are new to our club possibly don’t know of your accomplishments. They are too numerous to list here but we thought a few commendations were important.

Beyond the Club, we know you have been acknowledged by Orienteering Australia (then known as the Orienteering Federation of Australia) with the SILVA Award for Services to Orienteering in 1991. You were inducted into the Orienteering Australia Hall of Fame as a General Member in 2021. OANSW also honoured your contribution to orienteering with a life membership in the early 2000s. I do not know how many trophies, badges, medals and other awards you have received but they’re probably in a drawer or cabinet somewhere.

You were first and foremost a runner in your younger days. In International Competition in 1969 at the Pacific Conference Games you came 3^rd in the 10,000m in a time of 29.02.4.

In National Competition in the Australian Track and Field 1968-69 you came 3^rd in both the 5,000m 14.19.2 and 10,000m in a shade over 29 mins.

However, in1971, you worked to establish orienteering in NSW and in 1972 helped to form OANSW. You were also responsible for the concept of the Easter 3 Days and organised the first QBIII event in NSW.

By 2005 you had completed your 2000^th event in Jindabyne.

Dave claims that his run closest to perfection was in Wagga Wagga in 1980. You said and I quote from an interview you gave: “the controls just appeared in front of me”. You went on to say you lost 20-30 seconds on the second last control but won by 8 mins! He did 62.00min for 10.4 km. We know in Wagga how ferocious the boulders can be, so it was quite a feat.

I would like to say to everyone that whilst going through records that I found a mis-punch and a DNF, so Dave is a little bit like the rest of us. I have the details, Dave, so don’t argue!

I do have to mention that Dave Lotty was part of many memorable squad camps. My children won’t give me details but assure me there was a lot of orienteering and lots of laughs. I believe he adopted a ‘laissez-faire’ approach. My daughter Clare said that he created opportunities for young orienteers to create life-long friends and a love of the sport. My daughter Catherine included two orienteers in her bridal party and went for a run with another three the morning of her wedding. Now many of their children are orienteering.

If you were part of this bonding, Dave, you have done well. May your legacy live on!

He formed Uringa with the Wilmott family in 1975, so he’s been part of the club for over 50 years. He has been described as a titan in the sport, pivotal to the sport and his lifelong contribution is unlikely to be matched.

Dave once said: “too much orienteering is barely enough”. Well said, Dave, and thank you.’

Club History: 2025 was the 37th President's Cup

The 37th President's Cup was part of the 2025 Uringa end-of-year / Christmas celebrations. Yes, the 37th!

Winners of the 37th were:

• Big Cup: Team Charlotte, Sophie and Grace Bilmon
• Small Cup: Alon Gudes
• Medium Cup: Melanie Christie

The first President's Cup was held at Belanglo Creek in 1988. At that event only two cups were awarded: Big Cup: Michael Anderson and Small Cup: Wendy Fleming. 

Over the years this annual event has been held on many maps/locations. Recent years it has been the Villa Maria map and Hunters Hill, but others included Butchers Block, Exile Bay, Callan Park, Gray's Point, Concord, Riverview, Peters Precinct, Richo's Realm, Bicentennial Park, The Piggery, Burrawang, Bunnygalore and Belanglo Creek.Format and rules have varied (well, the 'rules' are what the President and event team decide). 

President's Cup History

Uringa Christmas Party 2025

A run for fun - the President's Cup (short and shorter courses)! More delicious food than anyone could eat! A visit from Santa Claus! And it did not rain.

This year's Uringa end-of-year party was as enjoyable as always. Matt and Helen offered their home again... a location well placed on the 'Villa Maria' map (flat, hill, creek, historical, views). (The weather was against using the new pool in the back yard.) Lots of conversation and catching up, and a run in the middle of it.

There was a Bluey's theme.  Even with an emailed hint before the day, and even with some runners asking a few random children along the way, many were unsuccessful in identifying the Bluey character at each control.

Feedback from the course setter is always useful after an event.

Cup winners are celebrated. Big cup to Charlotte, Sophie and Grace Bilmon, small cup to Alon Gudes and medium cup to Melanie Christie. (There will be a separate blog post about the cups.)

The club provides the barbecue items (meat and not-meat). Guests brought contributions, carefuly coordinated by Gayle.

Santa Claus always attends.  There is a lot of shyness among those for whom Santa has brought gifts.

Photos thanks to Aldo Sesta and Mary Jane Mahony.

North to the home of Captain Thunderbolt.

Captain Thunderbolt was a well known bushranger in the Uralla area back in the days and you will find his grave in Uralla. His notoriety spread far and wide and he was perhaps one of the few who escaped  imprisonment from Cockatoo Island.

And so it was that a neat dozen Uringans took on the 1200 km round trip. Like Captain Thunderbolt the dozen returned to home with  quite a share of awards from the NSW Middle and Long Distance Championships run on the map “Glenburnie” just south of Uralla.

Glen Burnie was first used in 1998 for a rogaine and was then used in 2024 for the Australian Championships Carnival. We are extremely fortunate to have access to this terrain as it is mind-blowingly spectacular and difficult- a real, test of navigation and stamina.

After running 5 major events on the map not every corner of the 20+ square km map has been used!

Whilst rainfall in the last month of so meant for a very wet Sydney, it was not the rain that had a devastating impact on "Glenburnie" and surrounds. It was the 45 cms of snow that blanketed the map  Whilst beautiful, it had a devastating impact of Aussie trees which are not used to snow. The sound of cracking limbs was to be heard throughout.

Look closely at the ground beneath the trees. All you can see  was once attached above.

NSW Middle Distance Championships.

The arena was approx. 2/3rds of the way up the map and most courses spent much of their time on the eastern ridge west of the open paddocks. The weather was fine with sunshine which was warming, although it was somewhere near 15-16 degrees.

The upshot of the snow was that there was a great deal more timber on the ground than ever before. Combined with the complex rock it made for very physical and difficult navigation. Fortunately, the course setters reduced course lengths- much appreciated by all.

 Medal Count:

 1^st- Jane W Open B, Gayle W55AS, Michael M60 A.

 2^nd - Ori M45AS, Ant M50A, Linda W55A.

 3^rd – Ron M55AS

Ant, M50A was just 43 seconds adrift from the podium in his class.

W55A course

W21A Course

M14A Course

Jane 1st

Ron 3rd

Gayle 1st

Linda 1st 

Ant  2nd

Ori 2nd 

NSW Long Distance Championships

The start for today was north of the arena and like Saturday courses were “hard”.  Many, when looking at the courses wonder what differentiates between Middle and Long Distance. Generally speaking, the long courses have fewer controls, longer legs with route choice. Middle courses have more controls with direction changes and route choice.

Once again, the combination of fallen timber and very complex rock made for a real challenge in the bush.

Medal Count:

1^st – Serena W21AS.

2^nd – Jane W Open B, Ori M45AS.

3^rd - Gayle W55AS, Shane M55A

W Open B

M55A

Gayle - 3rd

Shane 3rd 

Ori 2nd

Serena 1st

There were some consistencies in the results. Alon, M14A was 5^th both days. This is excellent as Alon has just stepped up to M14A in recent times. Perhaps all that MTBO navigation is helping. Jonathan Nolan M20A was 4^th both days, Jono is running up an age class. Worthwhile noting that all Uringans finished in the top 10 in both days.

Got a moment:

The following is the M21A course on Sunday. With just over 9.3kms and 440 metres of climb the winner, Julian Dent won in 67minutes. It is really worthwhile to have a look at the tracking of Julian and other M21A competitors on Livelox: 

Compare the route choices- this is what the sport of Orienteering is all about.