Kath Williamson is recognised as a pioneer of women’s basketball in Queensland and Australia, but long before she captained the state’s first representative basketball teams, she was making her mark on the netball court as a member of the Aspley Netball Club. While continuing to represent Brisbane in netball, Williamson became one of Queensland’s earliest women’s basketball pioneers as the sport expanded across the state.
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That story has been brought together in Kath’s Blazer: The Forgotten Story of the Development of Women’s Basketball in Queensland in the 1950s, written by basketball historians Terry Doherty and Bob Godbold. The book uses a maroon blazer, carefully preserved by Williamson’s family for decades, to trace the beginnings of organised women’s basketball in Queensland and recognise the people who helped build the game.
From Aspley Netball to Basketball Pioneer
Among the historical records featured in the book is a photograph identifying Kath as a member of the Aspley Netball Club. Kath and her mother, Agnes Doo, were listed among the successful umpires associated with Aspley and Bald Hills at the country carnival, highlighting the family’s long-standing connection to the local sporting community.
As basketball began to spread throughout Queensland during the early 1950s, Williamson continued playing netball while also competing in the American rules version of basketball as it gained momentum across the state.
Williamson soon took on leadership roles within the Queensland team. She captained the Queensland women’s basketball team at the first five Australian Women’s Basketball Championships, leading the side in Melbourne in 1955, Newcastle in 1956, Adelaide in 1957, Devonport in 1958 and Toowoomba in 1959. She also served as captain-manager of the inaugural 1955 team and later as captain-coach during the 1957 championships.
The Women Who Built Queensland Basketball
While Williamson led Queensland on the court, the book also highlights the contribution of her mother, Agnes Doo, whose influence helped shape women’s basketball across the state.
Doo campaigned to establish American rules basketball for women in Brisbane before founding the Queensland Women’s Amateur Basketball Association. She also secured the rights to print the American rules in Australia and played a key role in ensuring Queensland competed at the inaugural Australian Women’s Basketball Championship in Melbourne in 1955.
The book also documents how women’s basketball grew through communities across Queensland. Charters Towers developed one of the state’s earliest organised competitions under Phil Schober from 1950, while towns including Kingaroy, Townsville, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Cairns, Mackay and Ayr each developed their own basketball pathways during the decade.
Rather than focusing solely on elite competition, the authors show how volunteers, local clubs, coaches, officials and players laid the foundations for women’s basketball in Queensland.
A Blazer That Preserved History
The book’s title comes from Williamson’s maroon representative blazer, with its three pockets covered in embroidered badges marking her years as a player, coach and team manager. For the authors, the blazer became an important historical source. It provided clues that guided years of research into a period where official records were often incomplete.
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For communities such as Aspley and Bald Hills, Kath’s Blazer also highlights an important chapter of local sporting history. Williamson’s journey from the Aspley Netball Club to leading Queensland at the first five Australian Women’s Basketball Championships illustrates the significant role local athletes played in the early development of women’s basketball in the state.
Featured image credit: Basketball Queensland
Published 27-July-2026
