The 50's

When Mrs Betty Reid (nee Walters) came to Taupo in 1952 - fresh from the Auckland Teachers' Training College - to teach at the Taupo District Highschool, basketball (as the sport was then called) was only played in the schools, the main women's sport in the winter being hockey.

• Mrs Reid's favourite sporting codes have always been tennis (summer) and netball (winter), so, with Mrs Shirley Laughton who was teaching at the Highschool, and the late Mrs Eunice Birnie (proprietor of the Spa Hotel, wanting some outside sport other than hockey for her girls), netball was started.
  
• On the 13th June in 1953, the Taupo Basketball Sub-Association was formed from three basketball clubs - Highschool, Huka and Crusaders.
  
• The first patron was the late Miss K.O. Lewis, a councillor, who donated the K.O. Lewis Cup.
  
• The first President was Mrs Shirley Laughton and the secretary-treasurer, Mrs Betty Reid who later became the longest standing President.
  
• Within a year of its formation, the Association had grown from a membership of three to eight clubs.
  
• In 1954 Mrs Norma Bates was elected President, a post she held for two years.
• In 1955 the Taupo representative team toured the South Island with Mrs Judy Pearce as manager and President, Mrs Norma Bates as co-manager. Many of the squad attended the Silver Jubilee in 1978.
• In 1956 the Taupo Borough Council provided courts beside the Memorial Hall, where the Story Place car park was situated. The playing uniforms in those days were gym tunics, long-sleeved white shirts, ties and long black stockings - runs in the stockings and skinned knees were a natural sight on playing days!
• The courts were used until 1956 when new ones were opened in Redoubt Street.
• During 1957 and 1958, when Mrs C. Fowler was President, junior and intermediate grades were introduced. Competitors played for the Birnie and Balmforth Cups.
• In 1959, Mrs P. Nicolas took over as President for one season.