Bat Fence

Holy rubber handle grips Robin...

Cricket bat fence draws tourists to small WA town.

Lisa Morrison

ABC News.

Thursday, 22 June 2017.

PTG 2173-11021.

A small cricket club in regional Western Australia is home to what is believed to be the only boundary fence in the world built from cricket bats.  The unique fence at Narrikup Cricket Club, south-east of Perth between Albany and Mt Barker, escalated from a gate local resident Tony Poad made to honour club Life Member Chris Norton when he retired in 2011.

Norton played on the Narrikup cricket pitch for almost 40 years, and his family has a long connection to the club.  His grandfather George Norton was the club's original president, his father Eric was a long-serving member, and his son Jarrad is a current player.  Five old cricket bats were recycled to created 'Norton's Gate’ through which players and umpires enter and exit the oval during home matches.

The gate was such a big hit that in 2014 the club decided to extend it into a fence.  "It is the only fence if its kind in the world”, said Poad, in what is a twist on the traditional white picket fences at bigger cricket ovals.  The fence is a talking point and helped put the small town on the tourist map.

According to the 2006 census Narrikup has an estimated population of 515.  “Small country towns are dying so it is a way to generate some interest”, continued Poad.  "We get people from all over.  There have been times you could not get in the carpark because of all the caravans and buses parked here”.  He said the project had also brought the community together.  "I think it's made people really proud of the area.  People are dragging bats out of their shed that were going to go rotten but they can now be part of the fence”.

An enormous eight-metre high cricket bat next to the clubhouse is also popular with tourists. "It's the biggest cricket bat in the Southern Hemisphere”, claims Poad.  The bat was donated to the club after Poad spoke on ABC Radio sometime ago.  "This bloke rang up and said 'I've got a bat for you but I'm not sure you're interested’.  I said 'it doesn't matter if it's cracked or damaged, we will take anything’.  He said 'it's in perfect condition but it's 8 metres long'. I couldn't believe it”.”

Poad said the club needed a total of 2,500 cricket bats to complete the fence.  So far they have received 425 from around the country.  "We've got them from Victoria, Melbourne, Meekatharra, all over the place”.  Some of the bats have been decorated by young children while others have been autographed by players after they have scored centuries.  "We've got a bat there that a six-year-old kid first used and now he's playing A-grade.  There's a lot of character”, said Poad.

The latest addition is a panel of blank cricket bats for visitors to sign.  Once the bats are covered in signatures, the panel will be added to the fence.  Poad said it was a way for people to be part of the project if they did not have a cricket bat to donate.  "Hopefully as the word gets out we will get more and more bats and we will get it done in the next few years”, Poad said.  Information about how to donate a cricket bat is available on the club’s Facebook page.