Black-Vesely, Beryl

BERYL BLACK-VESELY (LAMB) was first introduced to ice-skating while watching her older sister skate. Over time, she developed her own skills and became a proficient skater, earning a bronze medal in Figures and Dance during her youth. Later, she became an announcer for the state and national figure skating championships and an ice hockey volunteer. However, her most significant contribution to ice sports is her extensive collection of ice sports memorabilia and historical records.

The collector’s brother-in-law, Laurie Cunningham, the sibling of Olympian David Cunningham, introduced her to ice hockey through the Blackhawks ice hockey club in Melbourne. Black married Ivo Vesely and supported him when he was chosen to represent the Australian ice hockey team at the 1960 Winter Olympics, held in Squaw Valley, United States.

During her first pregnancy, she spent a lot of time at the cool rink in Melbourne where Russ Carson recruited her to stitch the large coat of arms badge on everyone’s jumpers. She gave birth on the opening day of the Winter Olympics while Ivo was away, and the wives of other players came to visit her in the hospital.

Black was Vesely’s assistant in his initiative to take the first Australian ice hockey team to New Zealand in 1963, when the VIHA Hakoah club was state premiers and Australian Club Champions. In 1965, she served as a clerk for the Victorian Figure Skating Championships.

In 1966, when Ivo took on the role of coach for a Swiss ice hockey team in Chur, Switzerland, the family relocated there, and Black spent two seasons teaching children how to ice-skate. They lived there for three years, during which they learned both German and the local dialect, before returning to Melbourne in 1969.

Upon his return, Ivo was struck by a vehicle and was unable to walk for several months. Black took up ice-skating again and served as an announcer for the Victorian and Australian Figure Skating Championships from December 1969 until 1986-7.

Over the years, the volunteer curated an extensive collection of ice-skating memorabilia and set up a museum in her residence. Wendy Lee contributed her skates and programs, while Beryl reached out to English skater Joyce Macbeth, who also provided her with memorabilia and documents she had gathered.

Jack Gordon donated his memorabilia and programs, and later, his niece gifted Black his books and skates. Additionally, Kev Harris presented Black with an album, and she collected various other relevant documents related to the ice rinks owned by John Gordon and Ted Molony. Molony played a significant role in attracting skaters to the sport and supporting Australian competitors in Europe.

For over twenty years, Beryl Black-Vesely provided Legends of Australian Ice with access to her archive, and assisted in the celebrations for significant historical events, such as the centenaries of figure skating and ice hockey and Olympic anniversaries.

Later, Black-Vesely donated about thirty boxes of memorabilia to the State Library of Victoria, which is now available for public access. A lifelong passion for the history of ice sports has contributed to educating both its community and the broader public about a rich and important history that might have otherwise been forgotten and lost to future generations.