Stuart, Alwyn Norman

MANAGER OF VICTORIA'S iconic flagship rink, St Moritz, in the 1940s and '50s, Stuart was the step son-in-law of rink operator, H H Kleiner who married Stuart's mother Nellie in 1934. [1] Born on March 11th 1911, [4, 5] the son of Norman Stuart and his wife Nellie (Curnow), [2] Alwyn became a virtual father of Victoria's interstate teams while away, and a veritable tiger for work while at home.

It was he and Syd Tange of the NSW association who pursued a Junior Interstate Competition until the controlling bodies approved. The two states met during the Goodall Cup series at St Moritz in July 1951, and that led on to the first Junior interstate series. He also fought tooth and nail for the interstate competition for players of the rebel Victorian Ice Hockey League (VIHL) after the state association banned them from Goodall Cup competition.

Stuart was the guiding force in having Ottawa hockey stalwart, Frank Chase, brought to Australia to be rink coach. That led to the off-season school at St Moritz for aspiring young players in the summer of 1949-50. He gave the Clubs their own dressing rooms, battled for the facilities that had been denied players for 30 years or more since the local game had first been introduced. He gave the young and those not good enough for grade hockey the opportunity to practice on Saturday mornings, and went flat out for double headers on Friday nights. He personified "loyalty to players" for all those who remained loyal to him.

A member of the Middle Park Surf Club, Stuart played water polo and married Mary Gertrude Smith in 1933. [3] He broke into the rink business in 1939 when St Moritz first opened. He brought an enthusiasm to both hockey and ice skating that was unparalleled in the annals of Australia ice sport. That energy combined with a keen, delightful business acumen made him highly popular with other rink managements. He was a strong decision-maker, fair and supportive in his dealings with the state association and its clubs, and a builder of the sport's spectacle during the golden era of the fifties when it peaked.

A perfect gentleman, players gave him the best games fans had ever seen which, in turn, produced the best conditions players ever had. Stuart's son Brian married Anne in 1970. [5]