Life Membership: Dave Higgins

24 March 2026

Life Membership: Dave Higgins

NSW Athletics is delighted to recognise one of our most significant Technical Officials, Dave Higgins with Life Membership.

For over two decades Higgins’ service to NSW Athletics has been enormous both during our summer and winter programs. Primarily a track umpire during summer, over winter his service has been varied and extensive. For our winter out-of-stadium events, Higgins’ involvement has included helping plan and measure many of our road and cross-country courses and work as technical delegate, ensuring the event runs smoothly and then reviewing the competition. It has even included commitments like rising at 2.00am on the morning of the Sydney 10 race to setup the course.

In 2002 Higgins started a connection to Athletics NSW as the Kembla Joggers club delegate and by 2004 Higgins was a regular Technical Official at Athletics NSW events. Over the next two decades, one of the most regular officials at Athletics NSW club and championships events, he also received appointments at all national events and two International events in Australia – the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as an umpire, and 2023 World Cross Country Championships, as an Assistant Referee. Higgins has over the decades officiated at championships at Homebush that have stretched as long as three, four or even five consecutive days, where he would, drive back and forth daily from Wollongong; a two and a half hours driving each day. An enormous commitment.

Outside of his service to NSW Athletics, Higgins’ involvement locally in sport, and particularly athletics has stretched over five decades. 

KJ’s President Neil Barnett noted “Dave’s most significant club contribution was managing the financial aspects of our clubhouse and cross-country course project in 2010, an almost $2m project with a complex combination of local, state and federal government funding requirements.”

The project involved the development of the cross-country course at West Dapto, a State of the art, purpose-built facility. It has hosted 10 NSW State titles and two Australian Cross Country Championships. It was also the most suitable venue for an impacted COVID winter season. Tens of thousands of athletes access the cross-country park yearly. It is booked regularly by schools for cross country races and used by athletes ranging from joggers to elite to train. The positive impact on the health, enjoyment and happiness of the community, which Higgins and the Kembla Joggers club have facilitated, is immense.

Dave Higgins wider involvement with the Kembla Joggers has been huge. A member since 1987, he was elected to the committee in 1995 and treasurer in 1999, holding the position for 20-years. He is one of just seven members of Kembla Joggers awarded life membership.

Higgins also had a long involvement with the Sydney Olympics 2000 road events team. It was a 3-year voluntary commitment with SOCOG’s road events manager Dave Cundy.

Away from athletics Higgins was a supervising accountant for a firm of chartered accountants who specialise in insolvency work, married to Lesley for over four decades they have two grown up children who both live and work in America. He has been involved with sporting clubs since leaving school in 1966 and has been treasurer of various sporting clubs since 1974. He is also a keen reader and occasional golfer. Higgins has played sport seemingly forever – first grade rugby union in Wollongong until he was 34, squash until 45, rugby refereeing until 57 and jogging despite an arthritic knee. He was also a regular competitor in KJs cross country teams at the NSW State Championships. 

The Wollongong area and wider NSW athletics community have been very fortunate to have Dave Higgins’ involvement and enormous impact. Without doubt he has helped fostered health and fitness for tens of thousands of people through his involvement with Kembla Joggers and as a technical official at NSW Athletics. 

The sport is enormously grateful for your dedication and devotion to athletics.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Dave Higgins (courtesy of David Tarbotton)