From the dusty courts of the 1940s to the high-performance era of today, a new book detailing the 84-year-long history of the Orange Netball Association launches next week.

Written by Orange Netball Association (ONA) veteran Dr Pam Ryan, the book is not just a chronological record of the game in the Colour City, but a social history of how a small, female-led organisation grew from around 50 participants in wartime to a community powerhouse of over 3,500 members.

“It captures the history from 1942 right through to the present day, so it maps how a really small organisation of eight teams and then has blossomed into the big organisation it is today,” Dr Ryan said.

In researching the book, Dr Ryan said she was able to tap into many of the families of those who’ve played a role over the years.

“Because it's also a story of the people, the personal stories along the way, which I think are really interesting stories,” she said.

“The other part of it is the really important interaction between the community and the sporting organisation. For example, right from the start through to the present day, the Council were very supportive, and a lot of that relationship with Council is mapped in the book, as well as just how much money the association itself put into infrastructure."

Founded during WW2, the Orange Netball Association was the first country association in NSW and driven entirely by women.

“The final theme, I'd suggest, would be that whole notion of women who took the initiative in wartime,” Dr Ryan said. “The men were off at the war, and women had to pick up overalls and a whole lot of load that perhaps wasn't the case before. And even in that context, we have women deciding that they would form their own netball organisation.”

Earlier this year, the ONA launched a fundraising campaign to cover production costs. Thanks to many small, generous donations and a major contribution by OCTEC, they have been able to fully cover the delivery of 500 books, which means every dollar made from book sales will go directly back into the association’s youth development and inclusive sports programs.

Scoring Goals: 84 Years of Orange Netball will be officially launched on Thursday, August 20 at Orange City Library.

The event will be attended by local legend and national netball player, Marianne McCormick, who will be on hand for book signings and photos.

People are asked to book their spot online via Eventbrite or call Orange City Library on 63938132.