Pamela Joy Barham (formerly Edmonds, née Smith; 11 November 1933 – 13 December 2001) was a New Zealand netball player and coach. She played 12 Tests for the

New Zealand netball team The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern ('' Cyathea dealbata''), which is an emblem for many New Zealan ...

, and captained the side at the

1963 World Netball Championships The 1963 World Netball Championships was the first edition of the INF Netball World Cup, a quadrennial international netball competition. It was held from 2 August to 14 August and in Eastbourne, England. It featured 11 teams. In a round robin sty ...

, where they were runners-up. She later moved to Australia, and coached the

Australian netball team The Australia national netball team, also known as the Australian Diamonds, represent Netball Australia in international netball tournaments such as the INF Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Constellation Cup, the Netball Quad Se ...

in 1985 and 1986.

Early life

Barham was born Pamela Joy Smith in Dunedin on 11 November 1933, the daughter of Percy Albert Smith and Violet Sarah Elizabeth Smith (née Bland). After moving to Christchurch when she was 16 years old, she became a physical education teacher, taught at Christchurch West High School, and married James David Edmonds.

Netball playing career

Edmonds was a member of the Canterbury provincial netball team from 1953, playing mainly at centre, and gained South Island honours from 1957. She also represented Canterbury and the South Island in women's basketball. In 1960, Edmonds was described as "one of the fittest players in New Zealand", and it was reported that "she intercepts and attacks well and passes brilliantly into the goal circle". She was subsequently selected for the New Zealand team that toured Australia that year. She played in 14 of the 16 games on tour, including in all three Test matches, and it was reported that her play at centre "was sound in all her games, and the speed with which she threw the ball into the forwards earned some very favourable comments". In the first Test match in Adelaide, New Zealand achieved their first ever victory over , winning 49–40. However, the second and third Tests of the series were won by Australia, 44–39 and 46–45, respectively. Three years later, Edmonds captained the New Zealand team at the inaugural World Netball Championships at Eastbourne, England. At the tournament, New Zealand recorded nine wins and one loss, 36–37 against Australia, to finish as runners-up.

Move to Australia and coaching career

After her divorce from Jim Edmonds in 1967, Pamela Edmonds married university lecturer Ian Hamilton Barham, and the couple moved to Brisbane, Australia, in 1974. Pamela Barham taught movement and dance at the University of Queensland, and continued her involvement in netball as a coach. She coached the Australian national netball team in 1985–1986, including at the

1985 World Games The 1985 World Games, commonly known as London 1985, were the second edition of the World Games, an international multi-sport event held in London, England. Three main venues were used, the main one being the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre ...

, where Australia finished second to New Zealand. After her short tenure coaching Australia, Barham and English netballer Christine Maylor established Netball Coaching International, a consultancy that saw them travelling internationally to coach netball players and advise netball coaches. In 1988, Barham co-authored ''Netball Australia: a socio-historical analysis'' with sports historian Ian Jobling. Barham died in Brisbane on 13 December 2001. Her husband, Ian, returned to New Zealand and died at Whangaparaoa on 24 October 2003.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barham, Pamela 1933 births 2001 deaths Sportspeople from Dunedin New Zealand international netball players New Zealand netball players New Zealand expatriate netball people in Australia New Zealand netball coaches Australia national netball team coaches 1963 World Netball Championships players New Zealand schoolteachers