She was either captain or Vice-Captain for eight of the 12 years representing SA
Reflections on Barabara Moffatt’s 1956 entrance to SA’s senior softball team say this: “ … at first base, vice-captain Rosemary Adey, already an Australian-capped player, had State newcomer Barbara Moffatt as her stand-in. Barbara’s promising entry into the team was her introduction to a long and impressive career.”
In her first Australian championship game, she was inserted into the team against Tasmania in Game 5.
She is reported to have “played with confidence at first base putting out 11 and getting two safe hits in her first interstate game.”
So, while it was a tentative beginning to her State career, Barbara Moffatt eventually secured her place as a first base specialist for South Australia for 12 years.
Her first foray was for four years from that 1956 baptism, then she took a break, and returned from 1963-71. Her importance to the team showed in the fact that she held either the captaincy or vice-captaincy for eight of those 12 years.
She was generally the tallest in the team and her additional reach and flexibility were significant assets at first base. Of the 12 years in representing SA, Barbara Moffatt (later Barbara Bawden) was selected as a reserve to the Australian team three times.
Based on those selections, it suggests that 1965, 1967 and 1970 were her most outstanding years.
A former West Torrens, Northern Districts and then Walkerville player, Barbara Moffatt also served on her club committee and then with the governing body – Softball SA – in 1967/68 and 1969/70. Then in 1975/76, she returned to be a State team selector.
