Lois Muir

Dame Lois Muir
DNZM OBE
Muir in 2009
Personal information
Full name Lois Joan Muir (née Osborne)
Born (1935-04-16) 16 April 1935 (age 89)
Mataura, New Zealand
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1955; died 2004)​
Netball career
Years National team(s) Caps
1960–1963 New Zealand
Coaching career
Years Team(s)
2001–2005 Otago Rebels
1998–2000 Capital Shakers
1974–1988 New Zealand
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
Netball World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1963 Eastbourne Netball

Dame Lois Joan Muir DNZM OBE (née Osborne; born 16 April 1935) is a New Zealand netball coach and administrator, and a former representative netball and basketball player. Muir represented New Zealand in two sports, playing with the Tall Ferns from 1952 to 1962 and the Silver Ferns, player #27, from 1960 to 1963. She later became head coach (#4) of the Silver Ferns for 15 years from 1974 to 1988.[1]

During this time she coached the Silver Ferns to World Championships gold in 1979 (jointly with Australia and Trinidad and Tobago) and in 1987.[2]

Born in Mataura on 16 April 1935, Muir was educated at Gore High School. In 1949, at the age of 14, she played her first National game when her Southland Center Netball team won their regional tournament and then went on to the National competition. She later attended Otago Girls' High School in Dunedin.[3][4]

In 1955, she married Murray Muir, and the couple went on to have three children.[3]

Muir was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to netball, in the 1984 New Year Honours,[5] and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.[1] With the start of the Coca-Cola Cup (later the National Bank Cup) in 1998, she became coach of the Capital Shakers team.

In August 1998, Muir was diagnosed with breast cancer. She continued to coach the Shakers until the end of the 2000 season.[6] She also took up a coaching position with the Otago Rebels until the end of 2005.[1]

In the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours, Muir was appointed as a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of services to sports administration and netball.[7] She accepted redesignation as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government.[8]

In 2024, in celebration of the Centennial of Netball New Zealand, Muir was named as one of the inaugural 12 to the Netball New Zealand hall of fame. She was also one of three who was elevated to Icon status.

References

  1. ^ a b c Hodge, Peter (27 February 2007). "Lois Muir Elected Netball New Zealand President". Infonews. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  2. ^ Netball New Zealand: History Archived 21 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 29 June 2009.
  3. ^ a b Jackson, Desney, ed. (1979). Notable New Zealanders. Auckland: Paul Hamblyn. p. 332. ISBN 086832020X.
  4. ^ McMurran, Alistair (20 November 2009). "Otago Girls High School honours its Olympians". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  5. ^ "No. 49584". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1983. p. 34.
  6. ^ Troughton, Jamie (2 June 2000). "Muir says adieu, happy with progress". The Dominion Post. p. 28.
  7. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2004". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  8. ^ Special Honours List (12 August 2009) 118 New Zealand Gazette 2691