The WACA confirms the organisation harboured now-notorious paedophile Roy Wenlock from 1979 to 2007. WARNING: This story contains descriptions of sexual abuse.
For decades, he was the organisation's full-time development officer, conducting junior coaching clinics around the state, and also served as WACA ground announcer, museum curator, and as a WACA pennant umpire. He also umpired in junior competitions and was secretary of the Western Australian Youth Cricket Council.'Whatever you do, don't go to his house'
'Darren' was not aware of Justice Blaxell's findings when he spoke to ABC Sport, but he was among the boys who were taken from the WACA to Wenlock's house and says what he saw there mirrored the experiences of witnesses in the inquiry. At the house, Darren said, Wenlock encouraged the boys to wrestle him, something that struck Darren as "so unusual and weird" that he declined Wenlock's invitation. Darren said other boys did wrestle Wenlock.Darren said that in his eagerness to meet more of his heroes, he volunteered for another day as a drinks boy, but he declined a second invite to Wenlock's house and resolved not to do the job again.
It is likely that Wenlock came to the attention of his eventual bosses at the WACA during his years as president of the Northam Cricket Association, for whom he administered a junior competition too, becoming a life member. Wenlock's activities were described by an Archbishop as "abhorrent – exploitative and abusive – and a gross breach of trust."In the Anglican hostels inquiry, one former St Christopher's House pupil described Roy Wenlock as "a powerful man with an intimidating presence … calculated and cunning… someone that you could never say 'no' to."