From Griffith, NSW to the ACT — how one family’s move changed Canberra basketball forever.
Resches Ramblers: Where It All Began
The Belconnen Ramblers Basketball Club was not born in Canberra. Its earliest roots trace back to Griffith, NSW, where a men’s team played under the name Resches Ramblers — named after the local Resch’s brewery sponsorship that was common in country sport at the time.
It was this team, and the basketball culture around it, that would travel with a Griffith family to Canberra and take root as one of the ACT’s most enduring sporting clubs.
The Lodding Family Arrives
In the early 1970s, Joe and Barb Lodding left Griffith heading for Sydney — but stopped over in Canberra, where Joe found work in the building and construction industry alongside a number of other tradespeople from the Griffith region. They never left.
In settling into their newly adopted city, the Loddings also found their way into the Canberra basketball community. In 1972, Joe formed a men’s team to play in the South Canberra Amateur Basketball Association (SCABA), keeping the Ramblers name alive in their new home. Games were held at the Wesley Centre in Forrest.
Foundation Year: The Belconnen Ramblers are recognised as a Basketball ACT foundation member from 1971, making them one of the longest-standing clubs in the ACT competition.
Early Growth: Men’s and Women’s Teams
The club grew quickly. Within two years of its founding, Ramblers had entered both men’s and women’s teams in the SCABA competition — a sign of the community appetite for the sport that would define the club’s culture for decades to come.
The Move to ACTABA and NATEX
As basketball grew across the capital, SCABA and the North Canberra Amateur Basketball Association (NCABA) amalgamated to form the ACT Amateur Basketball Association (ACTABA). With the merger came a change of venue — competition moved to the halls at NATEX, now known as Exhibition Park near Mitchell.
The larger competition and greater visibility helped Ramblers attract more players and enter more teams. The club’s reputation was beginning to build.
First Junior Players: Telopea Park High School
The club’s first juniors came from Telopea Park High School in the mid-to-late 1970s — a connection that helped establish Ramblers as a pathway club for young players in the region. This early foray into junior development would prove foundational, eventually making the club the force it became.
Vale Joe Lodding (c. 1946 – 2026)
Joe Lodding — the man who brought the Ramblers to Canberra — passed away in April 2026 at the age of 80. He is remembered as the spiritual leader of the club and a central figure in ACT basketball for more than five decades.
Beyond founding the Ramblers, Joe worked closely with the ACT Academy program for many years, including as their manager. His wife Barb went on to become a long-term manager of the Canberra Capitals, a role celebrated throughout the WNBL.
“Joe and Barb both have made significant contributions to basketball in the ACT.” — Club tribute, April 2026
Club History
Origins & Foundations |
Growth & Development |
The Modern Era |
Club Identity |
Honours & Alumni
Inspired by the Ramblers story? Get in touch to find out how to register or get involved.
Explore Club History
Origins & Foundations | Growth & Development | The Modern Era | Club Identity | Honours & Alumni
Inspired by the Ramblers story? Get in touch to find out how to register or get involved.