The West Gambier Hockey Club turned 75 in 2021 and celebrated with one of its most successful years ever.
The club won four premierships – Division 1 men, Division 1 women, Division 2 women and Under 12 Girls on an unforgettable Saturday at Blue Lake Sports Park.
Life member Shirley White, who joined the club in 71 years ago aged 15 was there on grand final day in support continuing her streak of playing or spectating every season since 1950.
The West Gambier Hockey Club was founded in 1946, the same year the new Mount Gambier Women’s Hockey Association was formed.
Originally a women’s only club, it is the only club remaining in the Lower South East Hockey Association to keep its original name, while West did not nominate teams in the men’s competition until 1988.
White played her first season of hockey for Mount Gambier High School in 1949, after initially failing to gain selection for the team.
She was invited to play when a member of the team became ill and was unable to continue.
White joined West in 1950, as she lived in the area zoned to West at a time players were unable to choose their own club.
Other teams in the competition were North, South and East Gambier, also zoned.
White said the game has changed a lot over the years.
“The game now is more highly skilled and so much faster,” she said.
“In my day there was very limited reverse stick play allowed, and we had the off side rule so goals were harder to come by.
“There were very few hockey balls to train with, compared to these days.
“The balls were leather, and had to be painted white.
“My father, Syd Hosking, rigged up a device in the shed so we could paint the balls.
“Goalkeepers only wore leg pads, not helmets or body armour.”
Later, games were played in Hamilton and Portland as well as Mount Gambier and White explained how her father’s Chevrolet truck business became handy on match days.
“When we played in Hamilton, he’d put bench seats in the back of the truck and give the whole team a lift to Hamilton”, she said.
White also remembers some interesting games at Portland, dodging cow pats and negotiating drains running across the playing field.
She married John White in 1956 and the West hockey girls formed a guard of honour at her wedding.
White played in 10 premierships with West and finished as the runner-up in many more.
She played in many country carnivals in Adelaide over the years, which back then went for a whole week, while one year she was selected in the Country Carnival Team of the Year.
White was the women’s hockey media officer for 10 years, which involved preparing media reports for local newspapers and appearing on television to talk about women’s hockey on the local Channel 8 sports show on Sunday nights.
She was made a life member of the club in 1980 and is also a life member of the Mount Gambier Women’s Hockey Association, which is no longer in existence.
Off the pitch White started work at age 15 in 1950 at the May and Davis Car Dealership on Penola Road, the first Holden dealership in Mount Gambier.
She attended West’s Senior Presentation night in October and at 86 years old, she is committed to continuing to support West and intends to come out to Blue Lake Sports Park and cheer on West teams for as long as she can.
