The Kedron Wavell Hockey Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, marking half a century of community involvement and sporting achievement.
Partnership Manager Peter Gaddes said there was no hockey club in the area when the organisation was formed, with early members coming from the YMCA Hockey Club at Victoria Park in search of a location closer to home. He said they found land on a former dump site known as Hamilton Road Reserve, which became the home of the newly created City United Hockey Club.
“It began like many hockey grounds in those days as grass fields that required regular mowing by volunteers, followed by hours of fundraising to improve the facility with items such as lights and a canteen,” Peter said.
The site was later named Burringbar Park, a name chosen by club member John Raine. According to club history, the name was derived from an Aboriginal word said to mean “place of the Burring,” referring to a type of boomerang or striking stick.
Growth, Achievements and Future Plans
“This boomerang looks/sounds very much like a hockey stick and thus the grounds Burringbar Park has morphed into… ‘home of the clashing of the sticks’ by many of our older members of the club,” Peter said.
The club became Kedron Wavell Services Hockey Club in 1994 following a sponsorship arrangement with Kedron-Wavell Services Club, which funded a new clubhouse and artificial pitch. It has since evolved into the Kedron Wavell Hockey Club, known by its mascot nickname, The Wolves.
Over the past 50 years, the club has expanded into a modern sporting complex featuring two artificial turfs, a competition-grade grass field, LED lighting, a licensed canteen and change rooms. The venue now hosts fixtures and training and has staged multiple state championships in partnership with local hockey associations.
Peter said the club now has 432 members across 31 teams spanning juniors, women’s, men’s and masters competitions, with players aged from five to over 70.
“Kedron Wavell Hockey membership continues to grow with many older members now bringing their children or grandchildren into the junior teams to carry on their family involvement in the sport,” he said.
Memorable milestones include premiership successes across all divisions, increasing representative honours at state, national and international level, and coaching achievements such as Nikki Taylor’s leadership of the Brisbane Blaze in the Hockey One National League.
Looking ahead, Peter said the club’s priorities over the next five to 10 years include clubhouse upgrades, expanded junior development pathways, stronger community engagement and improved volunteer retention.
Past and present members are invited to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary at a dinner on Saturday, 18 July at Kedron-Wavell. Get your tickets here.
“It’s of course a celebration for everyone, but it also serves as a reunion, providing older members an opportunity to catch up with friends they haven’t seen for many years,” Peter said.
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