In 1975, hockey players from the Campbelltown region decided to form their own local competition (having played the previous 2 seasons as Campbelltown City in the Illawarra competition) and East Campbelltown Men's Hockey Club was born. Our club started as a group of 5 men - Fred Conyers, Pat Lewis, Merv Osmond, Dick Portius and Warren Sharpe. Playing the very first game scheduled for the new competition, our shirts didn't arrive quite in time so we played shirtless, but chalked up the first victory! By round 2, our red and white shirts had arrived and we have played in red and white ever since. The first season, our first 1st Grade Premiership, is beautifully recounted by inaugural members Fred Conyers and Pat Lewis here.
East Campbelltown entered a ladies team in the local women's competition in 1976. Having made their own uniforms from a red and white gingham fabric, they were nicknamed the tablecloths and made the semi- finals in their second season before disbanding due to pregnancies impacting their team numbers. We did not form another ladies team until 1999 but have had women playing for our club ever since.
Juniors have also played a significant role in our club since the 1970s. Existing as their own club initially, the junior arm of the club joined the Men in the late 1980s to become East Campbelltown Hockey Club. Whilst we do not have complete records for juniors, we have found many articles from local paper archives that detail our on-field successes and achievements through representative and State team representations.
Hockey in the local area has grown and evolved over the decades. Whilst every club now plays at the Narellan Sports Hub on synthetic fields, Easts had a home ground on grass fields initially in Kentlyn and then at Leumeah High School in the 70s and 80s. All clubs eventually played at Jackson Park and Raby Playing Fields before the first synthetic turf was laid in the mid-90s. Today, all clubs and teams are privlidged to play all games on synthetic turf.
Easts once held a hockey world record that you can read about here. We also proudly hold the record for most 1st Grade premierships over the 50 year history of the competition, reflecting decades of dedication, talent and teamwork. And whilst these successes (and the many others that have been enjoyed on-field by our juniors, ladies and mens teams) are a cornerstone of our club, we are equally proud of the culture that has been fostered over our 50 year history and the memories we have made along the way.
Our club has been the hockey home of more than 500 men, 200 ladies and countless juniors. We have senior players that joined us as minkeys and senior players that first picked up a stick in their 50s. We have players that are the 3rd generation of their family to play with us and players who are new to the club but feel right at home. We pride ourselves on being welcoming, inclusive, and family-friendly. We would love for you to come and create more history with us!
