There is no greater record of success in national team sport competition than that of the Western Australian womens hockey teams in the years between 1946 and 2000.
In the 43 years following World War II until 1991 W.A won or tied for the national title 39 times. The teams between 1985 and 1991 which we honour this year won seven consecutive championships.
Our women were utterly dominant and always provided the great majority of Australian teams selections. In 1979 some 12 of the 17 players selected for the national squad were Western Australians.
In 1988 Western Australia provided 6 representatives in Australia’s Olympic team which won our nation’s first Olympic gold medal. By the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney WA had produced nine Olympic gold medallists.
Gold medallists were Rochelle Hawkes (3), Kate Starre (2), Jackie Pererra (2), Elspeth Denning, Michelle Hager, Lee Capes, Lorraine Hillas, Sally Carbon and Sharon Buchanan. All were WA representatives between 1985 and 1991.
At the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games Rechelle Hawkes capped a golden career by giving the Oath of Athletes to mark the beginning of competition.