BSSC Year 11 student, Jack Tamblyn, has been selected for the U18 National Futures Squad for hockey.

Jack has been playing sport since he can remember, but started playing competitively at age five.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity. It’s great to be picked in the team,” he says. “I’m humbled to be a part of the squad.”

This is a wonderful achievement for Jack and we look forward to following his sporting career.

BSSC has a strong history of sporting superstars—and Jack’s achievement caused some to reflect on another amazing achievement by Bendigo High School alumna, Helen Brown: ‘Bendigo’s own Hockeyroo’.

Helen attended Bendigo High School (BHS)—now known, of course, as BSSC—from 1959 to 1964. She played hockey in the BHS A Hockey team from 1961 to 1964 and in the Saturday Bendigo YWCA Hockey Association games, representing BHS throughout her school life.

As the years went by, Helen followed her passion for hockey and was very actively involved in the Melbourne hockey scene, playing for the metropolitan team, Ivanhoe.

Helen’s fast, attacking ability on the forward line was soon recognised and she was first selected in the Victorian Hockey team in 1967 and then on a further nine occasions before her retirement from the game in 1976 to go to England for further study.

In 1971, Helen was a member of the Victorian team that won the Australian Championship. This win was Victoria’s first for 40 years. The final and deciding match of the tournament was played against WA. Helen scored the one and only goal of the final match get Victoria over the line.

At a recent function hosted by Hockey Australia, Helen was presented with her Hockeyroo’s badge – No. 242. These badges are presented to women who have been members of the Australian women’s hockey team.

Since 1914, more than 500 women have represented Australia in a competitive international fixture.

Helen was first selected in the Australian Women’s hockey team in 1969. On this occasion she was only the second Victorian woman to make the Australian team since 1967. She was selected in the All Australian Team in 1971, 1972 and 1973 as an inside forward.

The team selected in 1969 met on the plane heading for London early in 1970 and toured England, Scotland and Wales then travelled to Europe, playing two matches in Holland. The team then flew to Rhodesia and South Africa. The Australians levelled a three match Test Series against an experienced South African team. The team played 32 matches on tour, winning 28, drawing two and losing only two.

In 1973 Helen was selected in the Australian Women’s Hockey team which competed in the World Cup in the Netherlands.  She played in matches against Holland, France, Germany, USA, New Zealand, England and Canada. The team then travelled to Canada and the West Coast of the USA. A series of matches were played against Canadian provincial teams and State teams in Oregon, Colorado and California. Altogether she has 16 Australian caps.

Women’s hockey was not played in the Olympic Games until 1984 and before then the Australian touring players had to pay for their own uniforms and travel expenses.

Helen was awarded the Bendigo Advertiser – BCV8 Sports Star of the Month on two occasions, in 1969 and 1971.

During the late 1970’s Helen returned to Bendigo to work as Senior Technologist at the Veterinary Diagnostic Centre in Epsom and also taught evening classes at The Bendigo Institute of Technology. During her lunchtimes she coached Eaglehawk High School students, sharing her knowledge and skills of the game of hockey.

After retiring from hockey, Helen took up the game of golf and became a very competent player, competing in Pennant and holding many titles at her Club, Latrobe, in Melbourne. She has been made a Life Member of the Latrobe Golf Club and was awarded Golf Victoria’s Volunteer of the Year – Melbourne Metropolitan Area – Individual Female at the Victorian Golf Industry Wards in 2016. Helen is still actively involved in the Latrobe Golf Club.