History of the Club - Exert from the Western Advocate 2 September 1972; 35th Anniversary Feature Article
The first step towards the formation of the St Patrick's Hockey Club was taken back in 1937, when on June 9 the Bathurst District Men's Hockey Association approached St Patrick's Old Boy's Club inviting them to form a team to play in the local competitions.
The Old Boys Club asked two of its members, Harold Hayes and Bruce Fitzpatrick to seek out interest players and if enough of them could be gathered together, to form a team.
By Wednesday, June 23, 1937, Hayes and Fitzpatrick reported that sufficient players were available to make up the team and that a match had been arranged by the Hockey Association.
From sketchy reports it has been confirmed that games were played during 1937, and that the historic Walbow Cup was won from Denison Club during August 1937.
This trophy then must be the first Hockey trophy ever won by a St Patrick's Club Team.
The St Patrick's Hockey Club was formed at a meeting held in the club rooms at the old Exchange Building on the corner of William and Church Streets, the site of the present Commercial Banking Company of Sydney premises, on Monday April 4, 1938.
Officers elected at this meeting were president, Harold Hayes, secretary Harold Brady and treasurer, Bruce Fitzpatrick.
Harold Hayes was elected team captain, and Jack Hay assisted as coach.
Team Members - Members of the first team were Harold Hayes, Jack Hay, Bruce Fitzpatrick, John Healy, Clem Billingsley, Ross Hayes, Kevin Brady, Reg Fitzpatrick, Harold Quigley, Ted Allman, Harold Brad, Jack Nixon and Jim Campbell.
In September 1938, St Pat's won the pennant for taking out the second division of the local knockout carnival.
Twenty nine teams took part in the carnival in which St Pat's defeated Blayney 2-1 in the final.
In April 1939, the Bathurst Hockey Association asked St Pat's to provide two teams for the lcoal competition, and Harold Hayes and John Healey were asked to secure sufficient players to form the second side.
In later reports it was found that both teams were performing well.
The first president, Harold Hayes has long since retired from hockey but from his efforts, a very successful club was established which produced many fine players and achieved many wonderful successes.
Teams completion in the Bathurst competition in the 1937-38 period were Denison Green, Denison Gold, Waratahs A and B and St Patrick's.
After a break during the early war years, St Patrick's Club was reformed again in 1944 by Father Leo Grant and a hockey team was formed to play in the local competition.
It appears no record of the members of this team exists, however from memory and names mentioned in the sporting section of the club-paper, "Uncensored", some of these names can be listed.
Names like Dick Goggin, Keith Hellyer, Max Keech, Max Kennedy, Pat Ford and Tom Quigley were prominent.
This team was very keen but completley lacked experience and for this reason the other teams gave them three goals start for encouragement.
This practice was not continued very long, for although they were beaten week after week, their determination moulded them into a team which others realised could not be taken too lightly.
At the end of the season, a tribute was paid when the secretary of the Bathurst Association said: 'Although these boys are inexperienced there is nothing to be desired in the way of enthusiasm and determination. They will be amoungst the top ranking teams in a very short time'.
1945 saw a marked improvement in St Pat's Club hockey.
Two teams were entered in the competition, one senior and one junior.
The junior team went on to win the premiership and the senior side had several players selected to play in Sydney with a Bathurst district side and reached the semi-finals of the Bathurst carnival.
Very little is recorded in 1946 except that three teams were entered, two senior and one junior.
The number one side, now known as the Blues won the local knockout consolation.
1947 saw experience starting to make its mark.
The Blues played very well in the competition, being the only team to defeat the mighty Edgells' premiership winning combination.
They won Lithgow knockout cup and reached the semifinals of the Bathurst carnival. The reserve grade team ran second in their competition.
Club Growing - By 1948 the club was starting to grow with four teams, one first grade, two reserve grade and a junior side.
Once again some players were selected in the second side for the intertown Zone Hockey.
1949 was recorded as the most successful year since the entry of the club into hockey at that stage.
The Blues played execllent hockey in the Goulburn carnival and in what became known as the game of the day, they were defeated one-nil by Goulburn Waratahs, the goal being scored right on the final bell, and this was the only one scored against the Blues in four games.
They won the Bathurst carnival consolation, the Arch Gardiner Shield and reached the semi-finals of the Orange knockout.
The reserve grade side performed with merit being narrowly defeated in the final of their competition, while the under 16 team, under the captancy of Merv Copeland took out the junior competition.
Reference is made throughout all available records of the wonderful work done by Dick Goggin and John Healey to encourage and promote St Patrick's Club hockey teams in these foundation years.
Glorious Fifties - in 1950, the start of which could be called the glorious fifties for the club, the prediction made by the Bathurst Hockey Association secretary in 1944 was now well and truly justified.
The Blues went through the season with only one defeat and missed out on the premiership by the narrowest of margins.
This team was also successful in winning the Orange carnival for the William Morris trophy as well as performing with credit at the Lithgow and Goulburn carnivals.
St Patricks Womens Hockey Club formed in 1980 has grown into one of the major clubs in the association and probably even the Western Area - exert from the Western Advocate
With the help of Alana Cousins and Lee Norrie the club has surpassed all expectations since its foundation.
Four senior teams and two junior teams were nominated in the first year with the A grade team reaching the semifinals and being narrowly defeated in the Bathurst Womens Hockey Association Carnival.
However, in the minor division of B Reserve Grade, St Pats Whites, won the first premiership for the club defeating Waratah Browns 3-1 in the final.
Members of that team were: K Fulton, A Campbell, S Alderman, S Redding, D Turnbull, G Webster, L Rayner, J Manual, B Dawson, M Morgan and T Elms.
A grade made their grand final debut in 1982 under coach Eddie Summerfield, but were defeated after determined effort to narrowly miss out on their first title.
St Pats Blues came of age in 1984 when they defeated Waratahs, a performance they repeated again in 1985.
The club then set their sights on a hat-trick and 1986 was a year to remember.
Two teams were nominated in A Grade, Blues and Whites and would you believe it on grand final day it was an all-St Pat's final, with the Blues taking the hat-trick.
That glorious year 1986 also saw our greatest number of representatives with no fewer that 8 players selected for the Bathurst District Senior Womens Team: Judy Roberson, Leanne Clark, Tracy Passeri, Leigh Fulton, Jenny Muldoon, Wendy Burke, Kym Weal and Rhonda Mellor.
Jenny Muldoon was named in Country 1st, Wendy Burke in Country 2nds and Leigh Fulton in the Central West Regional Under 18 team.
Now to 1987 and again the Blues and Whites are already holding places in the top four.
This year St Patricks also has the Reds, Greens and Browns playing in the senior competition.
Representative honours this year have gone to Bev Graham in the Country 21's, Leigh Fulton in the Central Western Regional U18's and Wendy Burke, Jenny Muldoon, Bev Graham and Alana Cox in the NSW Country Team for the Championships in South Australia.
