Greensborough Hockey Club began with junior teams in 1958. This account traces the Burra’s growth, facilities and achievements, with selected milestones through 2018.
Ric Purser founded the club in 1958 with help from local parents. He wanted to give young people the chance to enjoy hockey. The first junior teams trained at Lower Greensborough Oval.
Ric played for Victoria from 1953 to 1958 and in 1960 and 1961. He was Greensborough’s playing coach from 1961 to 1975, before joining Altona in 1976.
The first senior men’s teams began in 1961 and played at Eltham High School. The team started in C grade, moved to B grade during the season and finished as runners-up. At an Albury carnival, the club won the pennant for “Best Presented Team”.
By the early 1970s, the club had six to eight junior teams and seven senior men’s teams. Many players had come through its junior programme.
This growth put pressure on the grounds. With 13 to 19 teams training and playing at Partington’s Flat in winter, the club also hired a ground in Parkville from the Victorian Hockey Association.
In 1979, Doug Dowling formed the separate Greensborough Women’s Hockey Club, with Lorraine Cortous as president. It began in E grade and reached Melbourne League One before merging with Greensborough Hockey Club in 1992.
The club entered its first Masters team in 1990. Neill Patterson gained selection in the Australian Masters team.
In 1992, Greensborough moved from Whatmough Park to Plenty Park in Plenty. An under-17 girls’ team began in 1994, followed by an under-13 girls’ team in 1995.
Work on the first synthetic pitch began in early 1998. It opened in May that year. Later improvements included new clubrooms and a second synthetic pitch in 2011.
Both the men’s and women’s teams won Premier League titles. The women completed three consecutive premierships in 2013. The men’s achievements included a premiership in 2015.
Rachael Lynch began at Greensborough in the under-13 girls’ team in 1998. Selected highlights from her international career through 2018 include:
Players, parents, coaches, officials and volunteers have shaped the club across generations. Junior hockey and the Northern District Hockey League have helped introduce local children to the game.
For information about visiting the club today, see our location. To ask about playing, contact GHC.