Graham “Joe” Henstock committed his life to the sport of Hockey in the ACT, serving as a volunteer administrator and official for over 30 years.
Joe worked tirelessly for the Tuggeranong Vikings Hockey Club, Hockey ACT and Hockey Australia on boards and committees being technical official, tournament director, umpire, team manager and coach. Among so many roles, he was a member of the Hockey ACT Umpiring and Technical Competitions Advisory Committee across 25 seasons and was in various team managerial roles for two decades including two seasons with the Canberra Lakers.
His passion for indoor hockey saw him serve on Hockey ACT and Hockey Australia Indoor Committee’s for 30 years, 16 of those years in the ACT as Chair. In this role he campaigned successfully for the introduction of an Under 18 and Under 21 National Indoor Championships, while in 2001 he was the driving force behind the development of an invitational junior tournament which grew exponentially under his leadership to eventually become the Under 13 Indoor National Championships.
He was awarded ACT Volunteer of the Year in 2014, Hockey ACT Administrator of the Year five times and in 2017 the ACT Women’s Masters renamed their indoor tournament the Henstock Indoor Carnival in recognition of his contribution.
For his service to the sport, Joe would be awarded Life Membership of Hockey Australia, Hockey ACT and Tuggeranong Vikings Hockey Club, while in 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
on 15 January 2023 a deep sadness passed over the entire Hockey ACT community as news of Joe’s passing spread. More than a volunteer or administrator to Hockey ACT, he was a friend and a mentor, a welcoming smile, positive voice and listening ear.