TEM History 

In this chapter of TEM History we skip forward to 1978 to when TEM fielded its first women's teams.

In 1972 a group of girls who had played hockey at Huntingdale High School, decided to form a hockey club so that they could keep on playing hockey together after finishing school.  They obtained the use of a ground at Princes Highway Reserve in Oakleigh where they played under the name of Huntingdale/Oakleigh Hockey Club.

Some people at TEM knew of the club so in 1977 Huntingdale/Oakleigh was approached by TEM with a proposal that they join TEM to begin a women’s section at the club.  Huntingdale/Oakleigh agreed and at the 1977 Annual General Meeting the move was formally accepted.   TEM became the first truly amalgamated men’s and women’s hockey club in Melbourne. 

In 1978 TEM fielded their first women’s teams in D grade and E grade with great success winning both premierships.  On the wave of that success and with an influx of local women wishing to play, TEM was able to double the number of teams the following year and field 4 women’s teams – C grade, D grade, and 2 x E grade teams. 

Growth and success continued to be enjoyed by the new TEM women’s section and in 1989 they finally realised their dream of promotion to the highest level of competition in Victoria – Melbourne League 1 – today known as Women’s Premier League and had a total of 6 teams in the womens' competition. 

Since those early days, TEM women’s section continues to compete at the highest level with many state and national representatives amongst its members over the years.

One of those original Huntingdale players is Mary Lofthouse who is still playing with TEM today and holds the club record for the number of games played- 729 (and no, that number is not a typo!) 

Top Photo:

1980 C Grade team who had finished first that year and just won the Premiership and been promoted to B grade. Betty Meader (top row RHS) was the coach and the person far left in the back row is our very own club legend Mary Lofthouse.

Below photo:

Most likely the 1980 E grade team. In the front row, second from the left is a very young Sandi Wagg (Penpraze) who many of you know as Sammy Wagg's mum!