The University of Queensland Hockey Club

Vale former club President Bob Johnson

“It is with regret that we announce the passing of Club Stalwart and Life Member, Bob Johnson. Bob was born in 1938 and was educated at Toowoomba Grammar School. He joined the club in 1957, three years after his elder brother Ian. Both brothers were specialist goalkeepers. Bob studied pharmacy and over the next decade he vied with dual Olympian Lou Hailey for the position of First’s Keeper. He held many positions on  the Club Executive, including that of President,  and was a particularly strong voice for us at both Brisbane Hockey Association and UQ Sports Union meetings. As an undergraduate, he participated in a number of  Australian University Hockey Championships. Bob was heavily involved with the 1963 Championships which were hosted at St. Lucia, being Club Secretary at the time. He was also goalie for our intervarsity team which not only defeated all  nine visiting Australian universities, but also triumphed over the visiting Combined NZ Universities as well. With an overall goal average of 43 – 6 from the 10 games, UQHC retained the Syme Cup. In 1966 Bob headed to the UK where brother Ian resided and  worked as a pharmacist while he travelled in Europe. After returning from Europe, Bob played for the club for a further two decades. This was prior to the advent of Masters Hockey, and so Bob’s involvement playing, coaching and mentoring in the fourths, fifths and sixths had a profound influence on many careers, both on and off the field.

Bob owned and  managed a pharmacy at Greenslopes for many years. In 1970 he married Evol Holmes and they have a son and a daughter. In 2005 Bob and Evol  moved permanently to their beach house at Shelly Beach on the Sunshine Coast and a year later he semi-retired. In recent years  Bob had a terrible run with poor health which necessitated a number of  lengthy stays in hospital. He passed away in his sleep last Thursday 22nd September aged 84. Bob is survived  by Evol, son Craig, daughter Kym, four grandsons, and elder brother Ian.”

~ Alan Mortimer

Meg was the President of the University of Qld Women's Hockey Club for 21 years from 1993 - 2014. She was also a vital lynchpin on Saturday afternoons because she chose to be a goalkeeper. She is a Life Member of UQHC, and also a Life Member of the Brisbane Women's Hockey Association for extraordinary lengthy service and an amazing level of volunteering in the sport. 

Meg first joined the club in 1962 whilst studying physiotherapy at UQ. She was selected for Intervarsity as a field player in 1963 and in 1964 was awarded a Half Blue by the University for her summer passion of sailing. 

Life’s adventures took Meg away from Brisbane, and away from Australia. She returned to the club in 1991 when her daughter Di joined as a university student.  Meg quickly put up her hand to assist the committee of the club and within 2 years of involvement, the members elected her to be President. Meg held the role of President for 21 years until she chose to step down to work with junior club development to help create a stronger hockey club at UQ and in preparation for the turf at UQ which UQHC members now enjoy. 

Meg's passion was for ensuring there were opportunities for participation for women in sport and especially in hockey which she loved. Meg was also passionate about providing competitive opportunities no matter what level of ability a player possessed. Meg had a competitive spirit for the sport so cries of “Go Uni” could frequently be heard across Downey Park where UQ was in possession and transitioning into attack.  Her favourite teams (not that she would express she had a favourite) were the lowest grade Downey park team and Div1. However, if you asked her, she would also say "Oh and DP 4, 5, 3, 2,1, and the other divisions on turf, plus Masters but let's not forget the juniors because they are absolutely vital to the club and to the sport". 

In addition to being President, Meg took on other hands-on roles, including uniform purchasing officer, umpiring allocations manager and team coach. Meg coached a team virtually every year she was member and she filled the gaps when teams were short a goalkeeper sometimes playing 3 games in a row on a Saturday afternoon during university exams and holidays. Meg was the person who filled gaps coaching any grass team that didn’t have a coach at training and filled gaps generally where another volunteer could not be found.

Meg was also very active in the wider hockey community. She was on the Board of UQ Sport for a time, and for a substantially longer time on the Board of Management at BWHA. She could be found on a Friday night doing technical bench duties at junior girls’ fixtures for BWHA, and also doing tech at Kedron or Redcliffe on a Sunday for turf divisions or State Hockey Centre. She managed representative BWHA teams on occasion and played Masters. 

In more recent years until illness prevented, she was also responsible for managing the buildings and grounds at Downey Park, which included a very large amount of mowing and for which she conscripted her husband Andrew to assist. 

Meg played hockey till she was 73 retiring around May 2017 and only stopping because of the symptoms of the illness for which medicine has no cure and ultimately took her life. 

Outside of hockey, Meg worked part-time conducting drug testing of elite athletes for ASADA. This involved many athletes and teams of other sports and was a necessary job for ensuring a level playing field for all elite athletes in amateur and professional sports. It was not the kind of job which engendered enquiry about what she had gotten up to at work that day. However, it gave her opportunities to meet high profile athletes and to have a little insight into how and where others were training and what their facilities were like. 

Tens of thousands of women have had the opportunity to turn up on a weekend and play a game of hockey thanks to Meg's contribution of her time to the sport over the last 28 years. She would, however, be the first to acknowledge that it takes a team of people to run a team, run a club or manage an association conducting the competition. 

She expressed genuine surprise when made a life member at UQ and again when made a life member of BWHA. Her focus was on what needed to be done next not personal reward. She was however very honoured to receive both life memberships.  

Meg's club highlights were the time Nikki Hudson played for the club whilst Captaining Australia, the Division 1 team's 2018 Minor Premiership and Premiership victories, the 2019 pre-season div 1 Tiger Turf win and whatever DP5 was doing any weekend.

I am most thankful for all her efforts in making the game we love fun, competitive and accessible for all. When I stand at the UQ turf or the grass fields at Downey Park I will always remember Meg because without her efforts the facilities that exist today would not exist at all or exist in a less satisfactory form. We are all richer people for the opportunity to play and enjoy the game of hockey and Meg has played a big part in enabling this experience. 

I have known Meg for 28 years and observed her contributions to the club and to the sport. I am profoundly saddened by her passing as are others who have worked with Meg in delivering hockey at UQ, played hockey with her or had her as a coach. She was a fighter for better outcomes for the club, hockey generally and the hockey community. In the most recent of times and despite the inevitability of her condition she demonstrated she was still a fighter and even stronger when up against the ropes. Guy Sebastian’s lyrics in his song “Before I go” very much describes the conversation Meg had with motor neuron disease in her last days: 

"You thought you had me, you thought that I was done, 

But I'm strong up against the ropes.

I am a, a fighter...

Before this fight is over

You'll know my name before I go" 

Please support the Brodie family by sending only texts or emails at this time. They have been very busy supporting Meg and especially this last week. All are very tired and need a short opportunity to recharge. 

Meg's family has advised that her funeral is being held this Friday 12th April 2019 commencing at 1:30pm at The Little Flower Church, Kedron (80 Turner Road, Kedron). All are welcome to attend.

Should you require any further information, it can be found in the notice appearing in Wednesday's edition of the Courier Mail. 

Sue Andersen

UQHC Life Member