Everton Hills resident Jenny Heron has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her six decades of voluntary service to women’s hockey across Queensland.
Building a Sporting Legacy in Everton Hills
The local community is celebrating after Heron was named in the 2026 Australia Day Awards for her lifelong commitment to the field. Her journey began in 1962 during her primary school years when a classmate invited her to play at Ascot. That single invitation led to a sixty-three-year membership with the same club.
Over the decades, she moved from being a young player to taking on vital leadership roles, including serving as a coach, umpire, and club secretary. She was granted life membership at her home club in 1978, marking the first of many major milestones in her career.
Service to Brisbane and Queensland Hockey
Heron’s influence extended far beyond her local club as she took on significant responsibilities within the Brisbane Women’s Hockey Association. She spent sixteen years on their management committee, holding the positions of vice president from 1995 to 1997 and secretary during two separate periods in the late eighties and nineties.
Her expertise as a veterans’ selector began in 1995 and has continued almost without interruption since 2001. In recognition of this extensive provincial work, she was made a life member of the association more than twenty-five years ago.
Impact Across the State and Beyond
While she is a familiar face in the Everton Hills area, Heron has also represented the state on the national and international stage. She was selected to play for the Queensland Over 45 Masters team in Darwin in 1998 and later travelled to Hong Kong for the 2019 World Masters Indoor Championships. Her work as a technical officer and assistant tournament director earned her a life membership with Hockey Queensland in 2017. Even this year, she continues to support the sport by attending the Masters in Brisbane and the under-16 titles in Rockhampton to ensure the games are managed professionally for the next generation.
Published Date 08-March-2026
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