Barb Knowles heavily involved in hockey since she first started playing at age 12

Decades of service to hockey has earned Central Queensland’s own Barb Knowles a Medal of the Order of Australia. Here’s the remarkable things she’s done for the sport.

Former Rockhampton Hockey president Barb Knowles will receive an OAM for her service to the game.

Barb Knowles’ hockey credentials are many and her resume extensive but it’s a soon to be added acronym that fittingly sums up her unwavering contribution.

The former Rockhampton stalwart has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday 2024 honours list for her service to the game she first started playing at age 12.

In the ensuing years, she would go on to achieve state and national rep honours and willingly take on positions such as coach, umpire and official.

New hockey surface at Kalka Shades with Barb Knowles

Barb was also a steadfast supporter of the game and its players, in particular her son Mark, who was a Kookaburras’ legend, playing 324 international games for Australia.

She became a member of the Rockhampton Hockey Association in 1980, playing with Southern Suburbs for 36 years.

Her on-field passion for the game was mirrored in the executive committee roles, including a lengthy stint as RHA president.

Then Kookaburras’ captain Mark Knowles celebrates the team’s win at the Azlan Shah Cup with parents Barb and Ryan Knowles.

Barb was instrumental in securing funding for the two synthetic surfaces at Kalka Shades, Rockhampton’s hockey headquarters.

She was the driving force behind the first international hockey series played in Rockhampton in 2006, and the architect behind the staging of the Oceania Cup in the city in 2019.

She was Hockey Queensland’s Volunteer of the Year in 2018 and the following year was named Sports Official of the Year in the Rockhampton Regional Council’s Australia Day awards.

She described the 2019 accolade at the time as an “honour and certainly something special”.

Hosting the 2019 Oceania Cup was a huge coup for Rockhampton. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“Volunteers never look for this recognition but that’s probably why they have awards like this,” she said.

“I do it for the love of it but the award was certainly a thrill.”

The Morning Bulletin has tried contacting Barb to gauge her reaction to this latest honour.

No doubt she will be suitably chuffed and those who know her and what she achieved will be equally as excited for her.