Dennis Kemp 'one of Australian hockey's oldest gems'

Historian John Sanders delves into the hockey journey of Dennis Kemp (pictured bottom right), one of the living survivors from Australia’s 1956 Olympic hockey team.

First selected for Australia in 1954 and then competing in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, Dennis is one of the few surviving and oldest members from that team (88 years of age at the time of writing).

Growing up in Western Australia, Dennis played football in the Cobbers’ Temperance League as a boy. He continued with Australian Rules in his first year high school, however was introduced to hockey halfway through the year and that is when and where his love of the sport stemmed from.

His first (and only) hockey club was Perth Hockey Club. Dennis went on to play first division, State Colts, State Seniors and then for Australia.

In his time at Perth Hockey Club, Dennis has been Vice President, Committee member, Floreat Editor, WAHA Delegate, Club Coach, First team Coach and Vice Patron. He was made a Life Member in 1964.

Dennis made his A grade debut for Perth HC 1949 and was a regular in the top team from 1950 to 1967. Perth HC was arguably the strongest team in the WAHA competition during what was possibly the strongest domestic league in Australia.

During this period Dennis was selected as captain of the Perth A1 team from 1953-1967 and from 1961-1963 he acted as Club Coach as well as Captain. Dennis retired from club hockey in 1980.

After representing his school - Perth Boys High he was selected in the 1950 WA State Colts (Under 21) team to go to Sydney where they finished runners-up. The following year Dennis was selected as captain of the victorious Colts team for the Australian Championships in Hobart.

Aged 19, Dennis had been outstanding as Perth's left-half. Easily distinguished on the field by the white handkerchief he tied around his forehead to keep his hair from his eyes, he also made a name for himself as a coach. For the last two seasons he has coached two Floreat Park women's teams.

The selection of Dennis as Captain/Manager for a Colts team in 1952 was completely out of the ordinary. This trip was to Brisbane and the team went by train from Perth to Adelaide and then were due to fly on a small plane to Brisbane. Unfortunately, the plane struck very intense storms, was diverted three times and finally landed at Sydney airport to wait out the worst of the weather. Most players were airsick and knocked about during the flight. When it was time to board the plane again, several of the team were missing. They had locked themselves in the toilets, too worried about the situation to come out. Dennis had his first crisis but managed to persuade them onto the plane. In the end the team regrouped and was able to bring the shield home to W.A. [1]

The 1952 senior Australian Hockey Championships were to be held in Perth, and several of the Colts team were invited to take part in selection matches. This was unusual, but probably not unexpected, as the Colts had earlier defeated the proposed State side 4–0. Dennis was one of those chosen in the senior side. Ross Smith, a member of the South Australian team, shares the distinction with Dennis of both representing his State twice in the one year at the colts and senior carnivals. Smith, like Kemp, was captain of his State's colt’s team in Brisbane in June. [2]

This was the beginning of a long and successful series of Dennis representing his State at the highest hockey level. The self-funding nature of hockey tournaments, and the limited annual leave available from his employment as a draftsman in the WA Public Works Department, necessarily curtailed his appearances for the state.

Dennis represented Australia in 1954 in a Test Match in Sydney against New Zealand. Australia lost 3–1. He was then one of eight Western Australians chosen to play in the Australian team at the 1956 Olympics. The team finished a creditable fifth and notably—with no substitutions and blisters on his feet—Dennis played the second half of the Olympic Games play-off match against Great Britain in bare feet.

Dennis was invited to nominate for the Australian team in 1958 and Rome Olympics in 1960 but was unable to accept because of lack of finance and leave from work.

Dennis was Club Coach at Perth HC during the 1961, 1962 and 1963 seasons and A2 Coach from 1968 to 1971. He returned as A1 Coach in 1979.

Dennis was invited to coach the newly formed team, North Coast Raiders, which had just achieved A grade status. Raiders were largely an amalgamation of Perth and Scarborough, so Dennis had a connection. He spent two years in the position.

Dennis’ involvement in women’s hockey is largely unknown, but he was Club Coach of the Floreat Park Ladies Hockey Club for many years between 1951 and 1985. This usually comprised spending 3–4 evenings a week and sometimes Sunday mornings with the teams. He provided manuals for each player’s field position and held meetings for each team several times each season. He made a huge commitment to the club over these years and under his guidance the small club grew from two teams to 10 and won many premierships.

Dennis always tried to give his teams an advantage and when a hand-stop was finally allowed by the women’s association, Dennis taught the technique to the Floreat girls and ensured that it was practised well. Not many women’s teams used the technique at that time, if any.

For the Floreat Park Ladies Hockey Club Dennis was president from 1951-1959 and a Member of Selection committees while coach. In 1978 Dennis was also made a Life Member.

The Olympian’s Medal was an idea submitted by Dennis and supported financially by the Australian Olympic team members themselves until organisation of this presentation was taken over by the Association. [3]

The eight West Australian members of the 1956 Olympic Games team formed a close group on their return from competition. They decided to get together every year on the anniversary of the commencement of the games. This occasion was quite a big affair in the early days, with Alan Barblett the organiser. Wives, officials and other guests were invited. In 1962 this task was handed on to Dennis and he carried on with the responsibility every year until 2015. 

The 50^th Anniversary particularly was a great event. The Olympic club of W.A. began to hold an annual luncheon on or near this same date and with regret, and with dwindling numbers, the remaining three Hockey Olympians of 1956 decided that the time had come to join this celebration and cease their own.    

In 2000 Dennis wanted to honour the Olympic tradition and carry the torch prior to the Games being held in Australia. He was given a section of road close to Perry Lakes where he had done much of his coaching. He was 69 years old at the time but refused, he said, to let down the image of hockey and walk the 1 km distance involved as many of his age would do. Instead he spent three months training and ran the whole way to the applause of spectators. It was great to see many of ‘his girls’ from Floreat Park lining the road.

Dennis received an Australian Sports Medal for services to hockey in 2000.