Baulkham Hills Hockey Club taking on Sydney’ s best
with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Nestled in Sydney’ s leafy Hills District, the Baulkham Hills Hockey Club has been a cornerstone of local sport since its founding in 1968. More than just a hockey club, it’ s a vibrant community hub where generations have come together to play, coach, volunteer, and support the Bulls. With a proud history of success and a bold vision for the future, the club continues to represent the Hills with passion, inclusivity, and local pride.
From humble beginnings at Ted Horwood Reserve, Baulkham Hills has grown into a multi-generational club, with
C Grade Grand Final, Sydney North West Comp. Credit: Baulkham Hills Hockey Club. many former players still involved through their children and grandchildren.
While the original ground remains a symbolic anchor, the club now trains and plays at the prestigious Gables Hockey Complex in Box Hill North, officially opened in March 2025. The $ 7 million facility marks a new era for hockey in the Hills Shire, providing a modern venue that reflects the club’ s ambition and the region’ s growth.
Baulkham Hills caters to every age and skill level, from Under 6s through to senior men’ s and women’ s teams. Junior teams play on Saturday mornings and Friday evenings, while senior teams compete in the Sydney Hockey Association( SHA) and the NSW Women’ s Hockey Association( NSWHA). This ensures strong representation across both elite and recreational levels.
What sets the club apart is its family culture. It’ s common to see three generations of the same family involved on the pitch, behind the scenes, or cheering from the sidelines. This multi-generational spirit creates mentorship opportunities and fosters a sense of belonging that few clubs can match.
The move to the Gables Sporting Complex signals the club’ s expanding role in Western Sydney’ s sporting landscape. As the Hills District continues to grow demographically and culturally, Baulkham Hills is positioning itself as a powerhouse of hockey, ready to attract new players and embrace the community’ s future.
Beyond competition, the club invests heavily in community engagement through free clinics, open days, and school partnerships. The launch of the Gables Complex drew hundreds of locals and introduced the sport to families in Sydney’ s booming Northwest.
In 2025, Baulkham Hills teams achieved strong results across multiple divisions. Finals appearances included U18A, U10A Gold, U10B Red, SL7, SL3, PL2 and PL1, with the C Grade Women’ s team crowned Grand Final winners. These achievements reflect both player commitment and the tireless efforts of the club’ s volunteers coaches, managers, umpires, and committee members who are the heartbeat of the Bulls.
Baulkham Hills Hockey kids celebrate. Credit: BHHC.
Looking ahead, Baulkham Hills Hockey Club is poised to become a model for community sport in Western Sydney. With upgraded facilities, growing membership, and a refreshed brand identity, it is ready to inspire the next generation of players and supporters. Yet at its core, the club remains true to its founding values: inclusivity, sportsmanship, and community connection.
In a sporting world often dominated by elite headlines, the club reminds us of the vital role local clubs play. It’ s a place where dreams begin, friendships flourish, and community pride is forged one goal at a time.
Sydney Hills Gymnastics excel at the Nationals in 2025
with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Sydney Hills Gymnastics is celebrating an extraordinary result at the 2025 Australian Gymnastics Championships, with a record medal haul and standout performances across Men’ s Artistic Gymnastics( MAG), Women’ s Artistic Gymnastics( WAG) and Acrobatic Gymnastics( ACR).
The club proudly sent its largest ever MAG team, with 14 gymnasts selected to represent NSW. Their combined efforts brought home an impressive 30 national medals: 19 gold, 9 silver and two bronze. Among the highlights were eight Australian Champion Apparatus Titles, claimed by Krishna, Luke,
Sydney Hills Gymnastics medal winning MAG team. Credit: Sydney Hills Gymnastics.
Moksh, Johannes and Ritam. Luke also distinguished himself by securing the All-Around Australian Champion Title in his level.
Many athletes also achieved personal bests, with the strong sense of team spirit making the competition truly unforgettable.
In a historic first for the club, Sydney Hills WAG athletes Masha and Jannah collected a total of five individual national medals, both being crowned Australian Champions on Beam. Their success reflects the exciting growth of the Women’ s program in recent years.
The Acrobatic Gymnastics team also reached new heights, with 16 athletes representing NSW, including nine making their national debut. Their powerful and artistic routines earned 13 podium places, with Harper and Alina winning gold in the Balance Routine and Ivy and Elysse crowned Australian Champions for their Combined Routine.
“ Watching our gymnasts achieve personal goals, support one another, and succeed on the national stage is at the heart of what we do. We are so proud of their efforts and inspired by their dedication,” a club spokesperson said.
Sydney Hills Gymnastics credited its outstanding results to its dedicated coaching team:
- MAG Coaches: Vassili Trofimov, Yiheng Wang and Sasha Kazhamiakin
- WAG Coaches: Marina Tatarchina and Evgueni Indioukov – with Marina’ s beam expertise helping both girls secure their titles
- ACR Coaches: Head Coach Jillian Connor, joined by Madie Romero and Lara Woods, who celebrated milestones coaching senior athletes at Nationals for the first time
Director Vassili Trofimov said,“ This achievement is more than just a milestone for our club, it’ s a powerful moment for women in sport. Head Coach Marina’ s leadership has not only made history for Sydney Hills Gymnastics but is also shaping the future of women’ s gymnastics.”
Masha, from Glenwood, reflected on her triumph,“ Becoming the Australian Champion in Level 10 on beam was such a highlight for me. When they presented my medal, the presenter even commented on my smile – I just couldn’ t stop smiling! I really enjoy competing on beam.”
Jannah, just 10 years old from North Rocks, has quickly progressed to senior levels since joining the club in 2022. After
Ivy and Elysse in action. Credit: Winkipop Media.
Nationals, she said,“ I was so relieved to get a medal, it was such a tough competition. When I was presented with my medals, I felt so proud. My mum was crying, and my whole family came to watch, mum, dad, my three brothers, sister and grandma.”
With such achievements, Sydney Hills Gymnastics continues to flourish on the national stage. Perhaps one day, some of these talented athletes will represent Australia at the Olympics.
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 124 // OCTOBER 2025 29