Beloved, tireless Hockey ACT legend Graham 'Joe' Henstock honoured by ACT Sport Hall of Fame induction

"It was quite an amazing thing to go anywhere with dad because he knew everybody through hockey and sport," Henstock's son also named Graham told The Canberra Times.

"There was so much love for him that you'd go out for a trip to the shops and it would take you hours because he'd keep running into people who knew him and wanted to talk to him.

"It's just a sign of the affection that people had for him."

Henstock passed away in January this year, but has been posthumously inducted to the ACT Sport Hall of Fame for his enormous contribution to hockey as an administrator, technical official, team manager, coach and umpire over more than 30 years.

His family said it is an "honour" to have Henstock remembered in such a special way by the sporting community he worked so tirelessly for over decades.

"It's very humbling to see the volume of stuff that he did," his son said.

"Hockey was dad's life. It was his biggest passion, especially in the second half of his life.

"I don't think it was ever about him, it was his passion for the sport that made him really care about everybody who was doing it, and he always wanted to do what he could to assist and support them."

Henstock started in hockey as most do, playing in his teenage years. He used to play at school in Sydney and after joining the Navy in 1963 he continued playing.

When his son then took up the sport, Henstock became more involved, and that led to helping out his wife in the women's hockey space.

From there he fully caught the bug for volunteering and eventually took on administration roles with Tuggeranong Vikings Hockey Club, Hockey ACT and Hockey Australia.

For all Henstock's achievements in hockey he was awarded ACT Volunteer of the Year in 2014, five times he was Hockey ACT Administrator of the Year, and the ACT Women's Masters was renamed in 2017 the Henstock Indoor Carnival.

"I think mum may have eventually come to regret asking him to help out because dad really gave his all to hockey," Henstock junior said.

"My mum would occasionally refer to herself jokingly as a hockey widow.

"The recognition for all those hours he put in, leaves us feeling a great deal of gratitude."

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