Hockey is a game of antiquity.Since the beginning of time people have hit balls with sticks. History has described hockey as the Grand Father of all ball and stick games. The games roots are traced back to early Persian and Egyptian cultures. An Egyptian tomb shows two men armed with Hockey style sticks hitting a ball between them. Experts believe the relief dates back to 1270 BC.

In the 16th century a form of hockey was mentioned in Ireland. There it was called Hockie, most probably from the French word Hocquet. It is almost certainly the forerunner of Hurley. The game appeared in England in the late 1200's. In Scotland and Wales the games of Shinty and Bandy are believed to originate from hockey.

The game played today was formulated in England in 1861 with the formation of the first recognised club. Rules to the game were drawn up during the following years by the Teddington Club of London. Legend has it that the original keepers of the rules were a select group of folk known as the gnomes of Hockey. They would sacrifice their lives to safe guard the rules of Hockey. These gnomes leave a legacy deeply entrenched in Flinders folklore. From the late 1970's all people of a short stature have been known as gnomes. Like the Gnomes of yesterday, Flinders Gnomes safeguard the spirit of hockey and would die for the club.

Hockey has been and Olympic sport since the 1908 London Olympic games, with Great Britain winning the first gold medal. The game spread from Great Britain to the commonwealth by the turn of the century. In 1885 the first club in India was formed in Calcutta . On reaching Australia the game spread quickly. By the late 19th century hockey had arrived in South Australia. Although there was an organised competition, it was not until 1903, with the formation of the South Australian Hockey Association, that hockey established itself.

Adelaide prior to 1936 was largely a semi industrial, rural based centre. With the approach of World War 2 the emphasis changed and a restructuring of the manufacturing sector occurred. At wars end the foundation stone had been laid. To continue the growth of industry and develop commerce it was necessary to increase the population.

Through a federally sponsored immigration scheme the natural increases in the birth rate, Adelaide's population by 1960 grew to 650,000. Geographical planners estimated that by 1990 Adelaide's population would be well over 1 million.

This baby boom period forced Governments into planning strategies an assessing probable developments. Along with adequate social services a sound education system provided the basis for the social well-being of the community. A study of the requirements for education during the next 30 years indicated that 150 new schools would be needed. To complement this growth immediate expansion of the university was encouraged. On the site once occupied by the Bedford Park sanatorium a new university would be built. On completion it would be called Flinders University.

With the opening of Flinders University came the inevitable link between university education and sporting traditions. Traditions which perpetuate the notion that sport is an important part of university life.

In 1966 The Flinders University Hockey Club was born. It, however did not arrive as the club we know it today.

Originally the club was two clubs, a men's and a women's, independent and distinctive from the other. In each case the foundation and existence of the respective clubs was on very shaky ground.

The men's club was formed by John Alste, Christopher Roy (Bob) Lloyd and Bob Wallace.

The founders of the women's club were Neil Hargrave and Phillipa Hargrave.