Agnes Dhu

Agnes (De Rooy) Dhu was already an accomplished athlete at the state level when she started playing basketball in 1963, while training as a physical education teacher at Kelvin Grove Teachers’ College.

After an impressive first season, Agnes was invited to join the Lang Park PCYC team before she made her first appearance for Queensland at the 1966 Australian Championships on the Gold Coast. Agnes would go on to play for Queensland for the next five years.

Her talent on the court led to selection on the 1967 and 1968 Australian teams, though the team never had the chance to compete.

In 1968 Agnes married John Dhu and moved with him to Mackay where they played for Bouncers before eventually moving to Port Moresby in 1970. This was at a time when players had to pay to attend training for the Australian team and for their own uniforms. Agnes had to sell the family car and source sponsorship from motels on Nebo Road for the chance to represent Australia.

Agnes was selected for the Australian Team to compete in the 1971 World Championship in Brazil where Australia finished ninth. Following the Championships, the team toured Europe and defeated the Spanish national team.

In 1974 the family returned to Mackay where Agnes played for Souths and in 1977 went to Darwin before settling in Mount Gambier.

Agnes Dhu was a stalwart of women’s basketball in Queensland and is a worthy inductee to the Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.