Tributes are flooding in for the late Melva Hancock.

The 90-year-old passed away on Saturday 29 May, just 20 days after celebrating her birthday.

The bold and passionate trailblazer leaves behind a legacy of love and dedication not only in her home, the Hunter region, but also right around Australia. 

In 1957 she led the way for women in basketball as part of the first team to leave the country. 

Melva, alongside the Opals, travelled across the Pacific Ocean to Brazil for the Basketball World Championships. 

The Newcastle Weekly was lucky enough to sit down with Melva last month to discuss her time on the ground-breaking tour. 

“It was the trip of a lifetime,” she said.

Prior to the journey Melva would walk the streets of Newcastle selling raffle tickets and raising funds to cover the cost of travel. 

“Back in those days there were no planes to fly between Australia and South America,” Melva said.

“To do it we had to stop at a lot of places by ship.” 

First up the team went to New Zealand, then they were on a ship for four weeks to Panama City and then they travelled to Haiti and Venezuela before finally making it to Brazil. 

While they placed 10th at the tournament, Melva said the highlight of the trip was taking part in a women in sport parade. 

“We had to decide if we were going to be serious or wave during the parade,” Melva said.

“So we gave them a wave to make their day and we were walking around and the noise was absolutely fantastic and I said to one of the others can you see what’s happening behind us, whatever it is they’re getting a good ovation.

“We turned around and saw that we were the only ones in the arena, they were cheering us.”

Melva dedicated much of her life to sport and helping women succeed across a variety of disciplines. 

She was the recipient of a plethora of awards including the Australian Sport Medal.

Melva was also inducted into the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame, and the Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame.

She is survived by her children Kathy and John, grandson Adam, partner Ryan, niece Dianne and family.

To read our first story with Melva, click here.

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