Dixie Cockerton
Dixie June Cockerton (10 July 1925 – 26 July 1998) was a New Zealand netball player and coach, as well as a cricketer and long-time schoolteacher. She played as goal keeper for the national netball team in one Test in 1948 against Australia, and she later coached New Zealand from 1960 to 1963, helping the team finish second at the 1963 World Netball Championships.
Cockerton also played cricket, appearing in two first-class matches for Auckland and taking part in a New Zealand trial in 1953. She was born in Hāwera and grew up during the Great Depression when her family moved to Galatea. She trained as a teacher at Auckland Teachers’ Training College and had a teaching career spanning almost 40 years.
A tall, versatile sportsperson, Cockerton excelled in netball, cricket, and softball, and also played golf and lawn bowls. She was known for her powerful hitting and strong fielding. In netball, she captained a Tauranga–Matamata team against touring Australians and later became a national coach, where she achieved a notable first win for New Zealand against Australia in 1960. Her coaching record was 10 wins from 13 international matches, with all losses coming against Australia.
Beyond coaching, Cockerton served as a selector and umpire, wrote coaching notes for primary schools, and was recognized with a national service award from the New Zealand Netball Association in 1975. In 1970 she became the first woman to head a New Zealand intermediate school, serving as principal of Matamata Intermediate and later Tauranga Intermediate from 1978 to 1985.
Dixie Cockerton passed away in Tauranga in 1998, aged 73.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:52 (CET).