Second, in a series about those who played one 1st Grade game for SUCC.
Ernest Alexander BARDSLEY 1871-1960.
Why is the oval at Shellharbour on NSW’s south coast called ‘Bardsley Park’?
When Sydney University played the last game of the 1894-95 season against Manly at the University Oval, a 24 year old Medical student, Ernest Alexander Bardsley, took the field for his one and only 1st Grade game (SUCC 1st Grade cap no40).
He was one of twenty nine players selected in the Club’s 1st Grade side during a dismal season when University won only three games and finished eighth of the twelve clubs. University’s venerable captain, 36 year old Tom Garrett, had enjoyed a period of dominance, averaging over 50 with the bat. He was also easily the most successful bowler. As captain of the NSW team, he had continued to score runs regularly but his teammates, in both the NSW and University teams, floundered.
The game on University Oval was of little consequence or interest. At the SCG, Paddington defeated South Sydney by 3 wickets to win the Premiership. At University, the home team defeated Manly who finished eleventh. On the first day of play, Garrett’s 7 for 58 from 20 overs cut a swathe through the batting and his brisk 39 saw University to a promising 2 for 73 at stumps.
Next Saturday, 27 April, the season concluded with a flurry of runs. Bardsley, batting at number five, combined with his fellow medical student Henry Delohery in a useful partnership before Bardsley was bowled by A Hayes for 14. Delohery’s 76 was almost half his runs for the season but as the score mounted and University batted on, Manly’s bowling grew more ragged. Another medical student, in his first year of studies, Gother Clarke who batted at number nine, scored a rousing 92 on his nineteenth birthday.
Two months before that game, Bardsley had scored 77 not out for the 3rd Grade side against Shore School in a Wednesday afternoon game. He had also been playing in the local competition where he scored runs regularly for Macdonaldtown along with his older brother, John. If he played any other games for University, their details have flown away with the winds.
And four months before this unlikely 1st Grade debut, Bardsley had been selected in the squad of ‘Sydney Juniors’ that was to play against Stoddart’s touring English Test team at the SCG. The ‘Juniors’ were not necessarily younger players but they were made up of those playing in the local competition bolstered by some of those who would go on to represent Australia with distinction. 17 year old Victor Trumper scored 67 and 20 year old Monty Noble made an undefeated 152 in the Juniors’ imposing 9 declared for 443. Stoddart’s side limped to 6 for 151 and were happy to depart. Bardsley, however, did not appear. For some reason, he was unavailable and he returned to the Macdonaldtown side without the benefit of having faced the seasoned English bowlers.
After 1895, he appears to have played lower grades for Glebe although this is uncertain. References simply to ‘Bardsley’ could have meant one of a number of players with that surname. His family was in all likelihood not related to the other Bardsleys from Glebe who produced the Australian player, Warren, and his brother, ‘Mick’, who played for SUCC and NSW.
Ernest’s studies began to falter as he spent two years, 1896 and 1897 in Medicine IV before setting off for Scotland where, by 1900, he had achieved a triple licentiate from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Back in Sydney, he was Registered Medical Practitioner 2257, Dr EA Bardsley.
In August 1902, Dr Bardsley married Annie Mary, known as ‘Lena’ (nee Rabone) 1880-1924, the youngest daughter of Reverend William Thomas Rabone (who had previously been a missionary in Tonga) and Ellen Rabone 1842-1918.
Lena’s grandfather, Reverend Stephen Rabone, had been the first Chairman of Council of Newington College in 1865.
Dr Bardsley and Lena were to have three sons of whom the eldest, Eric John, known as ‘Rick’ (1903-1958) was to gain both fame and notoriety.
The Rabones were devout Wesleyans and the Bardsleys worshipped at the Church of Christ Tabernacle in Metropolitan Road Enmore where the church organ was installed in 1910 by John and Ernest in memory of their parents.
The Bardsley family had owned grocery and produce stores in Glebe and in the city in the second part of the nineteenth century. John Edward Bardsley (1829-1909) married Janet Buchanan (1833-1906) and Ernest Alexander was the youngest of their six children, three of whom died in infancy. The family also adopted Robert Ewan Alexander Jeffrey (1884-1966), thirteen years younger than Ernest and later Managing Director of ‘Bardsleys Ltd.”
Ernest was sent to Sydney Boys’ High School just after it had been opened, before joining his brother, John Edward, in January 1889 at conveniently situated Newington College, only five minutes’ walk from the Bardsleys’ home in Cavendish Street Stanmore. He was immediately selected in the College 1st XI. Although he was considered a “steady bat and good fielder”, he achieved little in his first season: 5 innings for 35 runs. Nevertheless, he was selected again in 1889-90, although his highest score of 54 was over half his runs in 8 innings. What sort of batsman he was, left or right handed, attacking or dour, has, unfortunately, been lost in the mists of time.
He passed his Matriculation exams to Sydney University in 1890 and began his studies in Arts. But he seems to have discontinued studies until he began studying Medicine in 1894.
After returning to Australia and qualifying as a doctor, EA Bardsley does not appear to have played any organised cricket again.
His son, ‘Rick’, however, followed his father and his uncle to Newington where he was a supremely talented and versatile sportsman, of imposing physique, who representing the College’s 1st VIII rowing crew that won the ‘Head of the River’ in 1921, the 1st XI for four seasons, 1920-1923, the last two as captain, and the 1st XV for three seasons. During this time Dr Bardsley was on the College Council representing the old boys of the College. Rick was a backrower, number 8, who went on to play 1st Grade Rugby for Norths and to be selected against New Zealand in three games which have subsequently been accorded Test status, in 1928. He is Wallaby no244. He captained Norths 1st Grade to a Premiership in 1935 and after a number of seasons with Gordon, became a forceful President of Norths.
Two incidents brought him into the headlines once more.
While depositing money in a bank in Martin Place, he accidentally shot himself in the foot while carrying a loaded revolver in his pocket.
Then, in 1942, he unwisely sent food parcels to Russia so that his patriotism was called into question. He resigned as President of Norths Rugby.
Bardsley Park?
Dr EA Bardsley, described as a “philanthropist” of Turramurra, was made a Life Member of the Shellharbour City Cricket Club in 1952 and the Club’s home ground, overlooking the coast, was named ‘Bardsley Park.’
Like HV Evatt, who also played just one 1st Grade game for Sydney University, EA Bardsley has a cricket ground named in his honour.
James Rodgers
Acknowledgements:
Adjunct Professor Max Bonnell
Dr Colin Clowes
Mr David Roberts, Archivist Newington College.