Dan Palmer's grandfather, Harold.

[wamberal]

In an article in this morning's Hurled, Dan Palmer mentioned that his grandfather, Harold, played for New South Wales. Sure enough, when I looked at the records, a Harold Palmer played once for the state in 1963.


Does anybody know which club he played for, probably a country club, I would guess. Peter, Dan's father, was from the South Coast IIRC, so maybe so was Harold.

 

[Bruce Ross]

In an article in this morning's Hurled, Dan Palmer mentioned that his grandfather, Harold, played for New South Wales. Sure enough, when I looked at the records, a Harold Palmer played once for the state in 1963.

Does anybody know which club he played for, probably a country club, I would guess. Peter, Dan's father, was from the South Coast IIRC, so maybe so was Harold.

Harold ‘Hadja’ Palmer was born in 1931 and died in 2008. He played for Port Kembla Surf Rugby Club.

He represented Illawarra in 13 consecutive Country Week carnivals between 1956 and 1968. As you suggest, wamberal, the Waratahs site lists him as only playing once for the State, but my recollection was that he played more games than that. He certainly represented NSW Country for many years.

In surf lifesaving he was an outstanding surf and belt race competitor, representing New South Wales in 1954, 1955 and at the Olympic Surf Carnival held in Torquay Victoria in 1956. He won the Australian Interstate Belt Race in 1955

 

[Cutter]

Good knowledge Bruce. You and Lee are the Gordon Brays of TYS.

 

[wamberal]

Thanks, Bruce.

 

[barbarian]

Come on Bruce, mate, I expect better. Where did he go to school? Who was his favourite tennis player of the 1940s? Who did he vote for in the 1972 election? Did he prefer boxers or briefs?

 

[Bruce Ross]

Come on Bruce, mate, I expect better. Where did he go to school? Who was his favourite tennis player of the 1940s? Who did he vote for in the 1972 election? Did he prefer boxers or briefs?

1. Wollongong Junior Secondary Technical School

2. Only guessing but probably John Bromwich although Frank Sedgman won the Australian Championship in 1949. Other possibilities would have been Dinny Pails or Adrian Quist.

3. FMH! He spent all his life in Port Kembla. Labor of course.

4. FMH! Boxers? He spent every summer weekend in sluggos and was probably part of the last generation who wore jockstraps playing rugby. So it would be either Bonds y-fronts or commando. I was in the opposition dressing room. and in any case in those days you never let your eyes stray anywhere near another bloke's wedding tackle. Nowadays they take photos of one another's gear and do group hugs in the sheds or on the field. You wouldn't have wanted to put your arm around Hadja other than in a scrum or maul.

Bloody boxers! He would have been laughed out of the surf club, the rugby club and particularly the Port Kembla pubs.

 

[barbarian]

:yay :yay :yay

Haha that made my day Bruce. Well played.

 

[Lee Grant]

Other possibilities would have been Dinny Pails or Adrian Quist.

Reminds me of something funny I heard about when Quist was still playing - but you have to appreciate what rhyming slang is.

This journalist approaches an Aussie player arriving with all his tennis gear before a day at Wimbledon and asks: "Are you Adrian Quist?"

"Are you serious?" he said, "It's only 10 o'clock in the morning."

 

[Bruce Ross]

Reminds me of something funny I heard about when Quist was still playing - but you have to appreciate what rhyming slang is.

This journalist approaches an Aussie player arriving with all his tennis gear before a day at Wimbledon and asks: "Are you Adrian Quist?"

"Are you serious?" he said, "It's only 10 o'clock in the morning."

LG, a couple of other Australians whose names have similarly been immortalised were a Miss Australia of the 'Forties, Shirley Bliss, and the great jockey, Edgar Britt.

Serious devotees of rhyming slang, here or in London, always use the abbreviated forms so that only the cognoscenti or those with a gift for interpreting cryptic clues understand the reference. As a consequence of my self-appointed role in mentoring later generations there are more than a few younger people who comprehend what I mean when I talk about "going for a Shirley" or "going for an Edgar". I like to think that one or two might themselves use the same terminology so that the names of these illustrious Australians live on into the future.

 

[dougdew99]

I've heard the use of "on the Adrian" as slang for "not straight" or "on the twist"...

 

[wamberal]

And, is this Palmer family related to the one and only Bryan?

 

[topo]

And, is this Palmer family related to the one and only Bryan?

As in Bryan Rugby Palmer?
I doubt it, but it sounds like he would have fitted in quite well. I heard a story about him when he was about 80 and a group of thugs tried to get his wallet at a train station. He beat the crap out of them and then asked someone to call an ambulance.

 

[wamberal]

As in Bryan Rugby Palmer?
I doubt it, but it sounds like he would have fitted in quite well. I heard a story about him when he was about 80 and a group of thugs tried to get his wallet at a train station. He beat the crap out of them and then asked someone to call an ambulance.

My favourite memories, as an Eastwood player and supporter, are of that fabulous 1966 season, when he led a team of kids to a grand final.

 

[Old Timer]

My favourite memories, as an Eastwood player and supporter, are of that fabulous 1966 season, when he led a team of kids to a grand final.

Bryan was a great man - he coached me, amongst others, in the mid seventies (that's 1970's for the kids out there) when he was also in his mid seventies, in the Eastwood u/15 junior rep team. We were an absolute shambles until he took control and turned us into something slightly less than a shambles - I'll never forget the first game he came to, just before he started coaching us. It was a 70 or 80 or was it 90 nil thrashing from Parramatta (gratis of Tony Melrose, Brad Selby and others) - to that point in time the most miserable day of my life. We all thought we knew how to play the game until he really taught us how to play - incredible difference he made in only a few short weeks. Interestingly enough few of us ended up playing in the positions we nominated for ourselves initially -he quickly worked out that just because we felt we were stars (that was our first mistake) in a certain position didn't mean we were, or were even suited to it - it was a real lesson in coaching - the first lesson being getting players into the right slot.

Favourite memory of him was we played a visiting team from NZ, and they, as they all seem to, did a haka before the game - Bryan was walking the sideline waving his arms around castigating the ref for allowing them to waste time with that nonsense - he was never lost for an opinion. Total eccentric, incredible rugby brain and a great man.

 

[RugbyFuture]

he coached me.....in the mid seventies (that's 1970's for the kids out there)

I was confused there for a second 1870's? 2070's? thak goodness for the clarification

 

[en_force_er]

I was confused there for a second 1870's? 2070's? thak goodness for the clarification

I would have thought in between 70 and 79 AD. They are after all the original 70s, logically it's the most likely option.

 

[Old Timer]

I was confused there for a second 1870's? 2070's? thak goodness for the clarification

ah yes - good to see that Jesuit education wasn't wasted - actually a good rugby weekend for Aloys, McCabe for Brumbies and Kingston and Foley in the centres for the Waratah A's - not bad for a bunch of, preceived, easy beats!

En force er's comment is, however, more logical -well done boys, the games in safe hands, keep up the good work.

 

[RugbyFuture]

best rugby year aloys have had ever in terms of post school achievements.

 

[Old Timer]

best rugby year aloys have had ever in terms of post school achievements.

depending on how you equate it - yes and no - early 90's (no, don't start that again) Jim Allen (who you don't remember) and Chris Saunders (who I'm guessing you also wouldn't know - but you would know his brother) both played in the Waratahs at the same time, so, yeah, yes and know - both great results.

 

[RugbyFuture]

Yeh but we have Kingston on the verge of proffesionalism, Foley basically there and marked as a leader and McCabe who can make it as a wallaby maybe, as well as Jono Owen in the brumbie runners and a couple of others around below that.

I wouldn't remember many, I only graduated 08.