A Sporting All-rounder

Campbelltown has produced a number of sports people that have got on to make a name for themselves in the national and international arenas. Names like Joe Quinn, Alyson Annan and Jack Crawford come to mind. However, I discovered on the weekend that another sportsman from Campbelltown had success in two sports and his name has largely been forgotten.

Cecil Dudley Seddon was born in Campbelltown on 3 July 1902 to parents Hezekiah and Janet. He dropped his first name and became known throughout his life as Dudley. The Seddon family played an important role in the development of Campbelltown. Dudley's father Joseph Pickles Seddon moved to Campbelltown in 1887 and purchased the cordial manufacturing business off Mrs Hurley. The factory was located in Short Street, opposite the train station.

Dudley first took an interest in rugby league and excelled at it. He played for the Newtown "Blue Bags" from 1920 to 1926. He was one of the New South Wales rugby league team's three-quarters in a representative match against Queensland on 5 June 1921.

Although Dudley was described as tenacious and plucky, he was quite small in stature and it was this disadvantage that made him switch to his other passion- cricket. He made his first-class cricket debut in a 1926/27 Sheffield Shield match against Queensland. A middle order batsman, Seddon made just six and four. 

He had to wait a year to make his next appearance, which came against Tasmania. Dudley failed again, only making 10 and 22 in his two innings.

He made three appearances in New South Wales's winning 1928/29 Sheffield Shield campaign. His best performance came against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he made a pair of half centuries (80 and 59). In his final first class innings that summer, he made a career best 134 against Tasmania.

However, it was probably as a national selector that Seddon became famous. He was a selector for the national team along with Sir Donald Bradman and Jack Ryder for the 1954/55 season against England. He was a national selector from 1954 to 1967.

Dudley Seddon died at Dulwich Hill in 1978. 

Written by Andrew Allen

Hurley's "Smash" Hit

As we are in the middle of the cricket season, I thought I would dig up a local news article that I came across a while ago. In 1926 A Mr Bland Clayton of Minto spoke to a reporter from the Campbelltown News about a cricket match that he remembered in Mawson Park around 1865. He explained that he was the person responsible for introducing round arm bowling to Campbelltown that year. This new method of bowling was met with much resistance from the locals however. He went on to say "the batsmen contributed no small share in disapproving of the new bowling, claiming that the ball was literally thrown at the batsmen and wicket." In this particular match between the locals and a Sydney team, one Sydney player refused to bowl round arm to the batsman John Hurley, a local business identity and ex-convict. He said he would demonstrate the way it should be bowled. This brought a smile to Hurley. His reply was to lift the ball with an almighty swing over Howe Street (this was a street that used to run between the park and St Peters Church) and it crashed through the window of the church. One wonders if the bowler considered giving round arm a try after this!

       Cricketer Alfred Mynn in 1853 bowling with the controversial round arm action

I noticed in an article from the same paper two weeks later there was a petition to have cricket played in Mawson Park again. Alderman Gamble was behind the push. Apparently the wicket had been destroyed in favour of a garden. However Gamble argued that "The reserve in its present state was nothing but a bird's nest, full of swallows and sparrows, it is an eyesore to the town and a disgrace to the Municipality, and the pitch was ruined for nothing but petty spite." Gamble's motion was lost in council and a cricket pitch was never made in the park again.

                     An undated photograph of Mawson Park (Clissold Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, 22 January and 5 February 1926

McBarron, E.J.
Mawson Park, Campbelltown NSW: Notes on History and Trees

"The Don" Plays at Menangle

There was great excitement in the small village of Menangle when the great Don Bradman participated in a match in 1929. Although he had only played in 4 tests at that stage, Bradman had already created a big impression in that short time. He scored 112 and 79 in the third test at Melbourne earlier in the year and was suddenly becoming a household name.

Bradman took part in a match between a Combined Metropolitan XI and a team called Menangle and District played on Camden Park Estate at Menangle on 7 April 1929. The combined team batted first and scored 9 declared for 184 with "The Don" scoring only 13! He was out to a caught and bowled 'hot one' by a J.O Mulley. Menangle replied with 162 all out. Bradman shared the opening bowling attack and took 3 for 25.

At the conclusion of the game Mr John Hickey, President of the Menangle Cricket Club, extended a very warm welcome to the visiting team. He admitted that the ground was a 'little bumpy' and not what the city boys would normally be used to. He then congratulated Don Bradman on what he had achieved in recent test matches and wished him luck in the upcoming Ashes trip to England. Little did he know that Bradman would completely re-write the record books and establish himself as the greatest batsman of all time.

Bradman replied that it was the first time he had played at Menangle, but would be only too pleased to come back. He remarked that the locals did exceptionally well with the bat.

Joining J.O. Mulley in claiming Bradman's wicket in another match was a local Campbelltown identity Bon Wrightson.  Bon was playing as wicket-keeper for Berrima in a match against Bowral when he removed the bails to run the great man out. Bradman apparently never forgot his adversary and even sent him a telegram on his 85th birthday!

We would love to hear from relatives or anyone who knew J.O. Mulley- the man that dismissed the great Don Bradman at Menangle.

Below are two photographs that include Don Bradman taken on that day at Menangle. Bradman is second from the left at the back in the group photograph. 

Update

A search of the Ryerson Index revealed a James Olly Mulley from Camden  had died at Camden on 19 January 1960 aged 67. 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

The Campbelltown-Ingleburn News April 19, 1929

McGill, Jeff
Campbelltown Clippings
Campbelltown City Council 1993

Just Not Cricket!

I recently came across an amusing article from the Australian Town and Country Journal dated December 30, 1878. The article was based on a report of a cricket match between Campbelltown and a combined team from Menangle and Morton Park played on December 28. After Campbelltown won by 13 runs the reporter described how "The losing team were most "splendidly" treated, being left to fish for themselves, not even a sandwich or a glass of beer being provided by the Campbelltown Club. The sooner the committee resign the better." One would hope they lifted their game!

              Above is a photograph taken in 1881 of a cricket match at "Glen Lorne" on Appin Road.

Written by Andrew Allen