BIO

In 1921, legendary Norwood captain ‘Topsy’ Waldron studied an old photograph and identified G. Farmer as one of his premiership players from 40 years before.

It is likely that he was known as George and that he played at least five regular senior games in 1881, helping Norwood to its fourth successive premiership. He began that season in style .  Playing on the left wing, he opened the goalscoring with a “long drop” which set Norwood on the path to a 4.6 to 1.3 victory over Port Adelaide.

Norwood fought valiantly before going down to Carlton, 3.12 to 1.5, in slippery conditions before nearly 4,000 patrons at Adelaide Oval on Monday 20 June 1881. Farmer played that day, though The South Australian Register gives him the initial R rather than G.

Newspapers had problems with his initials from the start.  He was G. Farmer as a prominent member of the Norwood Second Twenty in 1879 and A. Farmer as captain of that team in 1880.

A.G. Farmer was a leading member of the South Suburban Cricket Club.  In 1881 he was club captain and won selection in the Stragglers team, chosen from a number of clubs to play matches in Victoria.  In 1882 he won a gold medal for best batting average in the South Suburban First XI.

Albert George Farmer was born at North Adelaide on 10 March 1859 to John Farmer and his wife Penelope (Williams).  He married Lily Whitwell in Adelaide on 4 August 1915. He was 80 when he died at Knoxville on 13 January 1939, survived by his widow, son Maxwell and daughter Florence.  He is buried at St Saviour’s, Glen Osmond.

P. Robins, R. Walsh, G. Adams, D. Cox May 2024