BIO

Arthur Hill was one of five brothers who played football for Norwood. He and his older brother Percy made their debuts in 1889 and were followed later by Frank, Roy and Stanley. Arthur also was the first of the six Hill siblings who played first-class cricket for South Australia, paving the way for the famous Clem, a future Test captain, Percy, Harry, Roy and Stanley.

Arthur was born in Adelaide on 28 May 1871 into the Methodist household of Henry John Hill, known as John, and his wife Rebecca Eliza, née Saunders. John Hill extended the mail-coach business previously run in SA by Cobb & Co and later became Railways Commissioner.  He was an enthusiastic cricketer who made the first century at Adelaide Oval, 102 for North Adelaide against the local Kent club on 30 January 1878.  The Hills had eight sons and eight daughters.  All of the boys attended Prince Alfred College.

In 1888, Arthur was an emergency for the intercollegiate match football with St Peter's. The Prince Alfred Chronicle said "he has plenty of judgment but is too slow".  A year later, when PAC won 8.11 to 2.6, Arthur "was very useful to his side, he appeared to be wherever he was wanted and always secured his kick". 

Norwood Football Club patron Sir Edwin Smith presented Arthur with a bat after he top-scored with 98 of Prince Alfred's score of 267 in the intercollegiate cricket match of 1887, setting up his team's 27-run win over St Peter's. Arthur played five first-class cricket matches for SA between 1890 and 1893, scoring 121 runs with a best score of 60.  In later years he was a prominent lawn bowler with the Unley Park, Adelaide Oval and Glenelg clubs.

He was associated with A. Pengelley & Co, of Edwardstown, for 40 years and became secretary and accountant with the firm.

Arthur had been a member of the Marion Council for two years when he died at Glenelg at the age of 65 on 22 June 1936.  He was survived by two daughters, Mrs H. Kavanaugh of Victoria and Mrs R. Curnow of WA

P Robins July 2018