BIO

James Kippist was true red-and-blue.  He grew up almost in lock-step with the newly arrived Norwood Football Club, where his esteemed father served as secretary from 1885 to 1893.

Born at Norwood on 31 October 1877 to Richard Kippist and his wife Janette, née Jennings, James was secretary of the Osmond Football Club in 1895-96 and a delegate to the Eastern Suburban Football Association.  He also captained the Osmond Cricket Club in 1897-98 before representing East Torrens as a useful all-rounder in the East Torrens Cricket Association.

James played a handful of senior matches with Norwood without arousing much interest. In the first two games of 1897, both at Kensington Oval, he no doubt enjoyed the whitewash of West Adelaide and West Torrens while Norwood scored 4.12 and 10.12.   At the start of the 1898 season he took part in a tame game at Jubilee Oval where Norwood demolished West Adelaide 14.19 to three goals.  At Adelaide Oval on 20 August, he came into a weak Norwood team which succumbed to Port Adelaide 10.14 to 3.1. After that, work and marriage claimed his attention.

James joined the Adelaide City Council in 1898 as a clerk under the aegis of his father, who was highly respected as treasurer and city valuer.  When Richard retired in October 1922, James succeeded him as city valuer and held the position until he retired early in 1933 through ill-health which had forced him to take leave of absence since October 1931.

At the North Adelaide Congregational Church on 9 August 1904 James married Mildred Williams, whose father, Charles, was one of the founders of the SA Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association.

Tragedy struck the Kippist family in the following month when James’s younger brother, Herbert, 25, was riding his bicycle to work and came into collision with a cart.  He died in hospital from a fractured skull.

James Kippist died at his Fullarton Estate residence on 28 September 1943.  He was survived by his widow and children Stuart and Jean.

P. Robins, G. Adams March 2020