BIO

Burra boy Edward Lockyer, or, less likely, his younger brother Henry, filled a spot in the team for Norwood’s last match of the 1884 season, against lowly North Adelaide at Kensington Oval. After six successive premierships, Norwood had passed the crown to Port Adelaide for the first time the week before.  Not only did Norwood go down in a tough match but Paddy Roachock was later suspended for rough play. Norwood had signified its intention to defy the ban and play Roachock against North, bringing a larger than usual crowd to Kensington for a game of little consequence.

Norwood scrambled to make up a team but after a short delay E. T. Woods, Tonkin, Coombe and Lockyer were pressed into service. Letchford opened the scoring for Norwood.  North attacked but, as reported by The South Australian Register, “Tonkin and Waldron relieved the pressure, and sent on to Roachock, who carried right up the centre and gave to Lockyer (sub).  The Burraman at once passed to Letchford, and second goal was hoisted.”  Norwood went on to win 7.7 to 1.7.

Edward was born at Rhynie on 7 August 1864.  He was the eldest son of Edward Charles Catchlove Lockyer, who became the managing director of the Burra Unicorn Brewery, and his wife Margaret nee Kearns.  Their later children were Henry, born at Norwood on 14 November 1865, James, Charles, Harriet, William, George and Rosa.

Edward and Henry attended St Peter’s College from 1880-81.  Presumably it was Edward, at 16, who was one of his team’s better players in the 4.15 to 0.4 defeat by Prince Alfred College in May 1881.  Edward worked for the Bank of Australasia for three years and then experienced station life as a drover in NSW and Queensland before running the clerical department of his father’s brewery.  In 1889 he captained the Burra team which lost to a visiting Norwood team, 10.13 to 2.3.  Henry also played for Burra.

Edward and two brothers ran the brewery for three years after their father’s death in 1891.  Edward then moved to Adelaide and married Annie Calder at College Park Congregational Church in 1894.  They settled in Kangaroo Island and established a popular guest house, “Burra Burra”.  Edward was active in community affairs and served as secretary of the Kingscote Racing Club.  He died at Magill on 5 September 1950.

P Robins February 2021

 * Picture kindly supplied by Andrea McKinnon-Matthews, Archivist at St Peter’s College