BIO
George Schober was a young Victorian who enjoyed the company at the Kensington Football Club before playing with South Park in 1883 and Norwood in 1884.
Among his Kensington teammates in 1882 were seven other past or future Norwood men - Alfred Burton, Thomas Caterer, William Collett, Jack Coward, Alf Fry, John Lyell and Alf Roberts – as well as Harry Sadler, who went on to play with Port Adelaide and West Perth.
George made his Norwood debut against South Park at Adelaide Oval in 1884. Norwood cruised to victory, 9.16 to 2.6, and George attracted attention with several fine runs down the wing. ‘Goalpost’ in the Evening Journal declared that new players Randall, Burton and Schober “will prove an acquisition”, but it is not clear if George played any more SA Football Association matches.
He was, however, a member of the Norwood party which visited Melbourne in May 1884. He was named in the team which kicked 3.12 to Carlton’s 3.14 for a draw (behinds not counting), then went down fighting to Geelong, 2.4 to 3.8, and to Melbourne, 3.6 to 4.8.
George also made his mark on the local cricket scene. Playing for Norwood against The Register at Kensington Oval in 1882, he made a duck as an opening batsman but then took 6/32 off 60 balls, including a hat trick, to dismiss the newspaper team for 50 and clinch victory by 13 runs.
Gustave Paul Schober, known as George, was born at Hawthorn, Victoria, on 30 July 1859 to Theodor and Augusta Schober, whose younger children were Theodor, Karl, Otto, Adolph and Emma.
George was an engraver and may have worked for the Suhard jewellery firm. He was 25 when he married Elizabeth Anna, 20, fifth daughter of James Bartlett, at her parental home at Glenberry Hills, near Blackwood, SA, in January 1885. The newlyweds moved to Melbourne where they raised Adelaide (Mrs Della Greenhill), Clarence, Albert and Walter. George was the employes’ representative on the Engravers’ Wages Board in 1910. He died at Toorak on 4 January 1929. His widow lived to 1954.
P. Robins, M. Giles, D. Cox, G. Adams May 2022