Richard Errington Medalists
Arnold Richard Errington
Born Fryerstown June 2, 1883
Died Melbourne March 16, 1956.
Married Edith Constance Hunt March 12, 1923 in Trafalgar
Father of Lesley Jean and James Lawson.
Richard Errington grew up in Fryerstown, a small communal town in the goldfield region of Victoria located 47 kilometres south of Bendigo, where he was born on June 2, 1883, and became a boiler-maker. His great passion in life at that time was sport. He played in the Castlemaine District cricket team, walking the eight miles into town for the matches. When the Collingwod Cricket Club visited Castlemaine, he was spotted by their talent scouts, and brought to Melbourne to play in the 1907-1908 season. He became captain of their First XI in 1910, and he retained this position for the ensuing four seasons. In 1912-13 he led them to their first premiership. During this time, he also played full-forward for Williamstown, though there is no documented record of his career with them. Consequently, life for the young Richard must have been very full throughout his 20s. However all of this was changed by the outbreak of World War 1.
When hostilities ceased on November 11, 1918, it took some months to repatriate all the troops, so Richard did not leave for home until April 13, 1919. He arrived in Melbourne on June, 1 and turned 36 the following day.
His father, John Errington, had died in 1906 while the family was still living in Fryerstown, so shortly after Richard returned home he came to Trafalgar where his mother then lived with his brothers, Cecil and Jack. Jack Errington had established a billiard room in 1919 after he had returned from the War. He later sold this in 1921 to H. Milner. Jack bought a bakery business about this time, and Richard worked with his brother for a while, until the opportunity arose to buy the newsagency from J. T. Makin.
Soon he was back to his sport. He played football, cricket and golf for Trafalgar. He became captain of the Trafalgar and District cricket team, and the West Gippsland cricket team at Country Week. He returned to form in 1921 when he made 101 against Moe in March of that year. In all he played 150 games for Trafalgar and made eight centuries in so doing (five of them against Drouin). His highest score was 202 against Drouin in January 1928.
Richard also had a brilliant career as a Country Week player. He captained the premiership team in 1925-26 and was awarded the presentation shield. In the 1927 series he scored 167, 176 not out, 162 not out and 45, yielding an average of 276, and won a presentation bat from the Bob Shepard Sports’ Store for the highest score in Country Cricket Week for that season.
Richard was a quiet natured man, calm in crisis, and not given to hasty judgment. These qualities must have appealed to the young Edith Hunt for she married him in the Trafalgar Methodist Church on March 12,1923, three months before his 40th birthday. They set up home on Seven Mile Road, and later moved to a house in Contingent Street, on the present site of the hardware shop. In due course, their first child, a daughter, Lesley Jean , was born on February 16, 1924, and three years later, their son, James Lawson was born on July 13, 1927. Richard was heavily involved with the Returned Service League activities in Trafalgar, and served for a time as president. He played golf in the Diggers’ Day tournaments at Traralgon, and as usual in any sport he undertook, was successful, bringing home yet another trophy. Similarly, he was successful at bowls. He was A Grade skipper until 1941, and won a crystal whisky set on one occasion, when he and Dr Swain were pairs champions.
Because of his personal qualities, his standing in the community and his natural leadership abilities, he was asked to become a Justice of the Peace – a position he accepted. Life at Trafalgar was busy and rewarding for Richard. However as the years passed, he was dogged by ill health. His mother had died at Trafalgar in 1938, and in 1941, he sold his business due to failing health, and went to live in West Preston for the remaining 15 years of his life. He died in the Heidleberg Repatriation Hospital on March 16, 1956. He was 72 years of age.
His legacy lives on today, with the Trafalgar Cricket Club first grade player deemed to be the seasons fairest and best awarded the Richard Errington medal.
2003-04 Graeme Rankin
2004-05 Garry Edwards
2005-06 Trevor Cox
2006-07 Garry Edwards
2007-08 Graeme Rankin
2008-09 William Cheatley
2009-10 James Blaser
2010-11 Daniel Heathcote
2011-12 Klay Butler
2012-13 Rhys Holdsworth and Jackson Noonan
2013-14 Rhys Holdsworth
2014-15 William Cheatley
2015-16 Todd Mann
2016-17 David Bremner Jr
2017-18 David Bremner Jr and Anthony Clarke-Bruce
2018-19 Rhys Holdsworth
2019-20 Rhys Holdsworth
2020-21 Rhys Holdsworth
2021-22 Aydan Connolly
2022-23 Rhys Holdsworth
