SPORT

There ’ s little doubt that Reg “ Snowy ” Baker can be acknowledged as one of the greatest sportsmen this country , indeed the world , has ever produced .

Baker competed at state or national level in 29 different sports , representing Australia at international level in five of them – Rugby Union , diving , boxing , swimming and polo .

He was an elite performer at rowing , equestrian events , athletics , yachting , fencing , surfing and hockey .

He was also star on the silver screen in the early days of movie making in this country .

Baker moved to California in the 1921 where he made a name for himself , finding minor roles in nine movies and teaching a host of actors how to ride .

These included Douglas Fairbanks , Elizabeth Taylor , Shirley Temple , Greta Garbo and Rudolph Valentino .

70turned to Australia for short visits in 1925 , 1932 and 1952 , eventually going to his maker just on 70 years ago on December 2 , 1953 , due to cerebrovascular disease .

Baker was cremated and his ashes deposited somewhere in his adopted country – not that many Down Under wanted any part of him returning home .

And that includes yours truly and his fellow members of the Les Darcy Club .

Sure , Baker can be described as a very talented athlete but all members of our club , as well as many out there in Public Land , could put forward other descriptions of the man .

Most of which would be used in talking about the nether regions of a man or woman . Use your imagination ! Yep , as far as we Les Darcy Club members are concerned , Baker was a disgrace to this country .

He and his like-minded business partner , H . D “ Huge Deal ” McIntosh , were responsible for Darcy ’ s death , far away from his loved ones in Australia in America , on May 24 , 1917 .

Sure , they didn ’ t poison him , throw him out of a 10 storey window or plug him with a bullet , but they were the mongrels who forced him to flee our shores which indeed led to his death . Let me put you in the picture . Through his boxing Les was supporting his alcoholic father who wouldn ’ t work in an iron lung , his beloved mother and 11 siblings , one of which was still at the breast .

When World War I broke out in early

1914 , the then Prime Minister , Andrew Fisher , immediately told Britain that we would be sending them cannon fodder .

A move heartily embraced later that year by his successor , the despicable Billy Hughes .

Despite the youth of our country being slaughtered at Gallipoli and on the Western Front where 28,000 alone were killed , wounded or missing in action throughout July and August 1916 , Hughes was as keen as mustard to send more of our men over to fight .

With the huge drop in men volunteering to throw their lives away , Hughes held a national plebiscite to get the OK to conscript them .

The plebiscite was only defeated narrowly . Unbelievable ! Back to Les . At the outbreak of the war , in the fervour to get over to help Britain “ win the war before the next Christmas ”, men flocked to join up and among them were a couple of Les ’ Maitland mates .

The 18-year-old budding boxing champion wanted to follow his cobbers into uniform , but his parents refused to sign the enlistment papers as you needed their permission if under 21 years of age . As the year wore on , and the body count grew , the army wanted to enlist Les to join up and promote recruitment but by then Les wasn ’ t interested in helping send more men to the blood-sacked battlefields .

Cutting to the chase , with boxing on the wane due to lack of quality imports venturing Down Under , Les decided to

This small gold locket contains a portrait and a lock of hair of Australia ’ s ‘ golden boy of boxing ’ Les Darcy . It tells a poignant story of heroism , tragedy , love and mourning . The locket was donated to the National Museum Australia by Father Kevin Hannan , the son of Winnie O ’ Sullivan , Darcy ’ s first and only love . head to the USA for three fights against top quality boxers over a three-month period which he would have earned him US $ 90,000 ( A20,000 pounds ).

He said that sort of money would set up his parent and siblings for life – at that stage he was the only family member earning a quid .

After those three bouts he said he would return to Australia to join up but drop-kick Hughes , and Sydney Stadium partners , McIntosh and Baker , thwarted the plan .

Hughes ensured he wouldn ’ t get a passport as the two mongrels were desperate to lose their meal ticket to the Americans promoters .

In fact , a few months earlier , they wanted Baker to take Les over to the States so they could get their whack of the fight proceeds , but Les didn ’ t want a bar of ‘ em .

So , Les stows away on a steamer and arrives in New York only to find out McIntosh and Baker had contacted every major media outlet across the States , calling him a draft dodger .

Every time Les tee-ed up a fight , various state governors stepped in and vetoed the stoush .

Les ’ health , and spirit deteriorated , and on May 24 , 1917 , he died from septicemia and complications .

THE DRAMATIST trained at Scone by Rodney Northam , is as honest as they come and going on his slashing third in 900m open trial on October 16 at his home track , is primed to strike early in his new preparation .

I LIKE BIG PUTTS is out of David Smith ’ s Mudgee yard and there was plenty to like about his all the way 1010m trial win at Orange on October 15 . Speedy type and will be heading to the highways in town .

BACCHANALIA has his share of class and he looks ready to hit his straps first up this preparation going on slashing , hard held , close-up 2 nd in 1000m H ’ bury trial on October 16 .

DODI is a newcomer to Mick Attard ’ s H ’ bury stables , switching camps from the Maher-Eustace camp . Showed great pace and fought on strongly to beat handy field in 1000m trial on own track on October 16 .

After his death , his body was embalmed and returned to Australia on June 26 and a crowd , estimated at over 200,000 ( not too many young men !) jammed the streets to witness the coffin carried to Central Railway Station for its final journey to Maitland and burial .

The following is an extract from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame into which Les was inducted in 1985 .

“ As with so many other young Australians during the war years , Darcy ’ s death represented promise unfulfilled .

“ Darcy fought 50 times , lost four and won 29 of his bouts by knockout .

“ Though never recognised in the US , Darcy ’ s two fights against Jeff Smith were billed as being for the world title as were two other fights against Mick King and Eddie McGoorty .”

Darcy was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993 , the World Boxing Hall of Fame in October 1998 , and the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003 .

TONY BRASSEL

BIG BOUNCER showed scintillating turn of foot to post effortless allthe-way 100m trial win at H ’ bury on October 16 . Unraced Frosted ( USA ) 3YO out of the Black Ryan stables .

CANNONBALL : Clocked a fast-run 46.96 ( last 600m in a sizzling 32.24 ) in winning 800m trial at H ’ bury on October 16 . Top-class 4YO ready to hit his straps first-up .

Team

BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 32 // NOVEMBER 2023 29