HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT IND 192 May 2026 | Seite 12

HAWKESBURY HISTORY

with Michelle Nichols & Jonathan Auld

On the Ropes: boxing in the Hawkesbury

Boxing was a very popular spectator sport in the past, with the Hawkesbury district producing its fair share of champions. Apparently informal bareknuckle bouts were staged amongst convicts and soldiers after the arrival of the First Fleet, as a form of entertainment and an opportunity for wagering.

In the past, illegally organised bouts drew spectators across the various social classes and contests were held at hotels or outdoor gatherings. The unregulated bouts were often associated with gambling and disorder. One of the earliest records of a boxing match in the colony, appeared in the Sydney Gazette in 1814, between John Berringer and Charles Sefton.

Jack Kable dominated boxing during the 1820s. Born in Windsor, the son of convicts, Jack was athletic and agile. He reigned supreme for several years. He beat Bill Clark in a match on Parramatta Road in 1824 and was successful in a fight against Joe Dargin at the Windsor Racecourse,

Portrait of Colin Clarke 1935-1969. Courtesy State Library of NSW. in 11 rounds. Jack was beaten by Ned Chalker, another local champion, in a bare-knuckle fight with £ 100 side bet, on Windsor Road in 1832. The following year Kable got in the ring with local Joe Dargin, and won but it was his final fight. Kable was determined never to fight again. He died in 1859.

A fight was held at the Windsor Racecourse in 1836, between George Gaudry and James Bishop with the stakes £ 20 to the winner. About an hour into the fight, Bishop lost consciousness and the attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Gaudry was sentenced to six months in Windsor Gaol with a number of others involved, including the timekeeper and some of the spectators, charged with participating in the fight.

In the 1850s, the Teale brothers of Wilberforce, Harry and Joe, were known as some of the best boxers in the Hawkesbury, and were undefeated.“ These encounters were generally brought off in some quiet spot in the bush …” In 1858 there was a fight arranged between Hawkesburyite Frank Norris and Sydneysider Dick Hunt. The stakes were high(£ 2OO aside) and a ring was erected outside of Windsor. After a long fight with several foul calls, Hunt was called the winner, much to the dismay of the locals.

Bare-fisted contests were banned in 1884 and in later years, boxing became more regulated following‘ Queensberry Rules’ and the wearing of gloves. In the 20th century, boxing remained popular in the Hawkesbury, but not like in previous years. Jimmy Sharman’ s Boxing Troupe visited the district as part of the Hawkesbury Show and“ provided heaps of thrills for those who enjoy a good bout.” Sharman established a boxing tent before the First World War, which visited all over the countryside, operating until 1971.

After the Second World War, there was a comeback of boxing, locally. In the 1940s boxing and wrestling shows were popular in the district. In 1941, a fund raiser was held for patriotic efforts with a boxing and wrestling show at the Windsor Picture Theatre. In 1951, an event was held at the RAAF Base featuring a display of boxing. The proceeds went towards the‘ Miss Air Force’ candidate raising funds for an Olympic pool.

The career of heavyweight boxer Jim Woods spanned from 1948 to 1952. Jim moved to Marsden Park with his family as a young man and worked at Riverstone Meatworks. He learnt to box at Billy Teale’ s Parramatta gym. Teale was“ a former Riverstone resident, [ who ] had been the Army’ s Heavyweight Boxing Champion in World War 1.” Jim turned professional in 1948 with 52 professional fights to his name, winning 33 and was knocked out six times. He fought in many venues around NSW and also in Melbourne. His final fight was in Singapore in 1952, where he lost against Fijian champion Isimeli Radrodro.

In the 1950s, a local boxer, Colin Clarke, was deemed to be“ national champion material” and recognised as a“ sensational puncher.” Colin was born in Windsor in 1935, son of William and Winifred. His debut was in 1953 with a career spanning until 1957. His prowess was recognised early and he trained with Aub Gllespie then Billy Lawrence at Granville. He won the Australian Lightweight title in 1954 and recorded 197 rounds in his career. He was regarded,“ as one of the hardest punchers ever seen in the Australian ring” with a knockout rate of 89.3 %. A few years later, he renounced the title and retired. He married Merlene Zander in 1956 and they eventually lived at Maraylya. Tragically, Colin died in a car accident on Pitt Town Road in 1969, aged 34, a father of three. He is buried at Pitt Town.

Early in his career, Colin trained with Aub Gillespie in Riverstone. Aub was an ardent cyclist and boxer from Bathurst. When Aub was only 17, he“ was billed as the Lightweight K. O. King of the West.” His career included“ 40 fights in the ring, 300 tent fights and 40 street fights.” He settled in Riverstone after the war in 1946 and established the‘ Outer Town Gym’ in his backyard. Local boxers were trained by Aub as well as many of the local football team. Sadly his gym and equipment was badly damaged in the

Ned Chalker’ s letter to editor in Hills Life in NSW 31 Aug 1832. Courtesy Trove.

1961 flood. A number of the young men who trained with Gillespie went onto to be very capable boxers, including Clarke and George Cafe, a promising young fighter.

Originally, women were not encouraged in the world of boxing. From the late 19th century some classes were being offered but the opportunity to compete was hampered due to the banning of women in the sport. Since the 2000s, women are now able to train and compete locally, nationally and at world championships. One example is Indy Aquilina, Hawkesbury’ s 2025 Sportsperson of the Year. Talented at a number of sports, she won gold in the 38kg Australian Amateur Boxing League titles and bronze in the 44.5kg.

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10 ISSUE 192 // MAY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT