Wally Byrne 1905 -1977
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | January 23, 2024
Few men had a greater love of the Randwick District Cricket Club than Wally Byrne. He began as a player and finished as President of the club, a position he held for seven years between 1952 and 1958.
Walter Leslie Byrne was born in Sydney on 10 August 1905 and joined Randwick in 1926-27 from the Centennial Park Junior Association as a 21 year old. He played in the 2nd Grade side taking out the batting average with 191 at 27.28 and was quickly promoted to 1st Grade where he impressed greatly as a wicket-keeper. The annual report that year contained the following comment: “Wally’s wicket-keeping was a big factor in our success and good judges predict a big future for this unassuming colt”.
Wally was an outstanding wicket-keeper as his 239 1st Grade career victims will testify. He was also a batsman considered at his best in a crisis. Wal loved a dog fight. In 1928-29, his third season with the club, Wally was selected as the ‘keeper on the NSWCA team’s tour of Northern NSW under the captaincy of Alan Kippax. And while further representative honours failed to materialise, it was no reflection on the ability of Wally as a wicket-keeper / batsman.
By 1932-33, Wally Byrne was captain of the Randwick First XI. In the four years he skippered the side, it finished 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 2nd. It was an amazing effort and only bad luck prevented the team not taking out a premiership or two during that period. In 1936-37, Wal stood down in favour of the great Alec Marks who led the side to premiership glory two years later. It was Wally’s only premiership and the records show that in the final match against Glebe, he snared a brilliant leg side catch regarded as the greatest fielding of the season to grab a win and take the title. Wally effected 23 dismissals behind the stumps that season, 14 caught and nine stumped.
Wally Byrne was not one to stand idly by when there was work to be done and he was elected to the Randwick management committee in 1928 where he remained for the following 13 years. Similarly, on 5 March 1942 the 36 year old joined the Australian Army where he served with distinction for three years. Because of his age, he was denied the opportunity to serve overseas. However, shortly after enlisting, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and leader of his platoon. He was trained for service in the Signal Division in Morse Code and radio communications. Subsequently, he was sent to Darwin when the Japanese bombed and remained there until the end of the war. And while he survived the ravages of World War II, he suffered a bad abdomen wound when thrown out of a truck on the way home from Darwin after peace was declared.
When he signed up for the services in 1942, Wally retired as a player and was immediately elected a vice-president. His club career record was 1,729 runs with 253 completed dismissals as a wicket-keeper, of which 138 were caught and 115 stumped.
Returning to civilian life in 1945, Wally resumed his active interest in the Randwick club as a volunteer and selector and in 1952 he was made a Life Member. That same year, he was elected to the coveted position of President, a role he performed with admiration and distinction until 1958 when he decided to retire from cricket administration.
Wally Byrne was a sportsman of the highest degree, a dedicated family man and a devout church-going Christian. He brought those ideals to all aspects of his involvement with the Randwick club which earned him the total respect of all who knew him personally or through his association with cricket and the Randwick club.
An indication of his dedication to Randwick and the game he loved was illustrated by an incident during the course of a 1st Grade match at Kensington Oval in October 1933. A member of the Randwick team was Dr. William McCristal, a fine left-hand bat and later captain of the team. However, on this occasion, Wally was in charge of the side and was a little upset to learn that the Doc had to leave the ground to deliver a baby. Once the delivery was complete, Dr McCristal returned to the game although Wally’s enquiry of the details of the birth did not eventuate until the fall of the next wicket. This was an amazing display of patience and restraint by the skipper as the baby Dr McCristal delivered, was in fact Wally’s daughter, Judy!!
Wally continued to follow the exploits of the Randwick club and its members until his death on 11 August 1977 at Brighton-le-Sands aged 72. In a tribute to Wally in the 1977-78 annual report following his passing, Stroy Donnan suggested that if the then current members “followed his example both on and off the field, then all would be well with the Randwick District Cricket Club”.
