Harold Fraser - Serviceman, Cricketer, and Aeronautical engineer
St George Cricket Club | September 11, 2024
By Ronald Cardwell
Flying into Kingsford Smith Airport for some people can be somewhat daunting. We have a St George cricketer to thank for the well laid out runways. With knowledge of aeronautics, our cricketer has ensured that over the past eighty years planes have landed on the north south or the east west runway correctly. This was due to the location of the runways, consideration of possible varying climatic conditions and their construction. The design, and responsibility was that of the former St George cricketer, Harold Fraser.
That same name is also familiar to those cricketers in Sydney who have played at Harold Fraser Oval, Carss Park. It was named in honour of the service provided by Fraser to the St George community on 25th August 1979.
Just who was Harold Fraser? He was born in the inner-city suburb of Newtown on 4 July 1893. At a young age his family moved to the neighbouring suburb of Forest Lodge. Young Harold joined with the local boys in playing cricket and following the deeds of the local Glebe cricketers. There was Oliver Hogue, Warren Bardsley, ‘Tibby’ Cotter and Charles Kelleway. Fraser looked up to these cricketers. One of his teachers at Forest Lodge was William Bardsley, Warren’s father. Rugby union was the winter past time with the Glebe RUFC a draw card for Fraser who also donned the maroon jumper.
When he left school he joined the NSW Railways, as a clerk working in the Officers Clerical Division and commenced studies in accountancy at the University of Sydney. When the call went out for enlistments in the services Fraser signed up on 12 April 1915, having been in his school and civilian cadets for five years.
Fraser saw service firstly at Gallipoli, then in Egypt, Northern France, and Belgium. He was in the last boat when the Australian’s departed Gallipoli on 20 December 1915. He was certainly at the frontier when it came to fighting. Whilst serving as Division Supply Officer he was promoted to Sergeant and obtained leave in England where he played cricket with AIF teams in and around London. In 1917 Fraser left the AIF and joined the fledging Royal Flying Corps undergoing intensive training before piloting aircraft over France. When the war finished Fraser undertook a degree at Oxford University in aeronautics.
Fraser was an accomplished pianist and upon returning to Australia in 1920 set up Australia’s first professional dance jazz band, the Syncopas with the renowned Eric Battershill. For the time it was unbelievably innovative. The band was most successful and played the music circuit in Australia for six years. Their Sydney venue was the Wentworth Hotel where they signed a contract to perform nightly. Their fame spread to such an extent that a new ballroom was built to accommodate those attending their performances.
Whilst there was a small income stream from the performances Fraser continued working as a Public Accountant during the day. When Fraser toured to the country with St George teams or with minor representative teams, his jazz performances on the piano were both crowd and team pleasing.
Aircraft was certainly Fraser’s passion. In 1924 he re-joined the Royal Australian Airforce. When Parliament House in Canberra was opened in 1927 it was Fraser, now a Squadron Leader who led the aircraft that flew in formation over the new Parliament buildings. Fraser resigned from the air force in 1934 but was persuaded to join the Department of Civil Aviation in 1938. It was in this role as flight officer at Mascot Airport that Fraser was responsible for the design and setting up of the runways at the airport. Initially Fraser used to sit in the open fields of Mascot Airport with lights and flares to ensure the planes landed safely. Initially Mascot had only one hanger on its 450 acres. When he retired in 1958 Fraser had been Airport Manager for 11 years.
When the war concluded and whist studying at Oxford Fraser found time to play for some of the university teams and was invited to play in the second X1 at Gloucestershire as a wicketkeeper. When he returned to Sydney Fraser lived for a period with his brother, Alex. He joined the St George DCC in the 1926-27 season and after a period in second grade was selected as the first-grade keeper replacing Cecil Corps being cap no 51.
He played first grade when regular keeper Dick Jones was not available. He was in good company as that season Albert Scanes, Stan Mealey, Frank Ward, Bill Ives, and Don Bradman also made their debuts. It was the commencement of a friendship with Bradman that carried through the years. Age was not a barrier, there was 15 years between the pair, as Bradman respected the fighter pilot and musician. Bradman regularly spent time with Fraser in ’piano sessions’ at the Fraser house, ‘Palmyra’, 17 Vista Street, Sans Souci. When Bradman turned 21 it was Fraser, who hosted a party for him at his home. It would have been an enjoyable evening with music drifting from the upper ballroom of the Fraser home.
It was a quiet start for Fraser in the top grade, just four games, with a highest score of four and three dismissals behind the stumps. The following season, 1927-28 there was a top score of 11*, six catches and five stumpings in a team that finished a respectable fourth in the Sydney grade competition. In the 1928-29 season Fraser played the full the season and performed ‘admirably’ behind the stumps. There were further games in first grade in the 1929-30 however Ernie Laidler was knocking at the first-grade door, performing well in the lower grades. Fraser was replaced as the first-grade keeper in the 1930-31 season with appearances over the next four seasons in second, third and fourth grade. At the end of it all Fraser’s first grade statistics were 24 innings with 18 his highest score at an average of 5.31. He took 23 catches and effected 7 stumpings.
When his grade career concluded Fraser decided that he could still play cricket at a reasonably competitive level. In 1935 he founded the St George Veteran’s Cricket Club which played in the City and Suburban Cricket Competition. Amongst the team were some of his former teammates from St George, including Des Mullarkey, Pat Fox, Harry Theak, and Ralph Kable. In 1975 Fraser was made Patron of the club and appointed President, a well-deserved reward for his service to the club he had founded.
The Sports Oval at Parkside Drive, Blakehurst fittingly became the home of the St George Veterans Cricket Club, following their departure from Jubilee Oval. The naming of Harold Fraser Oval was a well-deserved honour for the former St George cricketer who was described as ‘one of those human beings who excelled in every field of endeavour’.
The glorious Harold Fraser Oval after recent upgrades of facilities and renovations.
Harold Fraser died on 14 August 1985, aged 92. His life had certainly been full. In retirement Fraser won prizes in the Sydney Morning Herald Garden Competition for his handiwork in his garden at Connells Point. Always seeking to challenge himself Fraser had taken up lawn bowls at the St George Bowling Club with his old friend Des Mullarkey.
