Bryan Palmer
Encyclopedia
George Thomas Bryan Palmer (1899–1990) was an Australia
n Rugby Union
player who coached the Wallabies
. He has been described as "one of the most colourful personalities in Australian rugby".
, the son of T D Palmer, who had played Rugby for the Waratahs
in 1899. He played his first Rugby in Dubbo before attending Newington College
as a boarder (1915–1916).
and was invalided home after a bout of near fatal pneumonia
. As part of his recovery he joined the Glebe
-Balmain
Rugby Club to build up his strength and over the ensuing seven seasons played 93 games on the wing.
to New Zealand
in 1931 but didn't play a match.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who coached the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. He has been described as "one of the most colourful personalities in Australian rugby".
Early life
Palmer was born in Dubbo, New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the son of T D Palmer, who had played Rugby for the Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in 1899. He played his first Rugby in Dubbo before attending Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
as a boarder (1915–1916).
War service
Palmer served with the AIF in the Lighthorse in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was invalided home after a bout of near fatal pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. As part of his recovery he joined the Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
-Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
Rugby Club to build up his strength and over the ensuing seven seasons played 93 games on the wing.
Representative rugby
His first of seven matches for NSW was played in 1927. Palmer was selected and toured with the WallabiesAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1931 but didn't play a match.
Honours
- Palmer Shield - Played for by NSW Primary Schools
- Bryan Palmer Shield - Played for each year by The King's School and Newington College since the centenary of rugby between the two schools in 1970