Duncan Thompson
Encyclopedia
Duncan Fulton Thompson MBE
(born 14 March 1895 in Warwick, Queensland
, died 17 May 1980 in Auchenflower, Queensland
) was an Australian rugby league
footballer, coach and administrator. He also fought in the First World War and has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
, Thompson first represented for Queensland
in 1915. He moved to Sydney in 1916 where he played for Norths
before enlisting in the First Australian Imperial Force
in 1916 during World War I. He left Sydney in 1917 on HMAS Ayrshire with the 49th Battalion (Queensland) within 13th Brigade of the Australian 4th Division and saw active service in Belgium and France. In April 1918 during the German Spring Offensive
he was shot through the chest at Dernancourt
on the Ancre River but survived. He was told he would not play sport again and carried a bullet fragment in his body for the rest of his life. He was discharged after demobilisation in January 1919.
After returning to Australia in 1919 Thompson joined the Commonwealth Bank and re-commenced his football career. He made the 1919 tour of New Zealand
in the first Australian full Test representative side to cross the Tasman. With the world still recovering from World War I and in the midst of the deadly Spanish flu
pandemic, the side could only find passage to New Zealand on a cockroach and rat-infested cargo ship out of Newcastle harbour. Half-way across the Tasman, bites from the ship-bred vermin led to Thompson and "Chook" Fraser falling victim to blood-poisoned legs.
Thompson's brother Colin also played representative rugby league for Queensland in the 1920s.
Thompson won premierships with Norths in 1921 and along with other North Sydney stars in Harold Horder
and Cec Blinkhorn
he was selected on the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour, playing in all three Tests and twenty-three tour matches, topping 100 points on the overall tour with 49 goals converted. He also took Norths to victory in the 1922 NSWRFL season's final, captaining the side.
Thompson's departure from Sydney was bitter following a suspension on kicking charge which he steadfastly denied. Returning to Queensland, he captained the Toowoomba team
in 1924 and 1925, alongside Herb Steinohrt
and Tom Gorman
. This renowned Toowoomba side beat all comers including Sydney premiers Souths, Brisbane, Ipswich and visiting representative sides, including New South Wales, Victoria, Great Britain and New Zealand. His international representative career closed in 1924 with two Test appearances in the Ashes
series against the touring British Lions.
in World War II as an amenities officer at Townsville and in Papua New Guinea
. He served as an administrator for the Queensland Rugby League
and also coached the Toowoomba Clydesdales
to six victories in the Bulimba Cup in the 1950s. He was a state and national selector in the 1950s and 1960s.
A Toowoomba champion tennis player and Queensland state tennis representative, Thompson was also a fine golfer and lawn bowler. Thompson died in Brisbane in 1980.
In 1929 the Duncan Thompson Stand at the North Sydney Oval
was named after him. In 1960 Thompson was honoured as a Member (civil) of the Order of the British Empire
for his contribution to sport.
In 2005 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
and in August, 2006 was named at halfback in the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century. In February 2008, Thompson was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players
(1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
and ARL
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
on interchange bench.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born 14 March 1895 in Warwick, Queensland
Warwick, Queensland
Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Local Government Area. In 2006 the town of Warwick had a population of 12,562....
, died 17 May 1980 in Auchenflower, Queensland
Auchenflower, Queensland
Auchenflower is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia located 2.5 km west of the Brisbane CBD bordering the Brisbane River.-History:Between 1900 and 1962 Auchenflower was served by trams running along Milton Road from Toowong...
) was an Australian rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer, coach and administrator. He also fought in the First World War and has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Club career and wartime
A banker and skillful rugby league halfback, who commenced his club career in Queensland with IpswichIpswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, Thompson first represented for Queensland
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
in 1915. He moved to Sydney in 1916 where he played for Norths
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
before enlisting in the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
in 1916 during World War I. He left Sydney in 1917 on HMAS Ayrshire with the 49th Battalion (Queensland) within 13th Brigade of the Australian 4th Division and saw active service in Belgium and France. In April 1918 during the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
he was shot through the chest at Dernancourt
Dernancourt
Dernancourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Dernancourt is situated on the D52 road, some northeast of Amiens.-Population:-Places and monuments:...
on the Ancre River but survived. He was told he would not play sport again and carried a bullet fragment in his body for the rest of his life. He was discharged after demobilisation in January 1919.
After returning to Australia in 1919 Thompson joined the Commonwealth Bank and re-commenced his football career. He made the 1919 tour of New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
in the first Australian full Test representative side to cross the Tasman. With the world still recovering from World War I and in the midst of the deadly Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic, the side could only find passage to New Zealand on a cockroach and rat-infested cargo ship out of Newcastle harbour. Half-way across the Tasman, bites from the ship-bred vermin led to Thompson and "Chook" Fraser falling victim to blood-poisoned legs.
Thompson's brother Colin also played representative rugby league for Queensland in the 1920s.
Thompson won premierships with Norths in 1921 and along with other North Sydney stars in Harold Horder
Harold Horder
Harold Norman Horder was an Australian rugby league player a national and state representative player whose club career was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Sydney Bears between 1912 and 1924...
and Cec Blinkhorn
Cec Blinkhorn
Cecil Blinkhorn was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1910s and 20s. He played in the NSWRFL premiership for the North Sydney and South Sydney clubs, and also represented New South Wales and Australia...
he was selected on the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour, playing in all three Tests and twenty-three tour matches, topping 100 points on the overall tour with 49 goals converted. He also took Norths to victory in the 1922 NSWRFL season's final, captaining the side.
Thompson's departure from Sydney was bitter following a suspension on kicking charge which he steadfastly denied. Returning to Queensland, he captained the Toowoomba team
Toowoomba Clydesdales
The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league football club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, named after the Scottish horse breed. They played in the Queensland Wizard Cup since the competition began in 1996 but no longer play in this competition....
in 1924 and 1925, alongside Herb Steinohrt
Herb Steinohrt
Herb Steinohrt was an Australian rugby league player. He was a front row forward for the Australian national team...
and Tom Gorman
Tom Gorman (rugby league)
Tom Gorman was an Australian rugby league player. He was a Centre three-quarter for the Australian national team. He played in 10 Tests between 1924 and 1930 as captain on 7 occasions....
. This renowned Toowoomba side beat all comers including Sydney premiers Souths, Brisbane, Ipswich and visiting representative sides, including New South Wales, Victoria, Great Britain and New Zealand. His international representative career closed in 1924 with two Test appearances in the Ashes
Rugby League Ashes
The Ashes is the name given to the trophy awarded to the winner of a best-of-three series of rugby league football test series between Great Britain and Australia...
series against the touring British Lions.
Post playing
He served again for his country in the AIFAIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
in World War II as an amenities officer at Townsville and in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. He served as an administrator for the Queensland Rugby League
Queensland Rugby League
The Queensland Rugby Football League is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League and selects the members of Queensland State of Origin teams....
and also coached the Toowoomba Clydesdales
Toowoomba Clydesdales
The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league football club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, named after the Scottish horse breed. They played in the Queensland Wizard Cup since the competition began in 1996 but no longer play in this competition....
to six victories in the Bulimba Cup in the 1950s. He was a state and national selector in the 1950s and 1960s.
A Toowoomba champion tennis player and Queensland state tennis representative, Thompson was also a fine golfer and lawn bowler. Thompson died in Brisbane in 1980.
Accolades
Thompson was an accomplished cricketer and also a Queensland representative tennis player.In 1929 the Duncan Thompson Stand at the North Sydney Oval
North Sydney Oval
-Development:* The first cricket pitch was laid on 6 December 1867, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia.* The first structure built, in 1879, was a simple pavilion overlooking the cricket ground...
was named after him. In 1960 Thompson was honoured as a Member (civil) of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his contribution to sport.
In 2005 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game who are Australian...
and in August, 2006 was named at halfback in the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century. In February 2008, Thompson was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players
Australian Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players
In late 2007, the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League commissioned 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in the game's 100-year history in Australia. From this list , a limited panel of experts picked a the "Team of the Century" - a team of 17 players considered to...
(1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
The Queensland Rugby League Team of the Century is a hypothetical team comprising the best players who have played for Queensland to form a team for 1909 until 2008. Rugby league in Queensland was initiated in 1909 with the Queensland Rugby Football League competition, which evolved into the...
on interchange bench.
External links
- Duncan Thompson at the Online Dictionary of Australian Biographies
- Duncan Thompson stats at rugbyleagueproject.com
- Master Coach Joins Hall Of Fame – article at qrl.com.au
- Duncan Thompson at yesterdayshero.com.au
- Queensland Team of the Century named – article at nz.leagueunlimited.com
- Duncan Thompson at nrlstats.com
- Queensland representatives at qrl.com.au
- Duncan Thompson at cricketarchive.com