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Jerry Jerome (24 May 1874 – 27 September 1943) was born at Jimbour Homestead, near Dalby.
Jerry Jerome's father was Wollon Charles, an Aboriginal labourer, and his mother's name was Guli. He was a descendent from the local Yiman people and in 1906 Jerry married Alice Davis.
In 1908 Jerry Jerome [1], at the age of 34, officially commenced boxing at “The Pines”, a park near Warra, Queensland and was referred to in these early days as the "Warra Cyclone".
In 1912 Jerry fought Black Paddy, champion of Western Australia, which was possibly the first contest between two Aboriginal professional boxers. Black Paddy was born in Murchison at Queensland and later moved to Cue, Western Australia. In August 1912, in Brisbane to a crowd of five thousand spectators, Jerry Jerome defeated Black Paddy in a sixteen round boxing match. In the same year Jerry was awarded the Australian middleweight boxing champion.
Jerry was the first Indigenous Australian to win a major boxing title — defeating Charlie Godfrey to claim the Middleweight Championship of Australia at Brisbane on 7 September 1912.[2]
In 1915, Jerry [3] fought nine times before retiring from a ring career.
Jerry had approximately 20 first-class fights that netted Jerome something in the vicinity of £5000. [4]. Worth over $500,000 in today's money according to the Reserve Bank of Australia Pre-Decimal Inflation Calculator.
In 1919 Jerry Jerome was a resident on Fraser Island where heartbreakingly he lost his daughter Myrtle[5]. The young girl was stricken with illness and taken to the Maryborough General Hospital where she died on 23 August 1919.
As Jerry was an Australian Aboriginal, his earnings were placed in trust by government Protector of Aborigines, who were notoriously for not allowing Aborigines to access to this trust. Today this is known as Stolen Wages [6] .
Jerry was moved to Barambah Aboriginal Settlement where he spent his last years coaching promising Aboriginal boxers and refereeing their bouts.
Jerry Jerome ended life as he began it, in squalor, and stone motherless broke. His last days were spent in segregation at Barambah (Cherbourg) Aboriginal Settlement, Murgon, Queensland. It is said this comedian of the fight ring died with his famous bowler hat on. [7]. Jerome was survived by his three sons and one of his two daughters.
Jerry Jerome in Cherbourg, Queensland.[8] In his professional career he had 24 losses and 40 wins, with 34 by knock-out.[9]
Jerry was the 2008 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Old Timers category.
References
- ^ "Jerry Jerome (boxer)". John Oxley Library Blog. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "BOXING". Queensland Times. LIV (8549). Queensland, Australia. 9 September 1912. p. 7 (DAILY). Retrieved 28 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Jerry Jerome (1874-1943)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ "FAMOUS ABO. FIGHTER (1943, October 23). Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), p. 19". Trove. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ "OBITUARY OF JERRY JEROME DAUGHTER MYRTLE (1919, August 25). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947), p. 3". Trove. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ "Stolen Wages Fact Sheet". Dr Roslind Kidd, BA(Hum)(Gibs), PhD - Specialist in Aboriginal Affairs, Queensland. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ "JERRY JEROME, (1953, January 4). Truth (Sydney, NSW : 1894 - 1954), p. 12". Trove. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Sports Factor, ABC.com, Interview with Professor Colin Tatz, and others. 19 May 2006.
- ^ "100 Not out" Archived 14 June 2005 at the Wayback Machine, A century of sport from the State Library of Queensland.
External links