On 31 July 1915, eighteen-year-old Winnie O’Sullivan stood on the roof of her family’s hotel the Lord Dudley. Here, she listened to the roaring crowd at the nearby Sydney Stadium, in Rushcutters Bay. Women were admitted to the stadium for free, but as a boxing venue it was considered no place for a lady. Inside the stadium […]
On the evening of 31 July 1915 the tiered seats of the Sydney’s premier boxing stadium were crammed with 17,000 spectators, and thousands more stood outside. All were impatient for the anticipated Darcy v. McGoorty match to begin. Les Darcy (1895-1917), a 19-year-old blacksmith-turned-professional-boxer from Maitland, was the local drawcard. How did Eddie McGoorty, the […]
When Maitland’s middleweight boxing champion Les Darcy (1895-1917) convincingly knocked out the world heavyweight champion Eddie McGoorty, at the Sydney Stadium in 1915, his fast-growing fan base was elated. In celebration of this victory, Ernest Card, founder of Sydney’s Gold Brick Society, gifted this miniature gold brick to Darcy to wear as a watch chain […]
Despite his spectacular rise as a world-class boxer, there were things that the unbeatable Les Darcy (1895-1917) still looked to learn. His trainer ‘Gentleman’ Dave Smith showed him the ‘art’ of boxing and tips like wrapping ones’ hands before putting on gloves. He also focused on ‘finishing touches’ like dressing-up for a formal reception. Soon […]
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