FAMOUS SPORTSMAN

Evening Star, Issue 22891, 24 February 1938, Page 12

FAMOUS SPORTSMAN

MR HARALD BAKER'S RECORD UNIQUE RESCUE FEAT Refereeing the two professional boxing bouts at the Town Hall on Monday night is Mr Harald Baker, one of the greatest all-round sportsmen Australia has produced. A brother of R. L. (“Snowy”) Baker, Harald Baker was at one time 100yds, 220yds, 330yds, and 440yds swimming champion of New South Wales, and at the Christchurch Exhibition he won the 100yds and 220yds swimming championships of Australasia. At Rugby Mr Baker represented New South Wales and Australia, and in 1913 toured the Dominion with the Australian team. When the All'Blacks visited Australia in 1914 and were unbeaten in 10 matches Mr Baker played in one of the matches against them at Sydney. He has represented Australia three times, New South Wales 17 times as forward, full-back, and centre threequarter. On the administrative side he also did his ipart, managing the New South Wales team whicli toured New Zealand in 1925 and the side that visited Queensland in 1930. He was also manager of the Queensland team whicli visited Sydney in 1932. Mr Baker was hon. coach to New South Wales and Australian teams.

As a boxer he won the amateur heavy-weight championship of Australia, and he has represented Australia at water polo. He was the surf belt swimming champion of the New South Wales coast, and for eight years was a member of the Management Committee of the New South Wales Rugby Union. He has been a New South Wales and Queensland State Rugby selector, and represented Queensland on the Australian Rugby Selection Committee. A life member of the Randwick District Football Club, he had a' similar honour conferred on him by the New South Wales Rugby Union. Together with his brother, R. L. (“ Snowy ”) Baker, he owned and controlled the whole of the Australian boxing circuit with stadiums at Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, dnd Melbourne, and he was official referee at Sydney Stadium from 1910 to 1914. Mr H. Baker refereed all the late Les Darcy’s contests and all internatio'nal bouts of that period, the golden period of Australian boxing. He is the holder of the Royal Humane Society’s gold medal and the Albert gold medal for a feat performed at Coogeo on January 28, 1911, when 29 people were washed to sea on what was known as the worst day in the history of Australian surfing. Fully clothed, unaided and without surf line, he rescued 24 people, five others being drowned. Harald Baker was presented for this rescue feat by Sir Allen Taylor, Lord Mayor of Sydney at that time, with a cheque for l,ooogs on behalf of the citizens in appreciation. He is the holder of the unique distinction of being an Australian international in four sports—boxing, swimming, water polo, and Rugby—and is the present referee of all big international boxing contests held in Sydney, refereeing all of Carroll’s bouts. The Otago Boxing Association is decidedly fortunate in securing _ Mr Baker’s services for its two professional contests on Monday night at the Town Hall. In the first bout Dick Baker, Southland amateur of great promise, will make his professional _ debut against Frank La Hood, Dunedin professional welter-weight. This bout will be over eight three-minute rounds, and should provide a rousing contest. La Hood gave Don Stirling one of the toughest fights of his career before Stirling eptered professional ranks, and he shoftld fully test the Southland 1 boy, who has ■ had the benefit lately

of tuition from Jack Dunleavy, th* well-known Sydney mentor. The other bout will be between Stan Jenkin, professional welter-weight champion of New Zealand, and “ Tiger ” Eddington, the Timaru wel-ter-weight, who is a real crowdpleaser. This will be over ten 3-min-ute rounds. The two amateur bouts in support are “specials.” W. Hanham, of Waimate, will meet G. M'Lennan, of Tahakopa, in _ a light heavy-weight bout, and Neil Leckie, of Dunedin, will meet Basil Newton, of Oamaru, in a bantam-weight mill.