Warwick Windridge Armstrong (1879 - 1947)

Born 22 May 1879 in Kyneton, Victoria

Husband of Helena A O'Donnell — married 16 Jul 1913 in Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia

Died 13 Jul 1947 at age 68 in Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Warwick Armstrong is Notable.

Warwick Windridge Armstrong was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921.

Born in Kyneton Victoria in May 1879; Warwick was the eldest son of John Andrewartha Armstong and his wife Amelia (née Flynn).

In July 1913 Warwick Armstrong married Aileen O'Donnell in Sydney. Aileen was the daughter of a wealthy Irish Australian pastoralist with large land holdings in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Unfortunately Aileen died of a thrombosis in 1940. While Armstrong himself, following severe illness that saw him lose much of the weight that he was known for, died on 13 July 1947, His funeral was held at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Edgecliff and proceeded to the South Head Cemetery. He was survived by his son, Warwick Geoffrey Armstrong.

Warwick (Big Ship) Armstrong made his Test debut for Australia against England at Melbourne from January 01 - 04, 1902. And he played his last also against England at The Oval in London England between August 13 - 16, 1921.

Warwick Armstrong was an all-round sportsman, like many cricketers in Victoria he playing Australian Rules Football in the winter. A slim utility at this time, he played 16 games fo for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1898 to 1900. He was a member of South Melbourne's losing 1899 VFL Grand Final team defeated by Fitzroy by one point.

Remembered as giant of a man, he stood 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighed at one stage late in his Test playing days at about 22 Stone; Warwick Armstrong was inducted into The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2000. But he had already been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame on the 9th of December 1986.

Sources

• Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages: BIRTH: ARMSTRONG, Warwick Windridge - event: Birth - mother: Amelia Mary FLYNN - father: John Andrewart - place of birth: KYNE - registration year: 1879 - registration no. 10234/1879. first accessed online on the 28th of December, 2021 from the Victorian Family History Search searchable database at: https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history

• New South Wales Births, Deaths & Marriages: MARRIAGE: registration no. 9915/1913 - groom: ARMSTRONG, WARWICK W. - bride: O'DONNELL, AILEEN V. - district: WOOLLAHRA. from the NSW Family History Search first accessed online on the 28th of December, 2021 at: https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/marriages?

• New South Wales Births, Deaths & Marriages: DEATH: ARMSTRONG, WARWICK WINDRIDGE - registration no. 20152/1947 - father: JOHN ANDREWARTHA - mother: AMELIA MARY - district: WOOLLAHRA. from the NSW Family History Search first accessed online on the 23rd of December, 2021 at: https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/deaths?

• S. M. Ingham, Armstrong, Warwick Windridge (1879–1947), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/armstrong-warwick-windridge-5053/text8423, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 24 December 2021.

• Warwick Armstrong from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Warwick Windridge Armstrong). first accessed online on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Armstrong

• Armstrong, Warwick Windridge (1879–1947), Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/armstrong-warwick-windridge-5053/text35453, accessed 24 December 2021.

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 24 December 2021), memorial page for Warwick Windridge “Big Ship” Armstrong (22 May 1879–13 Jul 1947), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #139390718, citing South Head Cemetery, Vaucluse, Waverley Council, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by Tim Reynolds (contributor 48314828) .

• Inscription 16067508 - Warwick Windridge Armstrong from the Australian Cemeteries Index. first accessed online on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=16067508 (note: no gravestone photograph as yet)

Further Reading

• Warwick Armstrong Australia from the ESPNCRICINFO website. first accessed online on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/warwick-armstrong-3982

• WARWICK ARMSTRONG. from the Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954) of Monday 14 July 1947, Page 3. first accessed on TROVE on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42542065

• A CHAMPION CRICKETER. from the Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935) of Saturday 14 August 1909, Page 18. first accessed on TROVE on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197077464?

• AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN CARICATURES: WARWICK WINDRIDGE ARMSTRONG from the Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939) of Wednesday 11 January 1922, Page 12. first accessed on TROVE on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127925446?

• Warwick Armstrong Cricket from the SPORT AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME website. first accessed online on the 28th of December, 2021 at: https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/warwick-armstrong/

• "The Long and the Short of It." first published in The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Saturday 10 January 1920, Page 4. first accessed on TROVE on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242171238

• Cricketers Warwick Armstrong and Donald Gehrs at Adelaide Oval [PRG 280/1/29/203] • Photograph Part of Searcy Collection first accessed via the State Library of South Australia website on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/29/203 (Out of Copyright: This image has no known copyright restrictions.)

• Hand-drawn caricature of Australian cricketer Warwick Armstrong, 1921 from the AUSTRALIAN SPORTS MUSEUM at: https://collection.australiansportsmuseum.org.au/objects/24228/hand-drawn-caricature-of-australian-cricketer-warwick-armstrong-1921 (This is a Black and white illustration of Warwick Armstrong, wearing a red cap. Armstrong is depicted walking toward picture left. Text written below figure reads 'WARWICK ARMSTRONG. Australia's Captain.') original drawing held by the Melbourne Cricket Club Museum.

• At the Sensational Victorian—South Australian Match on Saturday from the Richmond Guardian (Vic. : 1884 - 1885; 1894 - 1895; 1902 - 1924) of Saturday 11 January 1919, Page 1. first accessed on TROVE on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/255876521?searchTerm=%22Warwick%20Armstrong%22%20cricket%20photograph%20drawing

• Cricket Cartoon, Warwick Armstrong and the English Lion, 1921 © CollectorsPrints.com 1999-2021. an image for sale from the CollectorsPrints.com website first viewed online on the 24th of December, 2021 at: https://www.collectorsprints.com/5866/antiqueprint/cricketwarwickarmstrongandtheenglishlion (this is a Line Block Illustration from a Vintage Punch Magazine circa 1921)

• W. W. Armstrong Victoria first published as part of The Latest Photos of the Australian Cricket Team. in the Critic (Adelaide, SA : 1897-1924) of Wednesday 3 March 1909, Page 3. first accessed online on the 18th of February, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211425688