Barry Seymour Gomersall (1945 - 2007)

Born 1945 in Crosby Town, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 9 Feb 2007 at about age 62 in Sarina, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

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Barry Seymour Gomersall (1945–2007) was an Australian rugby league referee. Gomersall refereed six rugby league internationals and nine State of Origin series matches.

Nicknamed "the Grasshopper", Gomersall was known for his thin legs inside tight shorts and his habit of ignoring on-field fights. First appointed to referee State of Origin by the Queensland Rugby League in 1982, Gomersall was often accused by New South Wales supporters of bias. A reporter from New South Wales once asked: "How do you account for the fact that in your nine matches Queensland won seven and NSW won only two?", Gomersall was said to have replied "Well, surely anyone's entitled to two bad games." Gomersall placed a high priority on personal fitness saying "if someone is going to score a try, I want to be there first".

Gomersall was a long time Queensland Rail employee. After his refereeing career, Gomersall entered Queensland politics, standing for the electoral district of Mirani in five elections.

Barry Gomersall died in Sarina in central Queensland on 9 February 2007 from prostate cancer aggravated by collision with livestock on his farm.^[1]

Career Highlights –

• SOO2 QLD v NSW Lang Park 08JUN1982
• SOO1 QLD v NSW Lang Park 07JUN1983
• SOO2 NSW v QLD Sydney Cricket Ground 19JUN1984
• Papua New Guinea v Great Britain Rebiamul Oval (Mt Hagen) 05AUG1984
• Championship 84/85 Oldham v Castleford The Watersheddings, Oldham 27FEB1985
• Test Great Britain v France Headingly, Leeds 01MAR1985
• Test France v Great Britain Stade Jean-Laffon (Perpignan) 17MAR1985
• SOO2 NSW v QLD Sydney Cricket Ground 11JUN1985
• SOO3 QLD v NSW Lang Park 23JUL1985
• Championship 85/86 Halifax v Salford Thrum Hall, Halifax 27OCT1985
• World Cup Great Britain v New Zealand Headingly, Leeds 09NOV1985
• SOO2 NSW v QLD Sydney Cricket Ground 10JUN1986
• SOO2 NSW v QLD Sydney Cricket Ground 16JUN1987
• SOO3 QLD v NSW Lang Park 15JUL1987
• SOO1 NSW v QLD Sydney Football Stadium 17MAY1988
• Great Britain v New Zealand 1985 Series
  • Game 1 Elland Road Leeds 19OCT1985
  • Game 2 Central Park, Wigan 02NOV1985

Barry’s daughter Katrina said her father had revelled in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Origin football.

Famous for “refereeing the football and not the fights”, Gomersall was always amused by claims he was biased towards Queensland, which won seven of the nine Origins he controlled.

As a referee, he was outspoken and never afraid to face his critics.

While battling cancer, Gomersall had written on his website “the game is (only) over when the ref blows the final whistle”.

A true character of the game and Barry will always be fondly remembered as “The Grasshopper”^[2]

Timeline

->1945 Birth @ Crosby, Lancashire, England

The birth of Barry S Gomersall was registered in the 4th Qtr. (Oct-Nov-Dec) 1945 at Crosby, Lancashire, England. His Mother's Maiden Name was listed as Sears.^[3]

->1946 Departed @ 110 Stuart Road, Bootle, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Margery Enid Morgan Gomersall, 25 yrs and Barry Seymour Gomersall, 7mths of 110 Stuart Road, Bootle, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, Migrated permanently from England to Australia, on the Ship "Atlantis" of the Royal Mail Lines Ltd. British Passengers Embarked at the Port of Southampton bound for Australia, Departing on 23 May 1946. ^[4]

->1946 Migration Arrival @ 42 Gladstone Road, Highgate Hill, Queensland, Australia

Margery Enid Morgan Gomersall, and Barry Seymour Gomersall, 7½mths, of 42 Gladstone Road, Highgate Hill, Queensland, Australia, Departed from Southampton, United Kingdom, and Arrived on 23 Jun 1946 at Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia on board the Vessel Atlantis ^[5]

->2007 Funeral @ Newhaven Chapel, Harbour Road, Mackay, Queensland, Australia

Gomersall, Barry (Grasshopper)

Beloved Husband. Beloved Father and Father-in-law. Beloved Grandfather. Beloved Brother and Brother-in-law. Beloved Son of Noel and Marjorie (dec'd) and their respective Families.

The Relatives and Friends of Barry are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral Service, which will be held on Thursday, 15Feb2007, at 12 noon at Newhaven Chapel, Harbour Road, Mackay. No Flowers by Family request. Donations to The Variety Club - The Children's Charity. Envelope available at Chapel Entrance. Newhaven Funerals.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. Barry Gomersall. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. August 22, 2020, 12:54 UTC. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Gomersall&oldid=974343099 accessed 5Oct2021
2. ↑ NSWRL Referees Association; Flashback Friday – Barry Seymour Gomersall ; Date: July 20, 2017; online repository https://nswrlra.com/flashback-friday-barry-seymour-gomersall/ accessed 5Oct2021
3. ↑ England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV7Q-95P2 : 1 October 2014), Barry S Gomersall, 1945; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Crosby, Lancashire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.Accessed 05Oct2021
4. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-135497; online repository https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.au/imageviewer/collections/2997/images/41039_b001595-00866 accessed 4Oct2021
5. ↑ National Archives of Australia; Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600.; Inward passenger manifests for ships and aircraft arriving at Fremantle, Perth Airport and Western Australian outports from 1897-1963; Series Number: K 269; Reel Number: 94; Description Reel 094: Apr 1946 - Nov 1946; online repository https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.au/imageviewer/collections/5378/images/32704_334625-00099 accessed 4Oct2021
6. ↑ Courier Mail Funeral Notices; online repository https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C956-NYNK accessed 4Oct2021

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 04 October 2021, 11:22), entry for Barry Seymour Gomersall (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G8L7-BBQ ); contributed by various users.