Carl Bleakley Willis (1893 - 1930)

Biography

Carl Bleakley Willis was born in March 1893 at or about Daylesford in the Colony of Victoria. Carl was the son of Thomas Rupert Henry Willis (1860-1933), and Mary Wilson (née Bleakley) (1867-1949).

Carl Bleakley Willis was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne and studied Dentistry at Melbourne University. While there he played top grade Australian Rules Football for the University of Melbourne team in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from the 1912 season. Playing a total of 48 matches and kicking 41 goals over three seasons for University. Whilst with University he stamped himself as one of the most impressive members, in a persistently weak side. He then transferred to South Melbourne in 1915, adding 29 more VFL games and kicking a further 18 goals during that and the 1920-1 season, after returning from the War. He skippered Souths in that his final year in the VFL.

Carl Bleakley Willis proving he was an all round sportsman, also played First Class Cricket for Victoria from 1913/1914 season through to the 1928/1929 season.

Enlisting initially as a Private into the 3rd Pioneer Battalion, A Company. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A62 Wandilla on 6 June 1916. Later Commissioned as a Captain into the Dental Corps of the Australian Imperial Force.

During his time in England during the War he was invited firstly to take part in the Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Rules Football which was played in London in October 1916. Then at the end of the war he stayed on to take part in the Australian Imperial Force Touring XI Cricket series of 1919, where he was very successful. He would score four hundreds in his 1,652 Batting aggregate in first-class matches, with an average of 41. Making him the most successful batsman among those who played regularly on this tour of England, South Africa and on return against the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland state teams.

Dr. Carl Bleakley Willis practised dentistry in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern until 1929, then he moved to Numurkah in northern Victoria and then finally to Tocumwal in New South Wales. He died of pneumonia on the 12th of May 1930 in Berrigan, New South Wales. And was laid to rest at the Melbourne General Cemetery on the 14th of May 1930, he was only 37 years of age.

Sources

• Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages: BIRTH: WILLIS, Carl Bleackley - event: Birth - mother: Mary Wilson BLEACKLEY - father: Thomas Rupert - place of birth: DA YL - registration year: 1893 - registration no. 12048/1893. first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023 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: DEATH: WILLIS, CARL B. - registration no. 16017/1930 - father: THOMAS R. H. - mother: MARY W. - district: JERILDERIE. first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023 from the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages search at: https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/deaths?

• BillionGraves.com record for Carl B. Willis (11 May 1930), Billion Graves Record Melbourne General Cemetery, Melbourne, City of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oceania. first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://billiongraves.com/grave/Carl-B-Willis/27942046

• Carl Willis (Australian sportsman) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Willis_(Australian_sportsman)

• A.I.F. CRICKETER'S DEATH from the Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 - 1954) of Saturday 17 May 1930, Page 6. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94134809

• Obituary from the Jerilderie Herald and Urana Advertiser (NSW : 1898 - 1958) of Thursday 15 May 1930, Page 3. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134616545?

• 1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 28th of June, 2022 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1916_Pioneer_Exhibition_Game

• Australian Imperial Force Touring XI from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Imperial_Force_Touring_XI

• CARL WILLIS his profile on the Australian Football.com website.

• Carl Willis Australia his profile on the ESPNCRICINFO website.

• Carl Bleakley WILLIS from the AIF PROJECT website first accessed online on the 12th of March, 2023.

Further Reading

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 12 March 2023), memorial page for Carl B Willis (1893–11 May 1930), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #192972385, citing Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by Tony M. (contributor 48299134). (note there is no gravestone photograph as yet)

• FINE­­­­­­ ALL-ROUND YOUTH. from The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Friday 18 November 1910, Page 2. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241982960?

• CRICKETER BECOMES SOLDIER from The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Friday 12 November 1915, Page 3. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242415998?

• A GROUP AT TIDWORTH from the Winner (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1917) of Wednesday 27 December 1916, Page 8. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154551780?searchTerm=%22carl%20Willis%22

• MORE SOUTH MELBOURNE FOOTBALL HEROES from the Winner (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1917) of Wednesday 26 September 1917, Page 8. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154544171?searchTerm=%22carl%20Willis%22

• Military and Cricket Laurels Won from The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Saturday 10 January 1920, Page 2. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242171147

• PLAYERS AND ONLOOKERS AT THE TEST TRIAL MATCH from the Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939) of Thursday 25 October 1928, Page 5. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/150928585?searchTerm=%22carl%20Willis%22

• CARL WILLIS BURIED from The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Wednesday 14 May 1930, Page 5. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244866281?

• The Narrogin Observer (WA : 1918 - 1955) of Saturday 31 May 1930, Page 5. first accessed on TROVE on the 12th of March, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/260284353?