HASSETT, Arthur Lindsay MBE (1913–1993)

Modified on Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:45 by Con — Categorized as: Biography - All, Biography - Collegians in the News 1911-1960, Biography - OGCA Gallery of Notable Old Collegians, Biography - Students, Geelong College, Biography of Sporting Achievement, Biography of War - World War II

HASSETT, Arthur Lindsay MBE (1913–1993)

Lindsay Hassett, 1930 (Footballer).

Lindsay Hassett was a renowned Captain of the Australian Cricket Team and a well-known cricketing commentator. He was born at Geelong to parents Edward Hassett and Frances nee Favarger and attended the Geelong College as a day student from 1924 to 1932. He had previously attended Central College in Knowle House but along with a number of other students moved to the Geelong College when Central College unexpectedly closed. The Lindsay Hassett Parents Group which supports cricket at the Geelong College was named in his honour. His brothers Vincent Xavier Hassett (1912-1998) and Richard Joseph Hassett (1909-2006) also attended the School.

A video tribute to Lindsay Hassett was produced by the Geelong College's Lindsay Hassett Club in 2011.

Lindsay was a member of the School Cricket XI from 1927 to 1932 and Cricket Captain from 1930 to 1932. One of the top 10 wicket takers for the School he completely outclassed his fellow students at that time by scoring 2,335 runs in a school career of 44 innings over 5 years – almost 4 times the score of his closest rival the also multi-talented Jack Hawkes on 884 runs. His, and the College’s highest score of 245 runs came in a match against Scotch College in 1932. While at College he scored 147 for a Victorian Country XI against the touring West Indies side of 1930-31. Although Lindsay Hassett is remembered as a world class cricketer he also excelled at a number of sports. He won the School’s Open Tennis Championship for four straight years from 1929 to 1932. He was the School's Tennis Champion from 1929 to 1932 and the Public School Singles Champion in 1931-32. He was a member of the first football XVIII from 1929 to 1932 and captained it from 1930 to 1932. He was also a School Prefect in 1931 and 1932 and Captain of Shannon House in 1931-32.

Lindsay Hassett practising at Lord's, England.

Lindsay Hassett was one of the outstanding cricketers of his era and was vice-captain under Don Bradman during the famous ‘Invincibles’ Team tour of England in 1948. He became Captain of the Australian Test Team when Bradman retired in 1949. He captained Australia 24 times scoring, ten Test hundreds, more than 50 first-class hundreds with a career innings average of 58.24 runs per innings. His final Tests were in England in 1953, scoring two centuries and heading the averages. In his later years, he continued his sporting interests becoming an accomplished golfer, fisherman and a grade squash player.

He was first selected for the Victorian side in February, 1933 and first toured England with the Australian Team in 1938. War service however, was to interrupt his cricket career. He enlisted at Geelong in September, 1940 joining the 2/2nd Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment with the rank of gunner and after training was sent to the Middle East, Palestine and Egypt and, after 1942 to New Guinea. It was during the war, in 1942, that he married Tessie Irene nee Davis and the couple were to have two daughters. During the latter stages of the war, General Blamey appointed Hassett the Captain of the Australian Services Team promoting him to Warrant Officer. In this roll Hassett did much to build an effective team which subsequently toured India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Australia for the 'Victory Tests’ campaign. After his retirement from Test cricket in1953, at which time he was awarded the MBE, Hassett became a commentator with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) developing a reputation as a fair minded observer of cricket. He continued in this role until 1981. For much of his sporting life he also ran a sporting goods business in Melbourne. He died at Bateman’s Bay.

Lindsay Hassett was inducted into the Old Geelong Collegians' Association Notables Gallery at Geelong College in 2011.

Lindsay Hassett, circa 1938.

Lindsay Hassett.

Sources: Lindsay Hassett - The beautiful, beautiful game. Pegasus June 1946 p46; Obituary - The Times (London) 17 June 1993; Ad Astra September 1993 p11; MCC News March 2003.