REDPATH, Ian Ritchie MBE

REDPATH, Ian Ritchie MBE (1941-2024)

REDPATH, Ian Ritchie MBE

Ian Redpath (Cricket, 1952).

Ian Redpath, Australian test cricketer played in sixty-seven tests as a member of the Australian Test Cricket Team.

Ian Redpath.

He operated Redpath’s Antiques in Shannon Rd, Newtown, Geelong. He first attended Newtown State School before entering the Geelong College in 1953. His sporting abilities quickly rose to the fore and he demonstrated excellence at the School in Athletics, Cricket, Tennis and Football. He was a member of the Athletics Team in 1957, captaining it in 1958; the 1st Cricket XI from 1956 to 1958, captaining the team in 1958; a member of the 1st Football Team in 1957 and its Vice-Captain in 1958 as well as winning the Boys’ Open Singles Tennis Championship of the School in 1958. He won the T S Hawkes Prize in both 1955 and 1958. This outstanding all-round ability led to his award of the W H Hill Memorial Prize in 1958. He was a member of Shannon House. His father Graham Ritchie Redpath (1912-1965) OGC 1926-1928 and brothers Alan Graham and Robert John Redpath all attended the School as well.

Ian Redpath’s cricket career was long and productive scoring 4,737 runs at an average of 43.46. He was known as a dependable right-hand batsman and an excellent slips fieldsman, first playing for the South Melbourne Club in 1959 and then in 1961 gaining selection for Victoria. He was selected in his first Test to play South Africa on New Year’s Day 1964 when he and Bill Lawry struck one of the highest opening test partnerships then known. He played in the first One Day International between Australia and England on 5 January, 1971. He retired from senior cricket after the 1976 season, ironically hitting his first ‘six in his second last Test and demonstrating his peak ability, scoring centuries in both his last two Tests.

At a 25 year celebration of his retirement from Test Cricket at which his mother was present he commented that it was only the second time that she had attended a cricket game or event. 'Mum saw me bat once when I was at College – she chewed the fingers out of her gloves and never saw another match after that.' Although known principally as a cricket player Ian Redpath was also a versatile footballer playing for the Geelong Amateur Footballers, winning selection as both an All-Australian and All-Australian Amateur. In 1975, he was made a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to cricket.

Ian Redpath was inducted into the Old Geelong Collegians' Association (OGCA) Notables Gallery at Geelong College in 2011.

In 2023, Ian was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Ian passed away 1 December 2024, aged 83 years.

Redpath Memories

A fellow College student, Peter Young (OGC 1956) sent some of his memories of Redpath's career, both at school and beyond:

Before the name Ian Redpath (nickname Easel at school) is filed in the archives, it is worthwhile recording how he became an opening batsman. At College he always batted at #3. In 1960 when I was 1st eleven Captain, he used to come to College and practice with us. Lindsay Hassett (OGC 1925) was often at training and said that he had to become an opening batsman. We all asked why? Hassett said there was an ‘opener’ spot coming up because Simpson was retiring, and two other batsmen were better than Easel at #3 and #4. Their name was Chappell.

So, to improve his defence, Easel batted with a stump to the schoolboy quicks; and then weeks later with a stump and NO pads. He broke a lot of stumps. That is how he improved his defensive game. He made it into the Victorian Shield team in 1961 batting at #3 or #4, but migrated to ‘opener’ with Lawrie. Later, in the New Year Test in 1963/4 he opened with Lawrie.

There is another interesting story of him becoming right handed (he was ambidextrous). People who watched him fielding in the gully in Test matches observed his ambidexterity. About 1 in 10,000 people are truly ambidextrous. He was about 11 (I was 9) and Hassett came to Prep school for a clinic and told him to chop out the left handed stuff and concentrate on being a right handed batsman. (He bowled with both left and right hands in the nets, amazing stuff ). He played tennis left handed and won the College championship playing left handed against Bain in 1958.

I kept wickets behind Cowper (Scotch College, 1st to make 300 runs on the MCG). We couldn’t get him out and Scotch won. Redpath and he had totally different batting styles, but a privilege to watch both.

REDPATH, Ian Ritchie MBE (1941-2024)

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