Alexander Wettenhall (Football, 1894).
Alexander Llewellyn Wettenhall was born at the family property at Carr's Plain, Glenorchy near Stawell, on 11 April 1878, the son of Holford Highlord Wettenhall and Mary Burgess nee Dennis. Along with many members of his family he was educated at the Geelong College which he entered as a boarder in 1893. During his two years at the School he won a variety of academic prizes and was awarded dux of the Upper 4th Class in 1893 and of the University Class in 1894. At College, he was a Cadet Corps Sergeant and a keen athlete, winning the teams section of the Half-Mile School Race at the VAAA Championships Sports in 1894. Notably, he came second in the Manx Race at the College Sports of 1894 partnering Edward Greeves, father of the first Brownlow Medal winner, ‘Carji’ Greeves. He rowed in the College Annual Boat Race of 1894 and partnered S S Robertson in the annual tennis competition. As a member of the 1st Football XVIII of 1894, the Annual Report that year described him as:
‘Plays on centre wing; very fast; wants practice with the ball’ .
On leaving College, he studied Law at the University of Melbourne, being admitted to practise as a solicitor in 1901, in partnership with B J Parkinson in Melbourne and Colac. On 10 October, 1906, he married Doris Greville Tucker, daughter of Canon Horace Finn Tucker and Caroline Lavinia nee Brodribb, and they had three children, all born in Malvern: Caroline Mary Tucker born 1909; Cynthia Florence Tucker, born 1913; and Llewellyn Tucker, born in 1915.
During the Great War he received the commission of Lieutenant in the Commonwealth Military Forces, and became Adjutant at the Broadmeadows Training Camp in 1916. On 28 March, 1917 he enlisted in the AIF No. 30504 as a Gunner in the Artillery Reinforcements. He embarked on HMAT A15 Port Sydney on 9 November, 1917 for Egypt and proceeded to France, arriving there in June 1918, to be posted to the 3rd Division Ammunition Column. He returned to Australia on 8 May 1919, and was placed on the reserve of officers as Captain A L Wettenhall in June. Alexander Wettenhall died on 31 July, 1960.
Sources: James Affleck, Geelong Collegians at the Great War p338 (citing Alexander Henderson, Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverina (1936); The University of Melbourne: Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants (1926); The Pegasus; National Archives); Pegasus October 1909 p42.