Henry Braddon

Sir Henry Yule Braddon KBE (27 April 1863 – 8 September 1955) was an Australian diplomat, businessman and rugby union player who played for Otago, New South Wales and New Zealand. The position he generally played in was fullback. He is listed as the second All Black in playing order.[1]

Sir Henry Braddon
KBE

Braddon in 1918
Birth name	Henry Yule Braddon
Date of birth	27 April 1863
Place of birth	Calcutta, India
Date of death	8 September 1955 (aged 92)
Place of death	Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
School	Dulwich College Launceston Church Grammar School
Notable relative(s)	Edward Braddon (father) Mary Elizabeth Braddon (aunt)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, wing All Black No. 2 Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1882–84 Invercargill () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1883–84 1888–92 Otago New South Wales () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1884 New Zealand 7 (0 tests) (0)

Early life

He was born on 27 April 1863 in Calcutta, India to Alice Smith and (Sir) Edward Braddon, later Premier of Tasmania (1894–1899). He was educated in Germany, France and Dulwich College, England, before his family emigrated to Australia in 1878, where he completed his education at Church of England Grammar School, Launceston.[2] On leaving school he worked for the Commercial Bank of Tasmania.[2]

Rugby

He moved to Invercargill in 1882 on transfer with the Bank of Australasia. He played his club rugby for Invercargill Rugby Club but his provincial rugby for Otago as the Invercargill-centred Southland Rugby Football Union did not split away from Otago until 1887. He was selected for the first New Zealand international team, and played in seven of the eight games in Australia in 1884 and is recognised as an Otago's first All Black despite playing in Invercargill at the time of his selection. Braddon later played for New South Wales from 1888 until 1892.[1]

Career

Braddon had a commercial and political career in Australia, working for Dalgetys and representing Australia as Commonwealth Commissioner in the United States. He was appointed a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1917 and was an indirectly-elected member of that body from 1934 to 1940.[2][3] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1920,[4] and died in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra in 1955.[3]

Legacy

Following the death of Henry Roberts in 1949, Braddon was the oldest living All Black.

References

1. Luxford, Bob. "Henry Braddon". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
2. "Sir Henry Yule Braddon, KBE (1863–1955)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
3. "Braddon, Sir Henry Yule (1863–1955)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. 1979. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 16 September 2014 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
4. "No. 32090". The London Gazette. 19 October 1920. p. 10095.

External links

Media related to Henry Yule Braddon at Wikimedia Commons

• "Braddon, Sir Henry Yule (1863–1955)". Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
• McConnell, Lynn (12 September 2014). "A look at rugby's first knight". The Southland Times. Retrieved 29 July 2015.