Edwin Lyall Williams (18 June 1906 – 2 October 1994) was a prominent Churches of Christ minister in Victoria and an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

Lyall Williams
Personal information
Full name Edwin Lyall Williams
Date of birth (1906-06-18)18 June 1906
Place of birth Kaniva, Victoria
Date of death 2 October 1994(1994-10-02) (aged 88)
Place of death Murrumbeena, Victoria
Original team(s) Camberwell / Ballarat
Height 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1929–30 Hawthorn 24 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1930.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life edit

The son of Arthur James Williams (1864–1935)[2] and Annie Maria Williams, nee Petchell (1864–1928),[3] Edwin Lyall Williams was born at Kaniva on 18 June 1906.

After attending Sandsmere State School and then Nhill Higher Elementary School,[4] Williams moved with his family to Ballarat in the early 1920's.

Football edit

Williams commenced his football career in Ballarat in 1923 before joining Camberwell in 1928. In 1929 he joined Hawthorn and played there for two years before returning to Camberwell.[5] He played with Camberwell until the end of the 1934 season.[6]

Church edit

Ordained as a minister with the Church of Christ in 1928,[4] Williams moved from a parish in Boronia to the Glenferrie Church of Christ in 1929.[7] A popular minister, he had the education and gift of expression to speak with depth and subtlety about big issues.[8] In 1936 he accepted a call to the ministry of the Church of Christ at Ponsonby Road in Auckland, New Zealand.[9] He subsequently served as Principal of the Church of Christ national college from 1945[10] to 1973.

Family edit

Edwin Lyall Williams married Bertha Lila Brown (1910–1996) on 25 January 1930 and they had two sons and a daughter together.[4]

Williams died at Murrumbeena on 2 October 1994.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 953. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  2. ^ "Family Notices". The Argus. No. 27, 740. Victoria, Australia. 17 July 1935. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Annie Maria Williams". Find a Grave.
  4. ^ a b c Alexander, Joseph A. (1950). Who's Who in Australia. Melbourne: Herald and Weekly Times. p. 757. ISSN 0810-8226.
  5. ^ "From Field and Clubroom". The Herald. No. 17, 164. Victoria, Australia. 20 May 1932. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Clergyman Plays Again With Camberwell". The Herald. No. 17, 750. Victoria, Australia. 6 April 1934. p. 16.
  7. ^ "CHURCH NEWS". The Argus. No. 25, 961. Victoria, Australia. 26 October 1929. p. 23.
  8. ^ "Pioneers for Churches of Christ in Vic-Tas and beyond" (PDF). Australian Churches of Christ Historical Society.
  9. ^ "PERSONAL". The Herald. No. 18, 349. Victoria, Australia. 6 March 1936. p. 7.
  10. ^ "PERSONAL". The Herald. No. 21130. Victoria, Australia. 6 February 1945. p. 8.

External links edit