William Edward "Bull" Berryman (14 November 1899 – 11 January 1953) was an
Australian rules footballer who played for
South Melbourne
South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at ...
in the
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL) during the 1920s.
Family
The eldest son of Edwin William Berryman (1873–1936), and Ada May Berryman (1880–1951), née Wilby, Edward William Berryman was born in
Zeehan
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown.
History
The greater ...
, Tasmania on 14 November 1899.
Berryman married Gladys Hazel Snooks (1900–1986) in August 1927.
Football
Devonport (NWFU)
Berryman, a defender, started out at
Devonport in the
North West Football Union
The North West Football Union (NWFU) was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football As ...
(NWFU) and won the Cheel Medal as the competition's '
best and fairest' player in 1925.
South Melbourne (VFL)
He played 47 senior games for South Melbourne over three years (1926–1928).
Rochester (BFL)
In 1929 he was cleared from South Melbourne, and was appointed captain-coach of
Rochester Football Club
The Rochester Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Tigers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club, formed at a meeting held on 8 June 1874 at Tidy's Restdown Hotel. The club was formed with the purpose of soon "playing and beating ...
in the
Bendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football Netball League (previously known as the Sandhurst Football Association, Bendigo and District Football Association, Bendigo Football Association and Bendigo Football League) is an Australian rules football and netball compe ...
.
Devonport (NWFU)
In 1930, he returned to Tasmania and continuing to play with Devonport.
In 1930, he tied for the ''Royal Medal/Turner Medal'', donated by Mr. Charles James Turner of the Royal Hotel, Latrobe, that was awarded to the NFWU's best and fairest player, with Eric "Dick" Fleming of Deloraine. Unusually, two medals were awarded at the time (rather than retrospectively, many years later, as happened in similar circumstances in other competitions, at other locations).
Berryman spent the 1930 and 1931 NWFU seasons as captain-coach.
Royal Humane Society of Australasia's Certificate of Merit
On several occasions Berryman saved men from drowning:
::NARROW ESCAPE—
A member of a ship's crew had a narrow escape from drowning when he fell from the wharf into
the Mersey late on Friday night.
His cries for help were heard by Mr. W. Berryman, who jumped 14 feet into the water.
He was thrown a small raft by the stevedore (Mr. T. Bound), and paddling this about 150 yards to the man, he succeeded in bringing him ashore.
The task was a difficult one, and only a man of strong physique could have accomplished it.
The rescuer was warmly complimented on his effort.
In November 1943, he was awarded a ''Certificate of Merit'' from the
Royal Humane Society of Australasia
The Royal Humane Society of Australasia (RHSA), formerly the Victorian Humane Society, is an Australian charity dedicated to the recognition of those who risk their own lives in saving or attempting to save the lives of others. It also provides a ...
for his bravery.
Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame
For his contribution to football in the state, Berryman was inducted into the
Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Death
A professional fisherman, Berryman died from drowning after an accident on a fishing trip in January 1953.
"Echuca Man's Holiday Ordeal: Eight Hours in the Sea: Companion Drowned", ''The Riverine Herald'', (Tuesday, 20 January 1953, p.1.
/ref>
See also
* 1927 Melbourne Carnival
The 1927 Melbourne Carnival was the sixth Australian National Football Carnival: an Australian rules football interstate competition.
New South Wales caused the biggest upset of the carnival when they defeated Tasmania by three points and, also, ...
Footnotes
References
* Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers''. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
External links
*
*
Bill Berryman
at Boyles Football Photos.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berryman, Bill
1899 births
1953 deaths
Sydney Swans players
Devonport Football Club players
Devonport Football Club coaches
Australian rules footballers from Tasmania
Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductees
Accidental deaths in Tasmania
Deaths by drowning in Australia