Bill Farnan (23 September 1851 – 15 March 1891) was Australia's first heavyweight boxing champion.

Family

The son of Patrick Farnan, and Mary Farnan, née McGuiness, William Francis Farnan was born at Kyneton, Victoria on 23 September 1851. He married Bridget Winifred Kane (1853-1912). One of their sons, James Thomas Farnan (1875–1916) played VFL football with St Kilda, and was killed in action, while serving in France with the First AIF.

Boxing

He fought the West Indian

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

in the first Australian heavyweight contest using Marquis of Queensbury rules in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

on saturday, 26 July 1884. He hit Jackson hard "between wind and water" in the second round and continuing body hits drove Jackson down and out in the third round. A return bout was proposed; and, on the following Monday (28 July) the two men agreed to a return bout. The return bout took place, in Sydney, on Saturday, 19 September 1884. Farnan was by far the better boxer on the day, with his superiority becoming more and more evident round by round; and, as Farnan seemed close to winning the fight by a knockout, in the sixth round, a large group of Jackson's supporters invaded the ring. The ensuing '' mêlée'' was of such intensity, ferocity, and violence that it was an hour before some semblance of order was achieved. The bout was abandoned. A meeting of relevant officials was held on Tuesday, 23 September 1884, which declared Farnan and Jackson should meet on the Thursday (25 September) to arrange a re-match: ::"It has been decided that Jackson and Farnan are to box again. During the day iz., Tuesday, 23 Septemberit was not thought likely that Jackson will come to the scratch, as his seconds state that he wanted to give in after the second round. Farnan does not bear a mark, and is quite well." -- ''The Sportsman'', 24 September 1884.

Death

Due to his deranged mental state, he was committed to the Kew Lunatic Asylum in early March 1891. He died at his home in South Melbourne, later that month, on 15 March 1891.Deaths: Farnan, ''The Age'', (Wednesday, 18 March 1891), p.1.
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Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame

Bill was the 2008 Inductee for the

Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 and began inducting boxers into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Since then annual induction dinners have been held across Australia. Inductees are nominated and then voted upon by a panel of ...

Pioneers category.

Footnotes

References

W. Farnan, The South Melbourne Boxer, ''The Sportsman'', (Wednesday, 30 April 1884), p.1.
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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnan, Bill 1851 births 1891 deaths Heavyweight boxers Bare-knuckle boxers Boxers from Melbourne Australian male boxers People from Kyneton