George James Carstairs (1900–1966) was an

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league player who played in the 1920s and represented

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Career

Born to parents George and Adeline Carstairs on 25 March 1900, George "Bluey" Carstairs went on to become a legendary figure at

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

club. He learned the game of rugby league at Kogarah Marist Brothers, where he attended as a student. He made his first grade début in St George's foundation year in 1921, and went on to play his whole career at the club between 1921 and 1929. He had scored the first try in St. George's first competition match on 3 April 1921, in a game that saw

Glebe Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...

defeat St. George 4–3. At years end, he was selected to play on the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, thus making Carstairs St. George's first international player. He is listed on the ''Australian Players Register'' as Kangaroo No. 123. He played in the 2nd and 3rd test matches on that tour. This happened to be his last representative appearance, either for Australia or his state. A loyal clubman, George Carstairs was involved in the massive controversy surrounding the Earl Park Riot, a 1928 match involving

St George Saint George (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin language, Latin: Georgius, Arabic language, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christians, Christian who is venerated as a sa ...

and Balmain that turned into an all in brawl with players and spectators alike. Carstairs retired at the end of the 1929 season.

War service

George Carstairs served in both world wars. He enlisted in the AIF in January 1917, claiming he was 18 years of age, whilst being only 16. He sailed out with the 1st Battalion/24 Reinforcements on 17 February 1917 to see action in France, and returned to Australia in 1919 at war's end. He also enlisted in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in 1940, aged 40, and saw action in the Middle East before a war related injury forced his discharge in 1943. George Carstairs died from complications due to old war injuries at the Concord Repatriation Hospital on 14 October 1966, aged 66.Sydney Morning Herald: Death Notice 15/10/1966

References

St. George Dragons players Australia national rugby league team players New South Wales rugby league team players 1900 births 1966 deaths Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian military personnel of World War I Rugby league centres Rugby league players from Sydney Australian Army soldiers {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-stub