William Russell Hudson

Bill Hudson Wins a 400-yard Event at University of Western Australia

Don Young, historian of the University of Western Australia Athletic Club, initiated and coordinated the compilation of a number of biographies of prominent past members. In September 2002, he invited me to prepare a summary on William Russell Hudson's life and athletics career as a source document for one in his series of "Athletics Flashbacks", as the biographies were called. I completed this description of the life of William Russell Hudson in April 2003, from which Don prepared an edited version in February 2004. The flashbacks appeared for a time on the university sport website, but are now unavailable.

The following description is a slightly modified version of my April 2003 draft.

Russell Hudson, February 2006. (Photograph Hud-wrh-006)

Bill Hudson was one of the leading amateur sprinters in Western Australia during the period 1930 to 1936, at times holding the State Record for each of the 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards events. He competed with considerable success in State Sprint Championships, winning the 220 yards title in 1930 and 1931, the 100 yards title in 1934 and 1936, and being placed in these events and the 440 yards in other years. In 1936, he represented Western Australia at National Athletic Titles in Hobart, and at the National Games in Adelaide.

William Russell Hudson was born on 17 February 1909 at the Hudson family home, 19 Millen Street, Boulder, Western Australia. His father, Thomas Hudson, was a miner and carpenter, the fourth of seventeen children born near Clunes, Victoria to William Hudson, a free-immigrant farmer from Westmorland , who arrived in Melbourne in 1862, and Mary Jane Goddard, the first child of James Goddard and Mary Askew who were married in Geelong in 1856. James Goddard was born in Hampshire and arrived in Geelong in 1847. He was an "exile", a transportee who had received a royal pardon conditional on him remaining in Australia for the unexpired period of his sentence. His wife to be, Mary Askew, was an assisted immigrant from Derbyshire who arrived in Geelong in 1852. William Russell Hudson's mother, Laura Dunstan, was also born at Clunes and was the first Australian-born child of William Dunstan, miner, and his wife Eliza Jane Bolitho. William and Eliza Jane Dunstan and their two sons emigrated from Cornwall to New Zealand where they resided briefly and had a daughter before leaving for Australia in about 1860 to join up with Dunstan family members who had already settled in Clunes. William Dunstan and his brothers were employed in the gold mining industry at Clunes.

Bill Hudson attended the Boulder General School (primary education) from 1914 to 1921, winning an Education Department Primary School Bursary in 1920. His education continued at Eastern Goldfields High School, commencing in a Special Scholarship Class in 1922, and passing the Junior Certificate in nine subjects in 1924. In 1926, he passed the Leaving Certificate in seven subjects, with distinctions in Physics and Applied Mathematics. Writing in support of Bill’s application for an Education Department monitorship, Mr A.J. Irvine, headmaster of Eastern Goldfields High School (E.G.H.S.), stated: “He was a School Prefect for 1926 and Champion Athlete. He is a keen sportsman and excels at football, cricket and tennis. He is of excellent moral character and, in my opinion, would be a valuable acquisition to the teaching service”.

On 1 February 1927, Cecil Andrews, Director of Education, wrote to Mrs Laura Hudson informing her that her son had been awarded a Special Government University Exhibition for Science Teachers. The Exhibition provided him with about 50 pounds per year to support his attendance at the University of Western Australia for a period of four years, and was presented to Bill by the Vice-Chancellor at the UWA Graduation Ceremony held at Government House on 22 April 1927.

Bill commenced study towards the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1927, majoring in Physics and Mathematics. He completed his final year in 1929 whilst working as a part-time demonstrator in Physics, and the degree was conferred at the Graduation Ceremony on 11 April 1930. He completed his Diploma of Education through Claremont Teachers College in 1930 (conferred on 10 April 1931), and his Bachelor of Arts at the University in 1931, whilst working part-time teaching Physiology and Hygiene at Perth Boys School. The latter degree was conferred on 15 April 1932, at the graduation ceremony held as part of the official opening of Winthrop Hall. At this ceremony, Bill was also awarded a Double Blue, recognising his outstanding performances in Athletics and Rifle Shooting.

Bill’s university sporting career continued his fine record at E.G.H.S., where, in his final year, he was Captain of the School’s first-teams in Football and Athletics, and a member of the first-teams in Cricket and Tennis. At University in 1927, he was awarded Colours for Football, played Pennant Tennis for University, and was placed in sprint events at the University Athletic Championships. In 1928, he was awarded Colours for Rifle Shooting and was a member of the Intervarsity Rifle Team that contested the Venour Nathan Match in Melbourne. He also received Colours for Athletics and was placed in the University Sprint Championships. In 1929, he was awarded a Full Blue for Rifle Shooting, and, as a member of Intervarsity Rifle Team in the Venour Nathan Match in Sydney, achieved top score for WA and equalled the Australian Intervarsity Rifle Record for aggregate over 700-, 800-, and 900-yard ranges. He achieved fourth place in the British Empire in the Imperial Intervarsity Match and was a member of the W.A. Team in Albert Shield. In the 1930 State Athletics Championships, he established a new State Record of 23.0 sec. in winning the 220 yards. He was Champion athlete at Claremont Teachers College, winning the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards and 880 yards events, and was a member of the Claremont Teachers College Athletics Team in Melbourne. In addition, he was a member of College first-teams in Football and Cricket, and was awarded Honour Pockets for Athletics and Football. He was a committee member of the University Rifle Club, and was opening marksman of the W.A. Intervarsity Rifle Team in Adelaide.

In 1931, Bill was State Champion and Record Holder for 220 yards. He was University Sprint Champion, winning the 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards events, and was record holder for 100 yards. He was awarded a Full Blue for Athletics. At Perth Boys School, he coached athletics teams that remained undefeated throughout the year. In 1932, Bill was the holder of State Records for 220 yards and 440 yards, was University 220 yards and 440 yards Champion. He also held the University Records for 100 yards, 220 yards, and 440 yards.

Newspaper articles contained favourable reports on Bill’s performances, stating (in 1931): "On recent form it is expected that Hudson will win both the 100 and 220 yards (in the State Championships). He has been running wonderfully well lately. Hudson won the 220 yards last year. The titleholder is in excellent form, his best time in the interclub contest having been 22.4"; and (in 1932) he was described as: "the most outstanding athlete of the season". His best performance for the 1932 season was probably his 10.0 sec. for 100 yards on a rain-affected track at the University ground. This was the first “even-time hundred” by an amateur athlete in Western Australia, and although subsequently equalled by G. Appleton and L. Jupp, the record was still standing at the end of the 1936 season when Bill retired from the State athletic scene.

Bill’s appointment in 1934 as Assistant Science Master at Eastern Goldfields High School, some 600 km east of Perth, made regular athletic competition at Interclub meetings and State Championships difficult. Nevertheless he continued to train and compete for University whenever possible. In 1933, his run of 51.2 sec. was ratified as a State record for 440 yards, and newspapers continued to include him in their athletic reports. For example, in 1934: "W. Hudson, one of the strongest sprinters in the State, also came to Perth from Kalgoorlie this week. With Appleton and Jupp, Hudson jointly holds the State record for 100 yards. His State records for 220 and 440 yards were lowered by Jupp and Cameron recently. Possessing a long stride, Hudson has the facility of being able to put in a whirlwind finish, which has been responsible for most of his successes."

In 1936, Bill was selected to join a group of athletes representing W.A .at the National Titles in Hobart. The newspaper report read as follows: “It is now certain that four athletes from this State will be competitors at the Australian Amateur Athletic Associations Meeting at Hobart on January 15 and 18 next. They will be G. Appleton (sprinter), F. Drew (shot putter), J.Haire (high jumper), and W. Hudson (sprinter). The first are all State Champions and Hudson is a former State Champion. All will travel at their own expense, and will leave Fremantle on the Jervis Bay on December 20. After competing at Hobart, the party will go to Adelaide to join up with several other competitors from Western Australia (for the National Games). Hudson has not participated in local inter-club matches for two seasons, owing to being stationed at (E.G.H.S.), but previously he was a brilliant runner over 100, 220 and 440 yards. He held more than one State Record, and in fact his time of 10.0 secs for the 100 yards has never been beaten in Western Australia, although equalled by Appleton and Jupp. Hudson did six weeks serious training at the Goldfields before leaving for Tasmania and that he is still a good sprinter he demonstrated by running second in a 75 yards club match won by Appleton at Hobart 10 days ago". His final success was at the 1936 State Championship when he won the 100 yards title in a time of 10.2 seconds.

On the 26 December 1936, at St. George’s College Chapel, University of Western Australia, Bill married Joyce Elizabeth Clarke, a contemporary of his from E.G.H.S. and a fellow Prefect from their final school year in 1926. She was a primary school teacher, having worked as a monitor at Menzies prior to completing training at Claremont Teachers College, and then being appointed to a one-teacher school at Rich Meadows (East Grass Patch), south of Norseman. Bill was appointed Science Master at Bunbury High School in 1940, Senior Science Master at Northam High School in 1946, and returned again to Bunbury in 1948, where he continued responsibility for courses in chemistry and physics. In 1952, he was transferred to Perth Modern School, where he was responsible for courses in biology, and then to Claremont Teachers College in about 1964. At all of the high schools at which he taught, and at Claremont Teachers College, Bill played a leading role in supervising and coaching student sporting activities. He retired from the Education Department in February 1971.

Bill retained a love of athletics throughout his life, and from 1952 onwards was an official at Interclub Athletic Meetings at Leederville Oval and Floreat Stadium. In 1956, he was selected as an official for the Melbourne Olympic Games. He took a keen interest in following the sporting activities of his three sons, Russell, John and Geoffrey, all of whom represented Scotch College in athletics and football. A newspaper article, written by Michael Throssell in the Daily News of 30 October 1958, gave him particular pleasure. Under the heading “Hudson – The Name Runs Through the Records” the article begins: “Athletics race through the Hudson family. On Saturday, 16 year-old John Hudson and his 13-year old brother Geoff will run for Scotch in the Interschool Sports at the WACA ground. In 1956, their elder brother Russell was school open champion and ran for Scotch at the Inters. And their father Bill Hudson began the sequence when he came from (E.G.H.S.) to run for University. For several years Hudson senior was State 100 yd. and 220 yd. record-holder. Little wonder that these boys with such an athletic background have met with such success.”

Throughout his life, Bill was a keen breeder of fowls, and won numerous awards for his Brown Leghorns, Indian Game and Old English Game at country shows and at the Royal Show. In his all-to-brief retirement he continued this hobby, undertook an overseas trip with his wife, and played pennant lawn bowls for the Peppermint Grove Club. At home, he and Joyce enjoyed the company of his sons and their wives, and the growing number of his grandchildren. At the time of his death there were six grandchildren, and eventually they numbered ten, seven girls and three boys.

Bill died at his home at 30 Irvine Street, Peppermint Grove on 22 August 1973. He was 64 years old and had suffered heart problems during the last decade or so of his life. If he had one regret, it would have been that he missed seeing his grandchildren succeed in the educational and sporting arenas that had been the driving force in his life.


William Russell Hudson was born on 17 February 1909. (Photo Hud-wrh-001).	Portrait taken about 1930 during Bill's university years. (Photo Hud-wrh-002).	Prefects at E.G.H.S in 1926. Bill Hudson at front right; Joyce Clarke, his wife to be, front left. (Photo Hud-wrh-003).	Bill Hudson "on the range". He was awarded a full blue for rifle shooting in 1929. (Photo Hud-wrh-005).	With some of his fellow athletes from the University of WA Athletic Club ~1936. Bill Hudson (102) right of centre. (Photo Hud-wrh-004).