GW Hardcastle - Biography

Gil Hardcastle made just one appearance in first class cricket, representing his native state of Queensland in their match against the touring MCC team at the Brisbane Cricket Ground in December 1935. In this match he scored one run in each Queensland innings and captured one wicket at a cost of 51 runs from thirteen overs delivered in the only innings of the tourists.

Before making his first class debut Gil twice represented Queensland Colts in the annual match against New South Wales Colts, both times in Sydney. In 1933-34, the first occasion Queensland gained victory in this long series of matches he scored but one run and failed to capture a wicket in the two New South Wales innings. In 1935-36 he captured six for 140 from 29 overs and one for 60 from sixteen overs, New South Wales on this occasion winning by seven wickets. With the bat he recorded scores of 12 and 5.

Gilbert William HARDCASTLE was born on 26 February 1910 at Bowen Hills. He was a right hander, usually batting in the lower order but as a fast medium paced bowler was mostly called upon to open the attack. As well as his representative match for Queensland and two games for Queensland Colts he also appeared for Metropolitan teams in the annual trials against Queensland Country, representing both Colts and the open team. He appeared in games in which teams under the title of Brisbane played matches against various Country district teams.

His club cricket was with Toombul, commencing to play for them in the season of 1929-30 and making his debut in A Grade in 1932-33. He played regularly with Toombul up to the outbreak of the War and thereafter made but few appearances. After the war he played three games for the club as a fill in player when teams were short, appearing in B Grade in 1945-46 and Reserve Grade in 1946-47. In the season of 1934-35 he captured ten wickets for fourteen in one innings against Valley, the third player to achieve ten wickets in an innings in A Grade and following fellow Toombul players CB Barstow and RK Oxenham. He was Secretary of Toombul District Cricket Club for three seasons from 1934 to 1937.

Gilbert Hardcastle was educated at the Virginia State School and the Brisbane Grammar School. At the end of his time at Grammar he took a position with the National Bank but after three years resigned to work in the family business, the Brisbane Supply Co. He became the company accountant and was for some forty years the managing director of Brisbane Supply Co.

His other sporting interests were golf and lawn bowls. He played golf with the Ashgrove and Virginia clubs while he played bowls at Ashgrove, Mooloolaba and Caloundra, at one time representing Queensland at lawn bowls. He was for quite many years secretary of the Ashgrove Bowls Club. He retired to the Sunshine Coast and was for a time secretary of National Seniors at Caloundra.

Not a tall man he stood at five feet, eight inches and in his cricketing days weighed around ten to eleven stone. Gilbert Hardcastle died at his home at Cooper Street, Currimundi on 14 February 2000, just twelve days short of his ninetieth birthday.

His younger brother Frank was also a Toombul A Grade cricketer who represented Queensland Colts against New South Wales Colts in Sydney in 1938-39. Frank Albert HARDCASTLE was a right hand batsman and slow left arm bowler. He was born at Sandgate on 21 March 1918 and died at Auchenflower on 7 December 1992. A sister, May was a well known Queensland tennis player.