South African born Victor Clark Robbins, arrived from Durban in Sydney as a young man. A talented cricketer who played alongside famed Australian captain Warren Bardsley, he was also a talented footballer, who plied his trade in both sports with the inner Sydney club of Glebe.
Also playing with him was another South African immigrant who would go on to even greater notoriety, Hollywood actor Cecil Kelleway who was nominated for no less than two Oscars for his roles in The Luck of the Irish (1948) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), alongside Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn.
Enlisting on March 2nd, 1915, Vic was posted to D Company of the 19th Battalion AIF. He embarked for training in Egypt three months later. The journey to Alexandria took the best part of six months, disembarking just two days before Christmas. He then spent two months in hospital for reasons unknown before being returned to his unit. Only four months later he was back in hospital suffering a gunshot wound to his right knee while on the front in France.
This injury no doubt spelled an end to his sporting life – a shame for a player renowned for his shooting from outside the box. Robbins was often promoted temporarily in the field but left the army in 1919 as a Lance Sergeant. He returned home to a quiet life, his name no longer appearing beside those of the rich & famous, in fact no longer appearing in print at all.