Alfred Absolum was an electrician from Warwick. He had emigrated from Maidenhead in England in 1910 to join an electrical business in Brisbane. His first job was to be sent to Warwick where he installed the town’s first electric streetlights and was later involved in the construction of its first movie theatre.
In 1912, Absolum was involved in the formation of Warwick’s first soccer club alongside the Warwick Mayor Alderman Hutchinson. The club played semi-regular fixtures against nearby mining community Tannymorel before falling defunct during the war.
Absolum enlisted at the age of 29 in 1916 after previously being rejected with what was called “slight heart trouble”. His trade skills largely kept him away from the front, having been attached to various vehicle repair facilities shops including the 2nd ASC Repair Shop in Rouen and the Australian Divisional Mechanical Transport Company. Absolum remained in France for a year after the war ended, returning to Australia in 1920.
He helped reform the soccer club after the war and continued to play into his 40s, being still involved in the committee in the 1930s. Absolum largely remained in Warwick until 1947 working as electrician and later as the local inspector for the Toowoomba Electric Light Company.
In his spare time, Absolum lent his skills to set up lighting for theatrical shows and was heavily involved in the Scouts, bowls, the local rifle club and the RSL. Absolum’s health led to a move to Nundah on the coast where he died in April 1950.