Aubrey Hardwicke was born in Richmond, Melbourne, in 1891. The early years of his life were somewhat unsettled with his father, Charles Hardwicke, moving the family to Perth and later the remote goldfields town of Menzies in search of work. Charles’ wife, Constanza Staszewski, and his two young sons returned to Victoria after a few years.
When Charles found work in Perth in 1902, Costanza sent Aubrey to live with his father who then abandoned his son into the care of Maria Wisely, a boarding house keeper. Aubrey not surprisingly became involved in some youthful mischief until being invited to live with chemist and philanthropist Henry Armstrong and his wife Sarah.
Aubrey’s education began at Perth Boys’ School and continued at Perth High School, where he developed a passion for sport, particularly football. He represented High School during the 1905 Junior League B season and, on completion of his studies, joined the Ex-Students club for the winter that followed.
In 1907 16-year old Aubrey accepted an offer to play for Perth, one of Western Australia’s original four clubs formed in 1896. He would remain with Perth for the next eight years, helping them win Division Two in 1908 and holding the positions of secretary and vice-captain two years later. The club were gathering strength when war erupted in Europe.
Aubrey enlisted with the 3rd Battalion, as a Private, while in Sydney in December 1914. He was among the first to land on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915, disembarking around 5:30am and making his way to shore under heavy Turkish fire. In the first four days the 3rd Battalion suffered 39 deaths, 40 woundings and had a further 69 soldiers missing in action. Aubrey was in that latter category.
Aubrey Hardwicke was declared to have been killed in action at Gallipoli on 26 May 1915. Writing in the West Australian six weeks later using the pen name ‘Unomi’, Alex McDowall, chairman of the British Football Association of Western Australia, lamented Aubrey’s passing –
British Associationists in general and the Perth Club in particular will be grieved to learn that Aubrey J.C. Hardwicke, who enlisted with the New South Wales contingent, has played his last game. He has been killed in action at the Dardanelles. ‘Bessie’, as he was named by his friends, was an old boy of the High School, and was, perhaps, the best exponent of the game that came from that institution. ‘Bessie’ became associated with the Perth Club in 1907 and besides holding the secretaryship he captained the “Magpies” when they won the Presentation Cup and the premiership. Vale ‘Bessie’.
The Aubrey Hardwicke Memorial Prize for Captain of the School is presented annually at Hale School, whose lineage takes in Perth High School.