Information and photographs about the Australian life of British Indian hockey Olympian Richard John Carr (21 January 1911 — 25 April 2000) have come to surface. Previously, content about his years in Australia was almost in dearth. Feeling its need, when I approached the Hockey Australia and Sydney’s St George and Randwick Hockey Club, I was introduced to Australian hockey historian Colin Allerdice who did not disappoint me.
Colin Allerdice took pride in digging out details and collecting photographs of Richard J Carr. He also mentioned the Olympian in his article The Forgotten Olympians, published at Sydney Hockey’s website.
Richard Carr was born in Jhajha, Bihar, India, in an Anglo-Indian family and died in Sydney, Australia. He was known as Dickie Carr in the Indo-Pak region, and simply became Dick Carr after shifting to Australia. He was educated at the Oak Grove School, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India. He emerged as one of the greatest hockey players of his time.
Dickie Carr was selected in the Indian hockey team for the 1932 Summer Olympics held at Los Angeles. He played in the match against Japan as right-out, scoring a goal. However, the Official Report of the 1932 Olympic Games, mistakenly shows him as having played against the US team as well.
During the Los Angeles Olympics, he also participated in 4x100 metres relay in athletics along with Bunoo Sutton, Ronald Vernieux and Mehar Chand Dhawan but the Indian athletics team did not advance.
Dickie Carr could not be selected in the Indian hockey team for the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin. He had to withdraw, as he was unable to obtain leave from the Bengal Nagpur Railway where he worked. Eventually, Ahmed Sher Khan replaced him in the team.
He was also good at football. He was a member of the Calcutta football team for playing against the visiting Chinese Olympic football team at Calcutta in 1936. The Indian Football Federation termed it the Indian football team but the All-India Football Federation refuted the claim.
He was selected in the Indian hockey team that toured British East Africa during 1947-48 just after the partition of India. Dhyan Chand at 42 led this team respecting the desire of the hosts.
The talent of four-time Olympian Leslie Claudius was spotted by Dickie Carr at Kharagpur, India in 1946 during the period the latter worked for Bengal Nagpur Railway. Previously, Claudius played football.
It was after Dickie Carr’s intervention that three-time Olympian Balbir Singh Senior was included in the Indian hockey team for 1948 Summer Olympics held in London.
A correspondent wrote in The Indian Express, Madras, in May 1948, that well known Anglo-Indian boys including Mervyn Adams (Bombay), Fred Browne (UP), Tancred (NWFP), Muurvyd (UP), two Meade Brothers (Kharagpur) and two Ring Brothers (Bombay) were ready to join the Australian Olympic hockey team. The correspondent further wrote that Dickie Carr and Pat Jansen of Bengal were seeking jobs in Australia.
Meanwhile, Dickie Carr and Habul Mukherjee (NN Mukherjee) were appointed trainers of the Indian Olympic hockey team for camp in Bombay. Later, Habul Mukherjee was appointed official coach of the team. Dickie Carr and his brother Laurie Carr who was also a good hockey player, immigrated to Australia. They were called Carr Brothers.
Dickie Carr could not be selected in the Indian hockey team for the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin. He had to withdraw, as he was unable to obtain leave from the Bengal Nagpur Railway where he worked
In 1949, Dick Carr first joined the English Club Middlesborough and later trialled for a contract with top soccer club Auburn. However, he was injured while playing as centre-forward in the Auburn vs Concord match. He had a double fracture on shoulder. Therefore, the contract remained abortive.
Later the same year, he returned to hockey and started playing for Cumberland. The same year B Drake and K Warren also joined this club.
In 1951, he came to Wollongong to become part of the local hockey club. Under his captaincy, Wollongong beat Thirroul in the 1951 premiership final. He played as left-in in this match.
In 1952, he returned to live in Sydney and joined the St George District Hockey Club. His association with the club lasted up to 1961.
Next year, he led his team to victory in a tough Randwick vs St George match. St George won 6-2. Inside-left Brian Booth’s combination with Dick Carr (centre-forward) was a treat to watch.
September 1954. The captain of the team, Dickie Carr, is standing third from
the left.
(Photo Courtesy: Members of the St George District Hockey Club, Sydney,
Australia)
In 1954, Dick Carr was appointed a senior selector to the New South Wales Association and officiated with Tom Pearce (Sydney), Stan Cambridge (Bathurst), Norm Hurrell (Goulburn) and Keith Alexander (Newcastle).
Under Dick Carr’s captaincy, St George defeated Ryde-Hunters Hill at Rydalmere 1-0 to win the grand final of the 1954 1st Grade Premiership. He played in this match as centre-half. St George won this premiership for the first time after 1944. The club won 1st grade in 1957, 1959 and 1960 as well.
After winning bronze at the 1956 Summer Olympics, the Pakistan hockey team made a stopover at Sydney and played a match with Australia. Reporting the match, The Argus, Melbourne, wrote, “A bare-footed, tiny centre-forward today spearheaded the Pakistan Olympic hockey team's 5-3 victory over Australia. The player, Nashir Ahmed [Naseer Bunda], dazzled the Australian team and thrilled a crowd of 7,000 at the sports ground.” Dick Carr must not have missed watching this match!