We were very sorry to hear from daughter Gayle that her father, our Respected Honorary Member Bruce Tickell passed away this morning after a long illness aged 89.
Our condolences are extended to Gail and her family.
The Funeral Service to cel;ebrate Bruce's life will be held in the W.D. Rose Chapel 139 Marriage Road, Brighton on Wednesday April 4 2018 commencing at 2.30pm.
http://www.anzroc.com.au/component/phocagallery/category/190-bruce-tickell
This morning I awoke to a message from Gayle Tickell that her father and my long time friend had passed on to greener fields.
We first met at 394 Collins Street at the Bank of Australia – on Monday of the first week of March 1951. I was reporting in for transfer to General Manager’s Office at Chief Accountant’s Department, whereas Bruce was going to work as a Ledger Supervisor. Bruce had just recently had his 22nd birthday and I was to attain mine in early June. Bruce was a tremendous fellow, a gentleman and a very good sportsman. He contributed greatly to some of the sporting activities within the bank. Notably he contributed much to the Men’s basketball team and he and a few other gave much to the training of young fellows in that game. I met him on the first morning when the Clerk in the Personnel Department, Ian Fraser, asked whether I played cricket. When I said I did, he took me down to meet Bruce Tickell, who was a foundation member of the Bank of Australasia Cricket Club, which had been formed in 1948. Incidentally, I noticed a young lady, one of his ledger machinists, who I was to later marry. I talked to Bruce and said I would like to try out for the team. I played my first season in 1951 and from then on. Bruce was my closest friend and am proud to say that he was my teammate in the true sense of the word, because in the game of cricket, the regular bowler and the wicket keeper form their own little team - as their communication is frequent as they work together to dispose of the opposition – As far as I am concerned this was the greatest sporting partnership that I enjoyed. We spent all of our cricket career together and I spent many hours bowling to him in the nets as he tried to eradicate a perceived weakness – a shortish ball rising outside the off stump. We made what we considered a considerable contribution to the team as there are many entries in the score book “C Tickell B Watson”. Bruce was a lovely batsman and had virtually a mortgage on our batting average. The years passed very pleasantly indeed.
Besides his attributes as a cricketer he was an all round sportman – apart from the basketball team, he was also a keen footballer and played on the wing for the Malverrn Amateur Australian Rules Football Club.
Our friendship has now lasted over 67 years and we have remained close over all those years.
One of the typical one liners that he produced that is freshest in my mind is when I rang on the morning of his 88th birthday and wished him well. He quipped – I can go out and buy a new bat now, making reference to the ill-regarded no 87, being 13 short of 100, although I never remember him being dismissed on that number – always going on to make the 100. The memories I carry are voluminous – too many to recall. Suffice to say I am not a great collector of statistics but we accumulated a number of premierships – I think at one time in four consecutive years. We achieved a standard of cricket which took us into VJCA A Grade after having invested in a turf wicket. Our turf wicket and dressing sheds were built on Batman Avenue, Melbourne which is now the site of the Rod Laver Arena.
At the height of the time our club was fielding three 11s but for many years we had two 11s on the go, one in the VJCA. Incidentally, in my, and I think Bruce’s, last season, we were runners up in the VJCA behind East Malvern which progressed to sub-district under the captaincy of Graham Yallop who went on to captain Victoria. We had a rich and proud history and every now and again we were added to in number by further transferees from interstate – I think particularly of the late Graham Hopkins and Bevyn Ranford – both from WA. Talking of Graham, I briefly mention that in a grand final he made a blistering 187 – I think we made 5 for about 547 in that match.
It was an absolute delight to have known Bruce and in a way I am pleased that he didn’t live to see the disgrace of Australian Cricket in the last few days. He gave the big C a hell of a run for its money, sustaining more surgery than anyone I have ever known and never surrendered – he never did surrender his hand easily. Finally in pain no more to rejoin the lovely Helen, whom he lost too early.
He is greatly missed.
Kevin Watson
From John Brown
Sad news,
I got to know Bruce and his family in the early 1960s when Bruce, John Vanselow and Brian Murdoch became involved with the ANZ Basketball Club. They were great mentors to the many younger playing members, providing support and encouragement during both the matches and the many social events.
Bruce was also a class cricketer, playing for the ANZ team in the A Grade Mercantile Cricket Association. In the June 1962 edition of Chequerboard (ANZ's staff newsletter at that time) it was reported that the ANZ team has won the final of the 1961/62 season, completing a "hat trick"of premierships, and that they would advance to the Victorian Junior Cricket Association in the following year.
At that time, Bruce had played 14 seasons with the team scoring 4067 runs at an average of 31.8. His great friend Kevin Watson had also played for 11 seasons taking 330 wickets for an average of 9.6.
Others in that team were Bill Walker, Bevyn Ranford, Bob Bishop, David Phelps, Robin Chase, P Bower, Trevor Dusting, Bill Lumsden, K Irvine and G Hopkins (Captain).
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