Billy Stewart , boxer and a gentleman (Continued)
Patricia Close, of “White Lodge”, Memagong Lane, and Billy met after Billy’s arrival at Hartnett’s farm and became firm friends. They attended dances at the Community Centre and at the Southern Cross Hall. They also went to dances at the Hampstead Hall on the Temora - Young road near Milvale. Billy and Pat were married on the 3rd of May, 1975.
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Over the years Billy had become friends with Max, and Rose Henry and Max and Billy had applied for jobs on the railway together. Max was stationed at Cootamundra, while Billy was posted to Rydal and Lithgow and later to Blayney, where he was for many years. He commenced as a fettler and graduated to a machine operator.
After they were married Pat and Billy lived in Blayney, where they had a house built. Sadly in the late 1980’s, Pat developed cancer. They moved back to Young and lived in Brock Street until Pat died in January 1989. Billy missed Pat after her death, and it affected him greatly.
Billy died on September 9th, 2001 and is buried in the Young Cemetery with Pat. He is well remembered and respected as a polite, gentle person who never boasted of his boxing ability.
Sourced from a book published by Warwick and Pam Grace called,” The Billy Stewart Story”.
Billy Grime’s Third Title
From an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, 11th May 1950.
A knock out blow to the solar plexus in the fourth round gave the weaving, crouching Billy Grime his Australian Welterweight title. Grime held three Australian titles at the same time --- the featherweight and lightweight from 1924 and the welterweight.
Grime won the welterweight title from Eddie Butcher in a brief but brilliant bout on January 1, 1927.
Billy Grime was known as the Wombat Walloper to his fans. He was born at Young on the 27th April 1902. His father was John Grime, a hotel keeper, who had been born at Casino. His mother was Sarah Jane Morgan, and she and John were married at Marengo on 5th March 1888.
Grime’s record was phenomenal at the time he fought Butcher. He had been fighting since 1920. And in over 90 fights had fewer than a dozen defeats. Just before the title fight, Grime had knocked out Havilah Uren in the seventh round, and there appeared no more worlds for him to conquer as far as the Australian ring was concerned. In tackling Butcher, he was giving away nearly a stone and a half.
When they shaped up Butcher towered above Grime, whose height of 5ft 6in was diminished by the crouching stance he adopted, with the body tilted to the right. In the fourth round, Butcher after being hit by some solid blows was stung into action and rushed in only to be met with a beautifully timed right to the solar plexus. Butcher fell to the canvas and was still on his back at the count of ten. Joe Wallis, the referee, crowned Grime as the new welterweight champion of Australia.
