Cyril Baxter

For nearly 50 years people driving to or from West Lakes along Military Road have probably noticed the Cyril Baxter Hall at Grange Recreation Reserve and possibly wondered who was Cyril?

​Cyril was a tireless worker not only for the Grange Cricket Club but also the wider community in particular the RSL and the Grange Hockey Club. Cyril was ever ready to help people, untiring in his efforts, of great ability in fundraising and very loyal – sadly a quality declining in today’s world. He experienced the good things and the bad – sometimes very bad – but was always a willing and hard worker striving for success. Cyril was a great thinker, with the class of a professional and somewhat of a perfectionist. Year after year, his work for the community drew praise from a wide range of people.

​The building of the Cyril Baxter Clubrooms was a joint venture between the three clubs’ using Grange Oval at the time, namely the Grange Cricket Club, the Henley & Grange Baseball Club and the Henley & Grange Trotting Trainers Association. The Grange Oval Clubrooms Committee approached the Henley & Grange Corporation for permission and financial assistance for the project in early 1962. Happily, the corporation agreed to provide funding on a pound for pound basis and on July 20,1962 local identity Clive Hill’s building firm – C.Hill & Co Ltd – was given permission to begin the project.

​The three clubs each began building funds and each raised loans of between 500 and 700 pounds. The loans, in the form of interest-free debenture issues repayable within two years, were obtained from club supporters and other interested people. The Grange Ovalclubrooms committee carried out considerable work organising activities to raise money for the project and a social committee under the capable control of Cyril Baxter, who had been added to the clubrooms committee, was formed with the same aim. Several cabarets and a number of other social functions were held over the following three years and profits from the events were credited to the three clubs for the sole use of paying for the clubrooms.

​The effectiveness of the three clubs’ to build the new clubrooms were evident from the fact that the building which cost 5100 pounds ($10,200) was opened within 7 ½ months of the first joint meeting to formulate their construction.

​The Grange Oval clubrooms committee recommended to the Henley & Grange Corporation that the building be named the Cyril Baxter Hall in recognition of Cyril’s magnificent service to the local community.

​ All those who had subscribed to the debenture issue to raise money for the project were paid in full by June1965. A newspaper report of the time said “the youth of the town now deriving so much benefit from their action in backing the enterprise should be ever grateful. All dealings with members of the Henley & Grange Council have been carried out in an atmosphere of mutual respect and much good has resulted.”

​Cyril was a Sapper in the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 1st AIF in Egypt during World War 1. After the war, he served the Seaton Park and Henley & Grange sub branches of the RSL with great distinction. He was a Committeeman for 13 years and was awarded RSL Life Membership on September 15, 1948. Cyril ran a monthly cabaret for the Henley & Grange RSL for 10 years. During the Second World War the traditional method of recognising Remembrance Day was threatened so Cyril organised several local residents to assist him in making paper poppies that were sold to raise funds for the RSL. Over 10,000 hand crafted poppies were made over a two year period.

​Cyril also showed a great interest in local government and actively campaigned to assist several councillors and mayors in their bids to be elected to office in the former Henley and Grange Corporation.

​Grange Hockey Club also has reason to fondly remember Cyril Baxter. Cyril knew very little about the rules of hockey in 1926, but he soon learnt them and, in keeping with his loyalty and long-running enthusiasm, he spent 26 years umpiring for both the Grange LadiesHockey Club and the SA Ladies Hockey Association.

​One of the reasons why Grange Cricket Club is now one of the strongest cricket clubs in South Australia is the untiring work of Cyril and his wife Thelma during the difficult depression years of the 1930’s and the rebuilding of the nation after the second  World War. Cyril served on the club’s management committee for 42 years including 32 as President and six as Treasurer. Many of the long term commitments made during Cyril’s term in office have enabled Grange CC to become a club other clubs’ want to emulate.

​The West Side newspaper of January 15, 1964 carried an article about the naming of the Cyril Baxter Hall:

​“A large attendance recently witnessed one of the most memorable occasions ever to take place in the Henley and Grange Town Hall when the Mayor (Mr John Mitchell) named the Grange Oval clubroom hall the “Cyril Baxter Hall”

​The Mayor paid tribute to Mr Baxter, whom he termed “an outstanding citizen for his untiring work for the benefit of the town in general for many years.”  He also paid tribute to the work of Mrs Baxter who has rendered sterling service for the community.”

​Cyril was employed as a clerk with the South Australian Railways for all his working life after WW1. His wife Thelma was by his side in all his fund raising activities for nearly 50 years. Mrs Baxter was the first lady to be honoured with Life Membership of the Grange Cricket Club. She died in 1977 - 17 months after Cyril had passed away.

​The Grange CC newsletter of October 1975 carried the following tribute from the then Mayor of the City of Henley & Grange, the late Mr J J B Edwards:  “It is nearly 15 years since I first met the late Mr Cyril Baxter. From the first he impressed me with his amazing reservoir of energy and determination to make a success of each project he undertook.

​In the earlier days Cyril was a staunch supporter and hard worker for the Henley & Grange RSL Sub Branch. He was instrumental in producing over 10,000 poppies for Remembrance Day, a colossal achievement. He took part and helped organise many of the Henley and Grange Carnivals.”

​Mr Edwards went on to say “Our city has lost a fine man, a staunch civil minded citizen, a man who gave his time and energies in helping other people.”

​The community of Henley Beach and Grange have a lot to be thankful for the efforts of Mr Cyril Baxter.                                                  

​​​​​​​​​Michael Stanley.