Cyril Steele

Henry Cyril Augustus Steele (11 June 1891 – 18 January 1939), commonly known as Cyril Steele, was an Australian rules footballer who played with University and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His football career was cut short by the declaration of World War I, as he was sent to the Western Front with his three brothers: Frederick Wilberforce Alexander Steele, Philip John Rupert Steele and Norman Leslie Steele.[1]

Cyril Steele
Personal information
Full name Henry Cyril Augustus Steele
Date of birth (1891-06-11)11 June 1891
Place of birth Auburn, Victoria
Date of death 18 January 1939(1939-01-18) (aged 47)
Place of death Werribee River
Original team(s) Melbourne Grammar School
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1910 Melbourne 3 (0)
1914 University 1 (0)
Total 4 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

After his brothers were killed in action, he was sent home. Steele worked as a warehouseman and, after the war, he started his own company, Steele and Co. Pty. Ltd., which he was the managing director of.[2] In 1938, he was elected to the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce.[3]

He was an art collector and patron of the arts. In the 1930s he paid for two study tours to Europe for the Australian artist Ernest Buckmaster. In return, he was given first choice of paintings made by Buckmaster during those trips.

On 20 January 1939, Steele and his chauffeur, Alfred Jackson, were declared missing after the boat they were on "was apparently blown out to sea".[4] A search was held,[5] but his body was not recovered until four days later, on 24 January 1939.[6] He was survived by his wife and children, to whom he left his £141,460 estate.[7]

References
  1. "The Man Behind The Bearskin". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  2. "BODY IN SEA". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 January 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "CHAMBER OF COMMERCE". The Argus. Melbourne. 9 August 1938. p. 7. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Speed Boat Missing". The Canberra Times. 20 January 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Untitled". The Argus. Melbourne. 20 January 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "SPEEDBOAT TRAGEDY". The West Australian. Perth. 23 January 1939. p. 20. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Drowning Victim Left £141,460 Estate". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 20 May 1939. p. 2. Retrieved 17 January 2011 – via National Library of Australia.
  • Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
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