John Trait

John Joseph Trait (1859–1906), was an Australian rules umpire and is considered to be the best umpire of the code from the 19th century.[1]

John Trait
Personal information
Full name John Joseph Trait
Nickname(s) "Prince of Umpires"
Date of birth (1859-08-29)29 August 1859
Place of birth Geelong, Colony of Victoria
Date of death 2 November 1906(1906-11-02) (aged 47)
Place of death Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Umpiring career
Years League Role
1882–1895 VFA Field Umpire
Career highlights

Early life

John Trait was born in Geelong on 29 August 1859.[2]

Victorian Football Association umpire

Trait umpired his first game on 22 July 1882 in Geelong in a match between the local side and South Melbourne.[3] Despite the travelling side losing, their captain Mat Minchin congratulated John Trait after the match saying "You are the best umpire we ever had at Geelong".[4]

Trait was considered one of the best umpires in the Victorian Football Association, and was known as "The Prince of Umpires".[1][5]

Demand in other states

Trait was regularly in demand from other states for use in important matches. He was specifically sought out and used as the umpire for the 1889 SAFA Grand Final.

Umpire of intercolonial matches

Trait would regularly be selected as the umpire of matches between Victoria and South Australia.

Retirement from umpiring

He retired from umpiring in 1895.[6] He died at his home in Geelong on 2 November 1906.[1]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Trait.
  1. "Obituary". Geelong Advertiser. No. 18, 592. Victoria, Australia. 3 November 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. Smith, James, ed. (1904). The Cyclopedia of Victoria. Vol. II. The Cyclopedia Company. pp. 456–457. Retrieved 9 June 2023 – via Google Books.
  3. "South Melbourne V. Geelong". The Argus. No. 11, 261. Victoria, Australia. 24 July 1882. p. 7. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "'How's that, Umpire?'". The Argus. No. 14, 690. Victoria, Australia. 27 July 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "The Late Mr. J. J. Trait". The Age. No. 16, 118. Victoria, Australia. 7 November 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "South Melbourne". Weekly Times. No. 1, 343. Victoria, Australia. 4 May 1895. p. 19. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
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