BIO

Harry Burnet was born in Carrington Street on 14 September, 1856. His mother, Elizabeth, had come to Australia on the ship Diadem, in 1840. His father, Charles, was a pioneer who had a pastoral lease at Mount Brown near Pt Augusta. In fact, his mother was the first white woman to set foot on the site where Port Augusta is now located. Mr. Burnet subsequently, and almost up to his death in 1872, carried on sheep-farming at Lower Light. Harry had two sisters, and a brother, Captain W. J. Burnet, R.N.B., who was the first native-born South Australian to obtain an extra masters certificate. One sister, Miss Jessie Marion Burnet, was matron of the South Australian Refuge at Norwood. His other sister was called Rosina Robertson Burnet, who later married Albert Edward Campbell.

Harry was educated at Whinham’s School (North Adelaide Grammar), and in Edinburgh. In 1870 he competed in athletics for the North Adelaide Junior Club, coming second in the 100 yards champion race; second in the 120 yards hurdle, and second in the 150 yards flat race. In 1876, be bought an auctioneers licence a week before his 20th birthday.

In 1877 Harry Burnet was playing football for Adelaide and represented South Australian Natives in a match against the Victorian Residents on 11 May and the SAFA against a Combined Team (Gawler Kapunda, and Willunga) at the Adelaide ground on 31 August. A fast attacking backman, he was known as a smart dodger and an excellent kick.

The following year, the Norwood Football Club was inaugurated in a meeting held at Norfolk Arms Hotel in Rundle Street, Adelaide on 28 February. H.C. Burnet was a co-founder of the club with A.J. Diamond and J.R. Osborn. In a playing career between 1878-1880, Burnet had the remarkable distinction of winning three premierships in 12 games. In 1881, and from 1884 – 1887, Burnet was Chairman of the Norwood Football Club. 

Burnet had an incredibly diverse range of interests – whether on the sporting field or off it. played for the Norwood Cricket Club at least between 1879-1885, alongside George Giffen, Arthur Diamond, Topsy Waldron, Edward Woods and AJ Diamond. In 1882, he was secretary of the Norwood Rowing Club. In 1890 he was umpiring baseball and in 1891, he was playing for the Norwood Baseball Club alongside Norwood Footballers Charles and Edward Woods, and Henry Plunkett and Norwood’s first Chairman, W.O. Whitridge. In 1893 he was an athletics judge and he played for the Norwood Chess Club. In 1896, he was on the Committee of the Norwood Cycling Club. In 1898, Burnet was appointed Chairman of Junior Football in new East Torrens Electorate.

In 1881, he was a Lawyer’s Clerk. In 1891 and 1892, he was a Vice-Arch Druid at the Duke of Leinster Lodge, which met at the Maid and Magpie Hotel. He ran for the East Norwood Ward in council elections in 1892, but was unsuccessful. In 1897, he was the secretary of the Taylor Gold Recovery Company, when the company was awarded a gold medal and certificate of merit at the Melbourne Mining Machinery Exhibition. By 1908, he was a land broker.

Burnet lived at 8 Percival Street, Norwood, in the late 1800s. He was married to Florence Caroline Richardson (1854-1943) in 1891, and he died on 16 August, 1922. At the time, he was the City Valuer for the Federal Taxation Department. He is buried alongside his wife at the West Terrace Cemetery. They had no children. 

C Brown August 2022