Roy Park – a community legend

Few locals had the impact on the community in South Melbourne displayed by Dr Roy Park who practised medicine in Cecil St. He was an outstanding doctor, a war veteran, champion league footballer, and a State and (briefly) a Test cricketer.

Born in Charlton in 1892, he was educated at Wesley College and Melbourne University where he showed outstanding ability playing for University in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was only a little bloke but, despite his diminutive stature, he was a goalkicking star for University in an era where they struggled to win a game.

Over 57 matches in the VFL, he kicked 146 goals and topped the VFL goal-kicking list in 1913 with 53 goals, despite the team’s wooden spoon finish.

After University folded in 1915, he moved to play for Melbourne. After graduating in 1917 he enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps and joined the 5th Field Ambulance in France, with the rank of captain.

Park oversaw medical operations in a highly mobile environment, contributing to the ambulance’s efforts in casualty evacuation and immediate treatment. He served with distinction and was mentioned in dispatches in 1919.

Post-war, he established a general practice in Cecil St and became known for his modesty, generosity, and community devotion, often prioritising patients over personal gain.

Midway through 1920 he returned to football, signing with Footscray in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) with whom he won a premiership.

On the cricket field, Park was a graceful right-handed batsman known for his leg-glances and partnerships in interstate matches and returned to cricket as a right-hand batsman for South Melbourne the following summer, with some outstanding performances for Victoria.

He was selected in the Australian team for the second Test against England over the New Year of 1921. Extremely popular, he was welcomed by a large MCG crowd.

But after a sleepless night spent attending a difficult birth, his Test career was short-lived. His wife had dropped her knitting as he faced his first ball.

When she bent to pick it up, she missed seeing him being bowled first ball! He never got another chance. It was an unfortunate Test career.

After his retirement from active sport, he became an official of the Victorian Cricket Association and represented the South Melbourne Cricket Club as its delegate.

By the mid-1940s, despite emerging health challenges, he maintained active involvement, entering a partnership with his son, Dr Roy L Park, at 60 St Vincent Place in Albert Park from April 1946.

Nicknamed “Little Doc”, he died prematurely in 1947, aged 54, after a prolonged illness. •