Athletic Australian Policeman Turns Parson

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 47, 18 May 1948, Page 8

Athletic Australian Policeman Turns Parson

Bealiba in Victoria has a new parson, Garten Younghusband Cracknall aged 32. He was “flat broke” when he left the Melbourne University with his B.A. and theological degrees and was walking the streets when he saw a policeman shorter than himself. He joined up, did routine guard jobs, helped on two-up raids, became one of the fastest patrol drivers the force has ever had, and finished as Press liaison officer. Then he resigned to enter the Church of England.

He was only four points behind the winner of the Victorian perfect man competition in 1939, and was light heavy-weight wrestling and boxing champion in his recruit class at the Police Depot in 1938. He ran in the Stawall Gift (Australia’s richest foot race) in 1934 and played football with, Hawthorn the same year. In 1937 he won a cup for the best nine holes in the annual golf competition at Ridley College, Melbourne University. Mr Cracknall, who holds certificates as an air-raid warden,' for lifesaving and first aid, regards his 8J years in the force as “time spent at a window looking out on life.”