Enoch Cyril “Jerry” Brien

HERITAGE No: 227

BIRTH: 8 December 1904

Newcastle, NSW

DEATH: 11 September 1981 Rose Bay, NSW

DEATH: 11 September 1981

Rose Bay, NSW

OCCUPATION: Clerk, 1930; Motor Financier, 1949

RESIDENCE: High St Strathfield, NSW, 1926; Garner St Marrickville West, NSW, 1930; Hastings St Wauchope, NSW, 1932; Australia Hotel South Grafton, NSW, 1933; Horton St Port Macquarie, NSW, 1934-35; Manion Ave Rose Bay, NSW, 1949-1980

GAME HISTORY

Lakemba RL 1923
Canterbury Bankstown RL President’s Cup 1923
Wests RL First Grade 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928
Wests RL 2nd Grade 1923, 1924, 1927, 1936
Wests RL 3rd Grade 1923
Wests RL City Cup 1923, 1925
NSW RL Firsts v Queensland RL Firsts 1925, 1928
NSW RL Firsts v New Zealand RL 1925
NSW RL Firsts v Ipswich 1927
NSW RL v New England 1927
NSW RL v England RL 1928
St George RL First Grade 1929
Wauchope RL Player/Coach 1930, 1931
South Grafton RL Player/Coach 1932
Cowra RL 1933
Wauchope RL 1933
Port Macquarie RL 1933, 1934
Wauchope RL v Uralla RL (September) 1934
Singleton RL Player/Coach 1935
Wests RL Reserve Grade Coach 1936
Wests RL First Grade Coach 1937
Canterbury Bankstown RL Coach 1939
AIF (Showground) RL Coach 1940
Canterbury Bankstown RL Coach 1942
NSW RL State Selector 1947
NSW RL Coach 1947, 1949
Australian RL Selector 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951

Jerry

Jerry Brien was born at Cooks Hill, an inner suburb of Newcastle, NSW in 1903. His birth registration was under the name of Enoch Cyril Brien, son of Enoch and Clarice Brien. Jerry was the second eldest of eight children. In the winter of 1919 the Spanish Influenza reached epidemic proportions and the Brien household were all affected. Unfortunately, Jerry’s mother succumbed to the virus.

In a news article in the Evening Advocate in January 1947, it was said that Jerry was “blind at birth.” It is unclear how accurate that statement was, however he apparently had an operation that “partially restored his sight.” What is evident is that Jerry had impaired vision. He was able to focus on a football and was known as one of the safest handlers playing the game, but when he owned a fleet of taxi cabs later in life, he was not allowed to drive one by order of the Traffic Department.