Leslie Edward Hivan “Mousey” Mead

HERITAGE No: 279

WESTS LIFE MEMBER No: 14

BIRTH: 9 June 1909

Mosman, NSW

DEATH: 21 October 1996 Killarney Vale, NSW, late of Wamberal, NSW

DEATH: 21 October 1996

Killarney Vale, NSW, late of Wamberal, NSW

OCCUPATION: Motor Body Builder, 1930

RESIDENCE: 7 Hampden St Ashfield, NSW, 1930

GAME HISTORY

Ashfield Public School RL 1924
Summer Hill RL B Grade 1927
Wests RL President’s Cup 1927
Wests RL 3rd Grade 1927, 1928, 1929
Wests RL 2nd Grade 1929, 1930, 1941
Wests RL First Grade 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941
Wests RL City Cup 1937
Wests Honor Cap for 50 or matches in first or Reserve Grade 1936
Wauchope RL 1931, 1938, 1939, 1940
Evens RL v Odds RL 1932
Sydney RL Firsts v Country RL Firsts 1932
City RL Probables v City RL Probables 1933
City RL Seconds v Country RL Seconds 1933, 1934, 1936
NSW RL Firsts v Queensland RL Firsts 1933, 1935
NSW RL Firsts v Ipswich RL 1934
NSW RL Firsts v Brisbane RL Firsts 1934
Combined RL First Grade v Tumut 1935
City RL Possibles v City RL Probables 1935
Australian RL Possibles v Australian RL Probables 1936
Australian RL Probables v Australian RL Possibles 1937
City RL Firsts v Country RL Firsts 1937
North Coast RL 1938
Country RL Firsts v City RL Firsts 1938
NSW Group Three RL 1939
Kangaroo RL Tour 1933
Australia RL v England RL 1933
Wests RL Coach 1941
Parramatta RL President’s Cup Coach 1947
Parramatta RL General Committee, 1947

Les

The first record of Les Mead was in Gary Lester’s book, Clouds of Dust, Buckets of Blood. A note to the 1909 Wests team photo indicated that a small child in the background was Les Mead. This could not have been Les who was born in June 1909, about the time or just after the photo was taken.

Les did have an early exposure to the game of rugby league. He was one of two of the NSW Rugby League’s first official Ball Boys. Les commenced as a Ball Boy in about 1924.

It was said that he “paraded” along the touch line at each Magpie match, earning two shillings and sixpence.