Maxwell Alan “Max” Gray (Gradowski)

HERITAGE No: 312

BIRTH: 3 July 1911

Sunnyside, Bourke St Goulburn, NSW

DEATH: 1 March 1989 Nambucca Heads, NSW

DEATH: 1 March 1989

Nambucca Heads, NSW

OCCUPATION: Tile Setter, 1936

RESIDENCE: Williams St Granville, NSW, 1932; Parramatta Rd Ashfield, NSW 1935; Winchcombe Ave Haberfield, NSW, 1936

GAME HISTORY

Fairfield RL 1930, 1931, 1932
Southern Districts RL President’s Cup 1930, 1931
Aberdeen RL 1932
Cooma Blacks RL 1933
Cooma District RL 1933
Wests RL First Grade 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940
Wests RL 2nd Grade 1934, 1936
City RL Seconds v Country RL Seconds 1935
West Wyalong RL 1936, 1938
Cowra RL 1937
Wests RL (Trials) 1939
Kurri Kurri RL 1939
Kurri Kurri RL v Newtown State Championships 1939
Wests RL Coach 1940
Wests RL Selector 1940
Tamworth RL 1941
Easts RL (Trials) 1945

Max

Who was Max Gray? A search was undertaken to find his identity, but all lines of inquiry failed to identify him under that name.

There was a lot of information associated with his playing career during the period, 1930 until 1941 as he was a very prominent rugby league player.

The name Max Gray is not common and should have been easy to identify. However, of the few with the name of Max Gray in available public records, none were the player in question.

One hint in Rugby League News in August 1940, noted that Max Gray had suffered a recent bereavement. A search of records found no connection between Max Gray and anyone that may have recently died.

There are examples of players in the early years of the game, playing under assumed names or using a shortened or anglicized version of their family name, Dick Vest being a good example.

With this in mind, a broader search of NSW Births Deaths and Marriages was undertaken. This search brought up the name Maxwell Alan Gradowski.