Hughie Edwards - Early Life

Early Life

Edwards was born in Fremantle, Western Australia on 1 August 1914, the third of five children to Welsh parents Hugh, a blacksmith and farrier, and his wife Jane (née Watkins), who had emigrated to Australia in 1909. Named after his father, he was always referred to by his middle name of Idwal in his family. Edwards received his initial education at White Gum Valley School, before attending the Fremantle Boy's School where he achieved well academically, although he later claimed this was due to a good memory rather than high intelligence. However, Edwards was reluctantly forced to leave school at the age of fourteen as the family finances could no longer support him. Described as a "shy, under-confident, introspective and imaginative lad" at this stage in his life, he gained employment as a shipping office clerk.

With the onset of the Great Depression, Edwards found himself unemployed, before gaining a job with a horse racing stable in Fremantle. His position entailed him taking the horses to the beach each morning for a swim, grooming them, and attending the twice weekly race meetings; a lifelong interest in horse racing consequently emerged at this time. After later working for a brief period in a factory, he enlisted in the Australian Army in March 1933 and was posted to the 6th Heavy Battery, Royal Australian Artillery, with the rank of private. During this period, Edwards was an active sportsman, excelling in Australian rules football, where he played six matches with leading Western Australian Football League (WAFL) club South Fremantle and cricket with the Fremantle garrison team.