Henry Harris (Australian cricketer)

{{short description|Australian cricketer (1865-1923)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Vere Poulett-Harris

| image = Henry Vere Poulett-Harris.jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Henry Vere Poulett-Harris

| birth_place = Hobart, Tasmania

| birth_date = {{birth date|1865|4|22|df=yes}}

| death_place = Perth, Western Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|1923|3|7|1865|4|22|df=yes}}

| family = Lily Poulett-Harris (sister),{{cite web |url=http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/9403855 |title=27 Aug 1897 – WOODBRIDGE |publisher=Newspapers.nla.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2012-06-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121127013558/http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/9403855 |archivedate=27 November 2012 |df=dmy-all }} Richard Deodatus Poulett-Harris (father){{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24883473?searchTerm=vere%20poulett%20western%20australia&searchLimits=l-availability=y | title=Obituary | newspaper=Mercury | date=12 April 1933 }}

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Tasmania cricket team

| club2 = Western Australia cricket team

| columns = 1

| column1 = FC

| matches1 = 5

| runs1 = 226

| bat avg1 = 22.60

| 100s/50s1 = 0/1

| top score1 = 60

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = 3/–

| date = 4 February

| year = 2015

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/5585.html Cricinfo

}}

Henry Vere Poulett-Harris (22 April 1865 – 7 March 1933) was an Australian cricket player,{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/5585.html|title=Henry Harris - Australia|work=ESPNcricinfo|publisher=ESPN Inc.|accessdate=31 January 2015}} runner, footballer, gold prospector and gold mine owner.{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164711213?searchTerm=poulett%20western%20australia&searchLimits=l-availability=y | title=The Bullfinch Mine | newspaper=Observer | date=12 November 1910 }}{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33388519 | title=The Chaffinch Sensation | newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus | date=28 March 1911 }} Vere Poulett-Harris played five first-class cricket matches for the Tasmania and Western Australia cricket teams between 1883 and 1899.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2546/2546.html|title=CricketArchive - Vere Harris|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 January 2015}}

One early news report described him as a "sterling cricketer and footballer"{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9146420?searchTerm=henry%20vere%20poulett&searchLimits=l-title=10%7C%7C%7Cl-availability=y%7C%7C%7Cl-decade=188 | title=The Mercury | date=23 May 1888 }} whilst another described him as a "sterling batsman and good field."{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10084220?searchTerm=vere%20harris%20&searchLimits=l-decade=191 | title=Cricket | newspaper=Mercury | date=3 December 1910 }}

Vere Poulett-Harris' father was Richard Deodatus Poulett-Harris, an educationalist, priest, the founder of the Masonic Lodge in Tasmania and the co-founder of the University of Tasmania. Amongst his other activities, Richard was passionate about cricket and, in 1882, was elected a trustee of the Southern Tasmanian Cricket Association.{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9027156?searchTerm=athlete%20poulett&searchLimits=l-title=10%7C%7C%7Cl-decade=188%7C%7C%7Cl-availability=y | title=Southern Tasmanian Cricket Association | newspaper=Mercury | date=6 September 1882 }} Furthermore, he encouraged the boys at the high school of which he was the headmaster to compete at sports.{{cite book | chapter-url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harris-richard-deodatus-poulett-3726 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography | chapter=Harris, Richard Deodatus Poulett (1817–1899) | publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University }}

Vere Poulett-Harris left Tasmania to study medicine{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24883473?searchTerm=poulett%20cricket&searchLimits=l-title=10 | title=Obituary | newspaper=Mercury | date=12 April 1933 }} but ended up working for a time as a bank clerk at Charters Towers before becoming a gold prospector. By 1898, he was prospecting in Western Australia.{{cite news |title=How the Bullfinch was found |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/80270193 |accessdate=18 April 2019 |work=The Northern Miner |date=3 November 1910 |location=Charters Towers, Qld. |page=6}}

He discovered the Corinthian gold mine in the Yilgarn Gold Field of Western Australia and was also one of the first people to prospect at Burtville. He wrote an account of the discovery of Corinthian which was published in a newspaper of the time.{{cite news |title=Bullfinch and Corinthian |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/57708978 |accessdate=18 April 2019 |work=The Sunday Times |date=19 February 1911 |location=Perth, WA |page=20}}{{cite news |title=The Bullfinch Mine |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164711213 |accessdate=18 April 2019 |work=The Observer |date=12 November 1910 |location=Adelaide |page=52}}

In 1911, he was called as a witness to testify during Chaffinch Mine Conspiracy trial.

Vere Poulett-Harris' obituary states that he was "one of the outstanding athletes in the State, winning great success as a runner, cricketer and footballer. He played cricket for the Wellington Club and was regarded as one of the most graceful batsmen in the State. He was a member of the State team when a youth, and toured New Zealand with the Tasmanian team under the captaincy of the late Sir George Davies. Later he met with success as a batsman on the mainland. He was also a champion footballer and a member of the Cricketers' Football Club, some of his contemporaries being Messrs. W. H. Cundy, L. H. Macleod, K. E. Burn, A. Stuart and G. Watt. As a runner he defeated many of the recognised champions of his day."

He died aged 67, leaving no wife or children. His younger sister, Lily Poulett-Harris, founded women's cricket in Australia.