Biography
Born: 5 February 1839
Died: 29 October 1922
Grave Location: Private B, Section 09, Grave 16
Achievements
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Greenfield had a leading role in the beginnings of one of Australia’s oldest football clubs.
Born in Scotland, he moved in 1857 to Victoria where he was attracted to the goldfields, and he eventually took up residence in Ballarat as an accountant. In May of 1860, Greenfield founded the Ballarat Football Club, which continues as Australia’s third oldest football club.
He was the club’s first captain from 1860 to 1862, and the first president from 1862 to 1863, and played a crucial part in organising the club’s first matches against opposition from Geelong.
To this day, Ballarat Football Club’s Best and Fairest award is named in his honour. Greenfield was also an accomplished rifleman; he toured with a successful Victorian rifle team in England and America in 1876, and served as president of the Ballarat Rifle Club.
He also served as president of the Ballarat Turf Club for many years. Greenfield’s many contributions to Ballarat made him one of its “best-known citizens”.
Did you Know?
Alexander Mackay Greenfield (1839-1922), was a merchant, gold miner, citizen-soldier, real estate agent, and sportsman. He was the first captain of the Ballarat Football Club, and was an accomplished high and long jumper and hurdler, winning many local and colonial events.
He died at the age of 83, and was buried with a grand memorial befitting an important local figure in his spacious family plot in the then-exclusive Private B location.
His wife Jessie (née Williamson) was the first occupant of the family plot. The half round top marble headstone raised features a prominent rope etched into its edges. Rope, when tied in a bow of know, symbolises strength and relationships; when untied like this one, it means cessation of life. In this case it could also symbolise the ending of their earthly family ties.
Their second eldest daughter Janet Greenfield (“Neppie”) was buried on the same side of the memorial as her mother in 1920. Alexander was buried beside his wife two years later in 1922.
