Born 1930 and starting in 1942 at Parramatta High School (where his father Lou and brother
John were also students), Richie Benaud proved to be an exceptional cricketer quite early in
his time at the school . Richie would have been 13 or 14 years old when playing in the
school's first XI. The first issue of "Phœnix", October 1944, carried the following piece:
The following year, (1945), the young all-rounder had made his mark:
1946 First XI
Premiers
Back row: Gordon Wilkins (bowler), Keith Lego (batsman), Ian Black (all rounder), Douglas
Milner (batsman), Warwick Dunn (all rounder), Wilfred Ewens (batsman).
Front row: Harold Goodwin (batsman), Kevin Quinn (wicketkeeper/batsman), Mr
P.N.Tester (coach), Richie Benaud (captain - all rounder), Raymond Caterson (bowler),
Kenneth Kirkness (all rounder).
His coach P.N.Tester wrote in 1947 - "To Benaud must go the highest praise. He was an
excellent captain and an inspiration to his team... We offer our hearty congratulations and
express the school's keen interest in his cricket career, which appears very rosy."
Richie was a regular visitor to the school, turning out to lead an ex-students’ side in the
Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1963 (while still playing representative cricket)
His most recent return to the school was in 2006 to help celebrate the 6oth anniversary of the
1946 unbeaten first eleven at Parramatta High School
Richie Benaud, former Australian Cricket Captain and commentator joined fellow exstudents of Parramatta High School at a special assembly in March 2006 to commemorate the
unbeaten achievements of the Parramatta High School 1946 First Eleven.
Keith Lego, Doug Milner, Warwick Dunn, Wilf Ewens, Harold Goodwin, Richie Benaud and
Ken Kirkness lined up for a team photograph before attending the school assembly.
Life at Parramatta High was not all cricket.
The "Phœnix" also recorded Richie's academic achievement, in the list of results for the 1946
Leaving Certificate:
Benaud,R., "B" in English, French, Mathematics II, Chemistry.
Some clues were provided for Richie Benaud’s post cricket career as a journalist, Here is a
piece written by Richie for the Parramatta High School magazine, Phoenix of 1944.
Rest in Peace.