Harold Austin

Who was Harold Austin?

Sir Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin OBE was a West Indian politician and cricketer. He was known as H.B.G..

He was the son of John Gardiner Austin, a shipper connected with the sugar trade, and his wife Dorothy and was educated at Harrison College, Barbados. He married Lillian Marie Dennehy in St. Lucia in 1904 and had two daughters.

He was awarded the OBE in 1927, was knighted in 1935 and was Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly. He lost his seat to Charles Duncan O'Neal in 1932 by 1 vote.

He captained the West Indians sides that toured England in 1906 and 1923. He was a right hand batsman and occasional wicket-keeper. He was one of a family of cricketers which included his brothers John, Arthur, Malcolm and Francis. H.B.G.s younger daughter Clodagh married Gilbert White who played cricket for the Army in 1938.

In June 1988 Austin was celebrated on a 75c Barbadian stamp alongside the Barbados Cricket Buckle.