Eddie Scarf

Eddie Scarf was the son of a grocer of Lebanese descent. Although he won the New South Wales heavyweight championship in 1927 and 1928 as well as an Olympic Games test tournament, he was not selected for the Olympics. In 1930 he was state heavyweight champion in both wrestling and boxing. Winning the Australian wrestling championship in 1929 and 1932 earned him a place in the Olympic team for Los Angeles. His bronze medal in light-heavyweight freestyle was the country’s first Olympic medal in this sport. After his return home Scarf established a butchery business in parallel to pursuing his sporting career. In 1935 he won his third Australian title and also continued to compete in boxing.

In spite of his bronze medal in 1932 Scarf’s greatest success probably was when he won the 1938 British Empire Games. In the same year Scarf turned professional and won the Australian heavyweight wrestling championship. He was very successful in Australia fighting in front of large crowds.

In 1941 Scarf joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a storekeeper. From 1943 until the end of the war he served with the Parachute Training Unit. After the war, he took up wrestling again but soon ended his career to expand his business and open more shops on Sydney’s northern beaches. He was involved in community affairs, lifesaving and playing golf. In his last years he ran a feed yard near Newcastle.