Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, (February 4, 1926-August 11, 1952) was an Australian Aborigine boxer, he was a member of the Dunghutti tribe. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight Championship titles at the same time. He was also a Commonwealth Middleweight champion, winning the title from Randy Turpin's brother Dick. February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1952 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... The Dunghutti are the indigenous Australian people from around Kempsey, New South Wales. ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... Randy Turpin (1928-1966) was a boxer from Britain who was considered by many to be Europes best Middleweight boxer of the 1940s and 1950s. ...

Dave Sands and Les Darcy are considered the two outstanding boxers in Australian history. Both were middleweights and both held the heavyweight title as well. They also both died at a tragically early age. Sands died in a truck accident near Dungog, New South Wales. James Leslie Darcy (1895-1917) was an Australian boxer. ... The driver of a car transporter truck prepares to offload Skoda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For further uses of the word truck, see Truck (disambiguation). ... Dungog is a small town and Local Government Area (Shire of Dungog) in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Dave came from a large family of boxers, who all took the name Sands as their boxing name. There were six brothers of which Dave was fourth. He also had a nephew who became a welterweight champion. Welterweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. ...

At the time of his death Sands record stood at 97 wins (62 by KO), 10 losses, a draw and 2 no-contests from 110 fights.

Trivia

• Because of racial prejudice at the time, Dave Sands was promoted as a Puerto Rican, rather than an Australian Aborigine.

• Dave Sands was well respected for his personal qualities, both on-ring and off-ring: it was said that after Dave Sands won a fight on one occasion, his managers were celebrating all night, but Dave Sands himself was absent; he was later seen waiting for the train back home from Sydney to Newcastle. When asked why he did not join the celebration, Dave Sands replied that he was celebrating indeed: instead of his usual one meat pie for supper, he bought two meat pies this time, one eaten while waiting at the railway station, the other to be eaten while travelling on the train.

• There are two memorials for Dave Sands in his home town of Stockton, near Newcastle, New South Wales; another memorial situates at Glebe in Sydney. There is also a memorial rest park near Dungog where the fatal truck crash took place.

A Black person drinks out of a water fountain designated for black people in 1939 at a streetcar terminal. ... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... There are various types of trains designed for particular purposes, see rail transport operations. ... Sydney Harbour looking south from the vicinity of the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards the CBD skyline; the Opera House is visible in the background on the left. ... Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is Australias sixth largest city. ... A slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie à la mode A pie is a baked dish with a pastry shell that covers or completely contains a filling of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cheeses, creams, chocolate, custards, nuts, or other sweet or savoury ingredient. ... Stockton is the only northern suburb of Newcastle, an industrial city 160 kilometres north of Sydney, Australia. ... Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is Australias sixth largest city. ... Glebe Glebe is a suburb located slightly west of Sydneys central business district, in the Inner West. ... Sydney Harbour looking south from the vicinity of the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards the CBD skyline; the Opera House is visible in the background on the left. ... Dungog is a small town and Local Government Area (Shire of Dungog) in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. ... The driver of a car transporter truck prepares to offload Skoda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For further uses of the word truck, see Truck (disambiguation). ...

Reference sources

Pictures held and digitised as part of the Arnold Thomas boxing collection by the National Library of Australia

• Dave Sands, Empire and Australian Middleweight Champion and Tom Maguire, trainer
• British Empire title bout, Dave Sands, 11 st. 5 lbs., K.O. Dick Turpin, 11 st. 3 3/4 lbs., in the first round at Harringay Arena, England, September 6th 1949
• Dave Sands (left), 11 st. 7 3/4 lbs. v. Henry Brimm, 11 st. 5 1/2 lbs., at Rushcutter's Bay Stadium, 8 August 1950