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6 unusual facts about John Wren


Ann Faraday

From the 1970s, she and her partner John Wren-Lewis (1923 - 2006) travelled extensively, particularly within United States, Malaysia and Thailand, before settling permanently in Australia.

Austral Wheel Race

Corruption tinged the event in 1901 when the American, "Plugger" Bill Martin, won from scratch, to allegations of fixing by John Wren.

Jock McHale

Sadly, he suffered a heart attack the next day and then died on 4 October at his home in Coburg (the infamous bank-roller of Collingwood, John Wren suffered a heart attack whilst watching the same final match, and he died on 26 October 1953).

John Wren

Wren became best known as a boxing promoter and through this success he was able to establish the Stadiums Limited organisation, which acquired venues in most major Australian capitals, including Sydney Stadium, Festival Hall, Melbourne and Festival Hall, Brisbane.

The betting model he employed for delivering transparent odds to his clients was adopted from George Adams's successful Tattersalls totalisator venture.

In 1903 he added considerably to that sum when his own horse, Murmur, won the Caulfield Cup.


Tom Tunnecliffe

Tunnecliffe was a close friend of the gambling boss John Wren, (in the view of most historians, in fact, Tunnecliffe was under Wren's control) who was also very close to United Country Party leader Albert Dunstan.


see also