| Jimmy Sharman | |
| Birth Place: | Narellan, New South Wales, Australian |
| Birth Date: | 20 June 1887 |
| Death Place: | Camden, New South Wales, Australia |
James Sharman (20 June 1887 - 18 November 1965) was an Australian boxing troupe and entertainment impresario. His son also worked with him and took over for his father in 1955 after playing as a professional rugby league footballer.
Sharman was born in Narellan, New South Wales, the fifth of thirteen children to James Sharman and Caroline Brailsfield, he established a boxing tent in 1911 at Ardlethan near Temora.[1] The tent visited 45 to 50 shows each year.[2] His son, Jimmy Sharman Jr, took over the business in 1955. The tent formed part of the Australian Show landscape until 1971, when regulations barred boxers fighting more than once a week. A member of the "Showmans Guild of Australasia", he then turned to dodgem cars in partnership with Garry oneill Reg Grundy.[3]
| Jimmy Sharman Jr. | |||
| Birth Name: | James Michael Sharman | ||
| Birth Place: | Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Birth Date: | 28 October 1912 | ||
| Club1: | Western Suburbs | ||
| Year1start: | 1934 | ||
| Year1end: | 39 | ||
| Appearances1: | 59 | ||
| Tries1: | 4 | ||
| Goals1: | 19 | ||
| Fieldgoals1: | 0 | ||
| Points1: | 50 | ||
| Module: |
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Sharman junior was born, as James Michael Sharman in 1912 at Narrandera, New South Wales. He attended his first Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1926 working in his father's tent.[4] Sharman junior played rugby league for Western Suburbs Magpies.[5] He was in Western Suburbs' 1934 premiership win against the Eastern Suburbs. In 1938 he became First Grade captain. He retired after 7 seasons in 1939 to become a journalist, taking over the boxing tent from his father in 1955.[6] Sharman played 45 games between 1935 and 1939, scored 12 tries and kicked 11 goals. He died on 26 April 2006, aged 94.[7] He was awarded life membership in 1998.[8]
Many famous boxers worked in the Sharman tent, including:
The Black Irish Man (champion) Aboriginal
Famous Indigenous Australians to work in the tent include:
Some boxers came from the Cherbourg Aboriginal mission, near Nanango, Queensland.[3]
In 2003 the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales honoured Sharman Jr. with the title of "Show Legend".[4]
Stephen McGraths historical fiction novel Jimmy Sharmans Boxers published 1 September 2023 describes Sharman’s touring during World War One when Sharman who was 27 and fit did not enlist and continued to tour his troupe throughout the war.