Vale Classic Wallaby Malcolm van Gelder

Wallabies tourist to New Zealand in 1958, Malcolm van Gelder (middle row, first on left), pictured with the Royal Military College of Duntroon 1st XV in 1953. (picture courtesy of Ian Mackay.)

A funeral service for former Wallabies backrower Lt. Col. (Ret.) Malcolm van Gelder – a member of the 1958 touring team to New Zealand – will be held in Canberra tomorrow.

Van Gelder represented the Wallabies while serving as an officer in the Australian Army and played matches against Southland and Manawatu on a 13-game trip where the first Test was played 50 years ago this Saturday.

He also scored a try on his Australian debut against Southland in Invercargill.

Holding a special place in the annals of South Australian Rugby – he won Wallabies selection the season after playing with Adelaide University – former teammates remember van Gelder as “a marvellous, aggressive and attacking breakaway”.

He entered the Royal Military College Duntroon in January 1952 and graduated into the Engineer Corps in December 1955.

Van Gelder headed for Adelaide to continue his studies but was back in Canberra playing with the Easts club when chosen to tour with the 1958 Wallabies – an Australian squad that included John Solomon, John Thornett, Des Connor, Arthur Summons, Kevin Ryan, Jon White, Terry Curley and Beres Ellwood.

He later served in Vietnam from February 1968 to February 1969 as the Officer Commanding of the 17^th Construction Squadron RAE.

Van Gelder left the Army after service in Vietnam and became a lawyer in Canberra, participating very actively in public life.

He passed away in the Canberra Hospice last Saturday. He was 75.

The funeral service will be held in Canberra tomorrow (Friday) at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Griffith, at 11am.