31 Facts About Bert Kortlang

Henry Frederick Lorenz Kortlang or Harry Herbert Lorenz Kortlang, known as Bert J Kortlang was an Australian cricketer who held US citizenship due to his father having been born in New York City.

Bert Kortlang played 17 first-class cricket matches for Victoria between 1910 and 1912, and 15 matches for Wellington in New Zealand between 1922 and 1927.

Bert Kortlang played for an Australian XI in 1911 and for a New Zealand XI in 1924.

Bert Kortlang travelled widely around the world, playing cricket wherever he found himself from the 1890s to the 1930s, although the reasons for most of his travels and his means of financing them remain obscure.

Bert Kortlang went to Sydney, where he played three seasons for Balmain in the late 1890s.

Bert Kortlang then left for the Americas, where during his travels he took part in an impromptu game of cricket on the frozen sea during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Bert Kortlang played cricket in New York City then went to Bermuda, representing the Hamilton Cricket Club on their tour of the eastern United States in 1905.

Bert Kortlang was a skilled billiards player, winning the New York amateur championship in January 1906.

Bert Kortlang spent some time in California, and was living in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake in April 1906.

Bert Kortlang lost his belongings when his hotel, the Winchester, was destroyed, but with the help of friends he was able to return to New York.

Bert Kortlang was the leading scorer in the Australian first-class season, with 656 runs at an average of 131.20.

Bert Kortlang worked in a series of sales jobs in Melbourne.

Bert Kortlang married Muriel Jane McGill in Melbourne in December 1911.

Bert Kortlang left his wife shortly afterwards and they divorced in June 1919.

Bert Kortlang himself was almost drowned, but was rescued by the lifesaver on duty and resuscitated.

Bert Kortlang went to Argentina in 1912, playing in the series of matches between North and South, representing South in 1912 and 1913.

Bert Kortlang returned to New Zealand in September 1922, "to represent a motor firm of New York".

Bert Kortlang began playing club cricket in Wellington, and after only one match he was selected to play for the provincial side.

Bert Kortlang's driving, late cutting, glancing, hooking and pulling all were made in the most artistic style.

Bert Kortlang played in the second match and was New Zealand's highest scorer with 39 and 14 in an innings defeat.

In 1924 Bert Kortlang returned to the US for a few months, working as a promoter for De Forest Phonofilm in New York City as the company worked to develop early sound film technology.

When Lee de Forest and Bert Kortlang read that President Coolidge had been unable to fulfil a commitment to attend a newspaper convention in New York, the two men went to Washington, met Coolidge, and persuaded him to address the convention on film.

Bert Kortlang then spent three years in Canada until 1930, still playing cricket.

Bert Kortlang had a business in Manly in 1934, and was coaching there.

Bert Kortlang is Canadian in accent, American in mannerism, and Australian at heart.

Bert Kortlang persuaded his former employer, the Spalding company, to donate two sets of baseball gear to get the project going.

Bert Kortlang came to be regarded as the father of Western Australian baseball.

Bert Kortlang married his second wife, Robina, known as Bena, in Perth in January 1936.

Don Bradman, a good friend of Bert Kortlang, was Jan's godfather.

Bert Kortlang continued to work as a journalist until the 1950s, when he and his wife established a business supplying ships at the port of Fremantle.

Bert Kortlang died suddenly in Perth in February 1961, aged 80.