Les Darcy was born near Maitland, New South Wales. He started boxing as an amateur at age fifteen and quickly turned professional. He won his first sixteen fights before challenging the veteran Bob Whitelaw for the Australian welterweight title. Darcy lost the twenty-round decision but, in a rematch, knocked Whitelaw out in five rounds.^{[citation needed]}

Darcy graduated from regional bouts to fighting in Sydney Stadium, in Rushcutters Bay, and promoters began to import talent to challenge him. He lost his first two fights in Sydney, one by decision and one by foul, to America's Fritz Holland.^{[citation needed]} The next year Darcy faced another American, Jeff Smith, in what was considered a contest for the Australian world middleweight title. When Darcy complained of a low blow at the end of the fifth round, the referee believed that Darcy did not want to continue and awarded the decision to Smith. In a rematch, Darcy was awarded the victory when Smith punched him in the groin.^{[citation needed]}

As Australian world middleweight champ, Darcy defeated such top-flight visiting Americans as Eddie McGoorty, Billy Murray, Jimmy Clabby, George Chip, George "KO" Brown, and Buck Crouse, as well as knocking out Smith and Holland in rematches. Darcy's opponents are said to have admired his courage, stamina, and punching power. In 1916, Darcy knocked Harold Hardwick out to capture the Australian heavyweight title.^{[citation needed]}

Darcy became embroiled in the politics of conscription during World War I, and left Australia for the United States to avoid the aggravation. He died on 24 May 1917 from septicaemia and medical complications, which was speculated to be from dental work he received to replace teeth that had been knocked out during a bout.^[2]

After his death, Darcy's embalmed body was returned to Australia, where an estimated half-million people paid their respects. His brother Frank, also a boxer who showed many of the attributes of his brother, including pluck, died on 9 May 1919 from influenza, and was buried in the Catholic Cemetery, East Maitland.^[3]

• Darcy was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in October 1998, and the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
• Darcy was the subject of an episode of the 1950 radio series Famous Sportsmen of the Past^[4]
• Darcy was the subject of a 1950 radio feature^[5]
• He was the subject of a 1952 episode of the radio show They Were Champions^[6]
• His life was dramatised in the 1955 Australian radio serial The Life Story of Les Darcy
• His life was dramatised as an episode of the 1988 Australian television series Mike Willesee's Australians where Darcy was played by Peter Phelps
• In 2001, Raffaele Marcellino's opera The Flight of Les Darcy, with libretto by Robert Jarman, premiered at the "10 Days on the Island" festival in Hobart. The character of Darcy has no singing role but is portrayed by a dancer, and draws on the story that he played the violin to prepare himself for fights.^[7]

Other resources edit

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

• James Lesley Darcy
• James Lesley Darcy
• Les Darcy giving demonstration of punches with his tutor Dave Smith

• FitzSimons, Peter (2007). The Ballad of Les Darcy. Sydney: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780732286361.
• Fenton, Peter. Les Darcy.
• Park, Ruth; Champion, Rafe. Home Before Dark: The Story of Les Darcy, a Great Australian Hero.
• Power, Bob. The Les Darcy American Venture.

• ADB biography
• Les Darcy at the National Museum of Australia