Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

John Felix Astley was born on the 27th July 1898, the son of Alfred Astley and Elisa Alberta Willey.

Education

Growing up in Hill Street North Adelaide, John Felix Astley attended nearby Queen's School.

John then went to St Peters College to complete his Senior Public Examinations. At St Peters he played 1st XI cricket in 1914 and 1915.

In his final year at St Peter's College in a match against Adelaide University B grade he took 5 for 45 with his medium pace bowling and was a member of the SPSC Intercollegiate team that played Prince Alfred College at Adelaide Oval.

Adelaide University

He commenced the first year of an Arts Degree in 1916. With the SACA abandonning the official district competition due to the War their was little opportunity for John to play any cricket. His sport and studies were put on hold when he chose to serve.

War Service

In February 1917 at only 18 years and 7 months of age, Astley enlisted in the AIF, serving with the 50th Batallion. In August, after undergoing training in Artillery in Australia, he embarked for overseas service with the rank of Gunner. Assigned initially in the Artillery he was later transferred to the Infantry as a Private because of a shortage of men. After arriving in England John had some periods of illness and did not see action in France until March 1918. He remained on overseas service until March 1919 and was discharged in May after returning to Australia.

Return to Adelaide University and Sport

Cricket

On his return to University, he commenced a law degree and was back on the cricket field in the 1919/20 season. After taking 8 wickets for 83 runs against PAC early in the season in B grade, Astley was promoted to the A Grade team, however it was not until the 1921/22 season that he became a regular A Grade team member.

Astley also played in consecutive Intervarsity matches in December of 1921 and 1922. After graduating in 1922 he continued his cricket career with North Adelaide for a few seasons.

Probably one of his most memorable matches for University was his last in the 1921/22 Season. Bowling for University A-Grade against the powerful Sturt team that included Vic Richardson and former University and State player Hurtle Willsmore, John was hit for four consecutive sixes at University Oval. Willsmore then hit three more off Swann the next over to make it seven sixes in a row.

John headed the A Grade aggregate with 18 wickets in his final season.

Baseball

In 1922 State baseballer, AUCC cricketer and also a fellow Law student, Patrick Ohlstrom, founded the Adelaide University Baseball Club. Astley along with several other cricketers joined the team which was coached by another former AUCC cricketer and dental graduate, Jack Edwards.

Law Practice

John Astley was admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court on 14th December 1922 (presented by Mr. W J Isbister KC) on the same occasion as fellow law graduate and soldier Arthur Blackburn VC and team-mate and State cricketer Lance Pellew. Originally with the law firm Isbister, Hayward and Magarey, he later became a partner with Finlayson, Mayo, Astley and Hayward which became the Law Firm Finlayson, Phillips, Astley and Hayward. As a prominent Adelaide barrister and QC, the firm's office was at 16 Pirie St, Adelaide.

His legal career was interrupted when he volunteered to serve again in World War II. This time in 1942 he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force with the rank of Flight Lieutenant and later in 1944 was promoted to Squadron Leader.

In 1953, John and Molly Astley hosted a party for young Adelaide lawyers during a legal convention. Amongst those present would have been John Astley's son, Michael, who also became a lawyer, graduating LLB in 1951 from Adelaide University. While at University he played tennis, winning a Blue in 1948.

Legal Representative for Elder Smith & Co.

John Astley QC, in addition to other important clients, over many years acted for one of the long established Adelaide companies, Elder Smith & Co. The company, in addition to other businesses, had established one of Adelaide's earliest and largest trustee companies and provident funds to protect the interest of the community in their retirement years. Many of the Adelaide "Establishment" were investors, benefactors, and guardians of the company and its provident funds.
Following a merger with Goldsborough Mort in 1962 and changes to corporate structures, the protection of the people's retirement funds became a paramount issue for both the company and the SA State Government. John was called on several occasions to represent the company at Parliamentary Hearings engaged to implement legislation to protect these funds.

In 1963 he was called before a "Select Committee":
"Select Committee on the Elder Smith & Co. Limited Provident Funds Bill, 1963 – Minutes of Evidence Tuesday, September 10, 1963 at 10.00am in Committee Room No.1 of the Legislative Council
{Chairman Colin Rowe, Attorney-General}
John Felix Astley, QC, Barrister and Solicitor, 16 Pirie St, Adelaide, called and examined."

In 1971 he was further "called and examined" before a Parliamentary Select Committee.

Despite the duty of care that the legal representatives for Elders and the State Government had taken in the decade that followed corporate raiders saw the assets of Elders, including the Provident Fund, stripped resulting in losses to a huge number of fund members.

http://superfraud.org/?page_id=468
"There is a remarkable history to an employee benefit trust established in South Australia on 23 December 1913 known as The Provident Fund. This Fund and related funds were established by acts of personal generosity by “Adelaide Gentlemen”. Yet these acts of personal generosity were to be followed decades later by acts of sheer greed by “Melbourne Asset Strippers”.

The name of The Provident Fund was changed to the Elders IXL Superannuation Fund in 1982.

One of the “Adelaide Gentlemen” was Robert Barr Smith, the co-founder with Sir Thomas Elder, of Elder Smith & Co Limited in 1888. Robert Barr Smith was also concerned about the number of cases of widows being swindled by dishonest lawyer and accounts after the deaths of their husbands, so with the assistance of the Parliament of South Australia, Robert Barr Smith established a reputable Trustee and Executor company that the widows could turn to with confidence.

It was to be a cruel turn of fate that resulted in the widows of both the male employees of the Trustee and Executor company, as well as its parent company, to themselves be the victims of dishonest lawyers and accountants many decades later, when their survivorship pensions were stolen from them to fund the “get rich plans” of the “Melbourne Asset Strippers”."
http://australian-guardians.org/?page_id=1954

Other Activities

In 1953 John Felix Astley, then of 16 Edwin Terrace Gilberton was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal for his service as Chairman, Physiotherapist Board of SA.

John was also a fine golfer and member of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club for over 50 years and was Club President 1967 - 69. On several occasions came close to winning the Club Championship. The Honour Board at the Club lists him as having had a hole in one. His wife was also Associates President 1958 - 60.

Later Years

in 1982, John would have been disappointed to witness the corporate raid by John Elliott when his company (Henry Jones IXL) "merged" with Elder Smith Goldsborough & Mort to form Elders IXL and saw the asset stripping that followed. He died in 1983 at the age of 84.

His wife "Molly" had predeceased him in 1961.

Profile added with the permission of the author Rob O'Shannassy.
For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.