Ernest Levitzke
1904 - 1988
Fondly known as Ernie or Ern, Ernest Levitzke was an iconic identity in the Midland community. He was a tall and large man who was known for his hard hitting balls in lacrosse and his smiling face.
He was a master baker by profession following in his father's footsteps. Ernie continued in that profession for half a century working at the family bakery and for Tip Top Bakery. He married his darling, Vera, in 1938 and they had two boys, Terry and John.
Ernie was also a keen footballer, cricketer and tennis player. He played cricket for North Midland, with sixes being his specialty! Ernie even tried out boxing for a short time, successfully knocking out his opponents. He also dabbled in golf in his later years.
Ernie represented Western Australia in lacrosse at a national level from 1926 to 1929. He played with the Iroquois Lacrosse Club and was part of the WA Adult Deaf Lacrosse Club alongside his brothers, August and Gus.
He was known for his "hubba hubba" attacks, where he would sound out the chant to distract and scare away his opponents. This certainly contributed to his success on court.
In 1930, his skillful attacks got him 111 goals for the season!
A story circulated back then about Ernie, which was verified by spectators who witnessed an unusual event.
One day, he was fielding at a cricket match at the North Midland grounds and he caught what he thought was a flash of a cricket ball only to discover a small bird in his hand! The bird was released unharmed after moments of being in a daze.
