Recently, I came across a postcard (above) in our late fathers’ (Jeffrey Hey) photo album which was confusing, as it was connected to a chap called Joe Hey, who resided in Australia at the turn of the 20th century. We have no relative by that name in our family tree, but why was it in our fathers’ possession? Hence some research was needed, and as it turned out one of his sons, Vic Hey, was a world famous Rugby League player eventually inducted into Australias Rugby Leagues ‘Hall of Fame’! Vic’s great grandparents lived at Moorside Road, Kirkheaton, so you could say Yetton [Note1.] had another famous sporting hero to worship, albeit tenuous!
Just to clarify his Yetton connections, here is the info I found on researching his family. Vic’s great grandparents were Ellen Hey (1818-1866) [Note 2.] and Joseph Stringer (1820-1873), both of Kirkheaton, who had a son David Hey (1845-1890) born out of wedlock. David seemingly kept the Hey surname, even after his parents later married!
David Hey married Ruth Sheard (1848-1912?) at Kirkheaton St John in June 1870 and Vic Hey’s father, Joe Hey (1870-1960), was born three months later. They initially lived at Moorside Road, Kirkheaton but later moved to Northgate, Upper Hopton, [Note 3].
Joe Hey emigrated to Palmerston, North Island, New Zealand in 1900, and after marrying an Australian lady, Rose Taylor from Wagga Wagga in 1905, they migrated to Sydney, Australia, where he ran a Hotel in the city suburb. Their four sons David, Joseph, Edward, Victor and daughter Vida Catherine were born there. Rose died early in life whilst Joe Hey passed away in Sydney, Australia aged 90! His obituary from a Fairfield newspaper follows-

Joseph Hey, Well known sporting identity, died in Fairfield last week.
His great interest in life was football, and during the years was president of the Fairfield Football Club, when they held the premiership undefeated.
He was born in 1870 at Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England, [not correct-his birth was registered at Dewsbury-(ed).] and at the age of 30 migrated to New Zealand, where he managed one of Palmerston North’s largest hotels. During his stay in New Zealand he met and married the late Mrs Rose Hey who passed away at an early age leaving four sons, David, Joseph, Edmund and Victor plus daughter Vida Catherine.
The late Joseph Hey Senr. Left New Zealand in 1905 and bought a hotel in North Sydney, later moving to the native Rose Hotel, Taverner’s Hill.
Retired
During the First World War he was licensee of the Warwick farm Hotel, Liverpool, later moving to the Rooty Hill Hotel where his wife passed away. He then sold and retired to Fairfield to look after his family in the same house in Railway Parade until his death, a period of 49 years.
In his early life he was a champion distance runner and won many trophies, becoming a member of the Dewsbury Harriers (England).His was a sporting family and all three sons played football for Fairfield.
Vic Hey is known wherever rugby league is played as one of the greatest five-eighths we have had. Dave, who played first grade for Western Suburbs, was acknowledged to be a very fine player. Joe was a very well known player for years. Vida the daughter, held the district singles tennis championship for several years.
The Biz (newspaper) Wed 21 Dec 1960; page 6

Victor (1912-1995) was born in Liverpool NSW and first played Rugby League in 1933, subsequently playing for the following teams Western Suburbs, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Parramatta in Australia and Leeds, Dewsbury and Hunslet back in England! His International career was representing Australia (Kangaroos) on 31 occasions, also later as a coach for Australia

In the mid-1980s, veteran league journalists Tom Goodman and George Crawford declared Vic Hey to be Australia’s greatest ever five-eighth. Playing at 86kg, Hey was both a mighty defender and a devastating attacking player.”He could employ a sidestep or a swerve to evade the defence or, if necessary, use a crashing shoulder or hip to burst straight through it”

To conclude, I still have no idea how this came into our Fathers’ photo album, unless our Great Grandfather, Joseph Hey, who had a farm just off Moorside Road, knew Joe’s father David or even Joe. It’s nice to think Vic’s ancestors are from Kirkheaton. N.B. Vic’s brother David and his Nephew also played Rugby League and after a little research I also found that Joe was an accomplished athlete representing Dewsbury Harriers in the Mile races!

M Hey Jan 2026

Footnotes

Note 1. Local slang for Kirkheaton
Note 2. Ellen was the sister of Martha Hey who was killed in the Colne-Bridge Mill fire of 1818
Note 3. Just above the Travellers rest pub
Note 4.Further information on websites
a) Wikipedia
b) https://www.nrl.com/hall-of-fame/players/vic-hey/
c) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Suburbs_Magpies

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