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Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, (February 4
1926-August 11 1952) was an Australian Aborigine
boxer, he was a member of the Dunghutti tribe.  He
was a middleweight, but held the Australian
Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight Championship
titles at the same time.  He was also a
Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth Middleweight
champion, winning the title from Randy Turpin's
brother Dick.

Dave Sands and Les Darcy are considered the two
outstanding boxers in Australian history. Both
were middleweights and both held the heavyweight
title as well. They also both died at a tragically
early age. Sands died in a truck accident near
Dungog, New South Wales.

Dave came from a large family of boxers, who all
took the name Sands as their boxing name. There
were six brothers of which Dave was fourth. He
also had a nephew who became a welterweight
champion.

At the time of his death Sands record stood at 97
wins (62 by KO), 10 losses, a draw and 2
no-contests from 110 fights.

==Trivia==
* Because of racism|racial prejudice at the time,
Dave Sands was promoted as a Puerto Rico|Puerto
Rican, rather than an Australian Aborigine.

* Dave Sands was well respected for his personal
qualities, both on-ring and off-ring: it was said
that after Dave Sands won a fight on one occasion,
his managers were celebrating all night, but Dave
Sands himself was absent; he was later seen
waiting for the train back home from Sydney to
Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle. When asked
why he did not join the celebration, Dave Sands
replied that he was celebrating indeed: instead of
his usual one meat pie for supper, he bought two
meat pies this time, one eaten while waiting at
the railway station, the other to be eaten while
travelling on the train.

* There are two memorials for Dave Sands in his
home town of Stockton, New South Wales|Stockton,
near Newcastle, New South Wales; another memorial
situates at Glebe, New South Wales|Glebe in
Sydney. There is also a memorial rest park near
Dungog where the fatal truck crash took place.

==Reference sources==
Pictures held and digitised as part of the
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3046935 Arnold Thomas
boxing collection by the National Library of
Australia  
* http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3060549 Dave Sands,
Empire and Australian Middleweight Champion and
Tom Maguire, trainer
* http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3060551 British
Empire title bout, Dave Sands, 11 st. 5 lbs., K.O.
Dick Turpin, 11 st. 3 3/4 lbs., in the first round
at Harringay Arena, England, September 6th 1949
* http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3060828 Dave Sands
(left), 11 st. 7 3/4 lbs. v. Henry Brimm, 11 st. 5
1/2 lbs., at Rushcutter's Bay Stadium, 8 August
1950