Rankin family of Geelong

The Rankins were a pioneering family of the Geelong district. The family produced a dynasty of champion Australian rules footballers, including three captains of the Geelong Football Club, two Carji Greeves medallists and played 582 games for Geelong, between them.

The Rankins came from the Braintree district of Essex. In 1841, Samuel Rankin, Sarah Rankin (née Warren) and five of their children were listed as "pauper" inmates of the Braintree Union Workhouse. Ten years later, they secured passage as "assisted migrants" to Australia, arriving in Geelong in 1852. After first settling at Freshwater Creek, near Duneed, the Rankins relocated to Highton. The family prospered in the district. An 1897 newspaper report records a gathering at which were counted 165 descendants, including 85 great-grandchildren.

It is one of the youngest boys, Walter Rankin (1849–1930), whose line was responsible for the Geelong football dynasty. One of Walter's sons and one of his grandsons also served in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, namely, Cornelius and Edwin's son, Cliff.

Edwin "Teddy" Rankin (1872–1944), was a member of Geelong's inaugural Victorian Football League (VFL) team of 1897 and captain of the team. In 1903, he became the first player to play 100 VFL matches for the club and won the Geelong Football Club's best and fairest award. He was also the first player to touch the ball on the ground, rather than bounce it, an innovation within the rules, which was later widely adopted. During his career, Teddy Rankin declined offers to transfer to other clubs and stood against the emerging practice of player payments. After football, Teddy Rankin was employed as curator of Geelong College oval and Corio Oval. Three of his sons played for Geelong.

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