The early years of Dave Sands, one of Kempsey's greatest ever athletes

To commemorate 68 years since his passing, the Argus is starting a three-part series into the world famous boxer.

Today we begin with his early years and the beginnings of a champion.

The Macleay Valley has been the birthplace and home to some of Australia's most outstanding athletes - Hector Thompson, Joseph Donovan, Terry Giddy, David Griffin, Greg Inglis, James Roberts, Amy Winters and many more.

On the February 4 1926, one of those phenomenal athletes was born.

His name was Dave Sands, nee Ritchie.

Sands was a man whose boxing record makes him arguably one of the nation's greatest ever.

In the November 1951 edition of Sporting Life, Sands says that his mother was half aborigine and father had come to Australia from Puerto Rico when he was a boy.

"That probably accounts for the copper colour of my skin," Sands writes.

Dave's grandson, Chad Ritchie, says however his father wasn't of Puerto Rican descent, this misconception was due to the way in which Indigenous Australians were perceived during those times and the fact it made it easier for Sands to travel overseas for bouts.

The Sands family was large with Mabel and George Ritchie bringing six boys and one girl into the world - Clem, Percy, George, Dave, Alfie, Russell and Lillian.

George was a boxer himself who fought around the Northern Rivers region and "was only 9-12 at his heaviest... he wasn't scared of any of them (fighters around the region)... he fought them right up to heavyweights."

Being born in the 1920's meant Dave and his family grew up in the depression era where times were incredibly tough and kids went hungry with Mabel and George struggling to make ends meet.

Around 1937, Dave's brother Percy decided to "jump the rattler" to Newcastle to further his own boxing career after participating in minor fights.

In one of those minor fights, Percy observed the work of trainer, Tom Maguire, who continued to pinpoint his weaknesses from outside the ring to one of his pupils.

Maguire was to become one of the most important figures in the boxing careers of the Sands boys.

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When Percy was ready for his first fight, Maguire told him his first name wasn't appropriate for the boxing ring and suggested he use the name Ritchie Sands.

Sands was the surname of the guard who helped Percy skip the train fee, and there lies the origin of the Sands namesake.

After Percy won 19 fights straight he got homesick and returned to the bush but a year later went back to Newcastle and brought a 14-year old Dave Ritchie, soon to be Sands, with him.

With limited passion for schooling, like a lot of kids that age, Dave took the opportunity and ran with it.

For Maguire, who they called 'Mr Mac', Dave started in the gym by doing odd jobs before being training and learning wrestling holds along with judo, jujitsu and police holds as a 16 year old.

Dave's first fight came as a surprise call up when one of the under-card fighters for Percy's main event failed to show.

From that night a boxing legend's career officially begun, knocking out opponent Leo Corrigan in the first round under the Sands name.

The knockouts didn't stop there with Dave winning 14 fights and 11 by knockout until his first loss to Billy Myers who Sands described as a "clever combination of boxer and fighter who gave me my first beating."

After losing in 12 rounds he later made up for the loss by defeating Myers in five.

With Dave's success beginning to make conversation he was signed by Stadiums Ltd who owned West Melbourne Stadium, Sydney Stadium, Leichhardt Stadium and Brisbane Festival Hall.

From there, Sands knocked out boxers from all around Australia but had his losses as well against boxers well above his experience level.

In 1946, at Sydney Stadium, Sands came up against Englishman, Alex Buxton, a former British lightweight champion.

Sands won on points before then beating another Englishman, Jimmy Brunt, by KO.

These performances then saw Sands battle Jackie Kirkham for the Australian middleweight title, however it's been disputed by Kirkham's camp and the media that this wasn't a title fight.

Never the less, Sands knocked him out.

"I was the happiest man in Australia as Kirkham was counted out... I knew then that I was the best middleweight in Australia," he wrote.

Just to make sure of things, Sands then proceeded to knock Kirkham out again in five rounds, six weeks later.

After that success, Mr Mac set up a fight with Australian crusierweight title holder, Jack Johnson.

The Australian press gave Sands no hope.

On the August 24 1946 at Sydney Stadium he made them eat their words, winning by TKO in five rounds.

A rematch on October 12 saw Sands defending his cruiserweight title and Johnson his heavyweight.

In one round Sands made himself a triple Australian title holder, knocking Johnson down with his favourite left hook punch.

At 20 years of age, Dave Sands, the boy from Burnt Bridge, was the Australian middleweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight boxing champion.

His next challenge was to take on the world...