Born: c.1890 – Buninyong, Victoria
Died: May 29, 1966 – Wellington
Test record: 3 Tests (1909) – 2 goals (4 points)
Tours: 1909 tour of Australia

Versatile Wellington back Albert House played all three Tests on New Zealand’s 1909 tour of Australia.

After playing for Wellington in 1908, House appeared in all but one of New Zealand’s 10 tour matches the following season at centre, fullback, wing and five-eighth.

House lined up at fullback in the first two Tests – kicking two goals in New Zealand’s series-opening 19-11 win – and moved to five-eighth for the 25-5 loss in the deciding third Test. He stayed on in Sydney to play two matches for Norths.

Turning out for Petone in the inaugural WRL competition in 1912 (he would be named at fullback in the club’s Team of the Century in 2012), House was recalled by New Zealand to play in two matches against the visiting NSW team in 1913 at fullback and wing. He also represented Wellington against NSW.

House later created history as the first former Kiwi to referee a Test match, controlling the first match between New Zealand and Australia at the Basin Reserve in 1919. He subsequently refereed the third Test between New Zealand and England at the same ground in 1920.