Steve Mortimer
The brilliant, fiery halfback who captained Canterbury-Bankstown to its first premierships and became the Bulldogs' games record holder.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Australia international rugby league footballer·Birthday: July 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve 'Turvey' Mortimer didn't just play for Canterbury-Bankstown; he bled blue and white. In an era when the Bulldogs forged a dynasty, Mortimer was its on-field brain and beating heart. A local junior, his speed, vision, and competitive fire from the halfback position broke games open. He famously led the club to its long-awaited first premiership in 1980, a victory that released decades of frustration, and then helmed three more titles in that dominant decade. His career was a family affair, playing alongside his brothers Peter and Chris, and his 272 first-grade games stood as a club record for years. More than a stat, Mortimer represented Canterbury's grit and ascent, a player whose legacy is measured in silverware and unwavering loyalty.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played a club-record 272 first-grade games for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
- Captained Canterbury to their first-ever NSWRL premiership victory in 1980.
- Won four NSWRL premierships with the Bulldogs (1980, 1984, 1985, 1988).
- Represented New South Wales in State of Origin and Australia in international matches.
Did You Know?
He and his two younger brothers, Peter and Chris, all played first-grade for the Bulldogs simultaneously.
His nickname 'Turvey' came from the Turvey family in the Australian TV series 'The Sullivans.'
Mortimer was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2018.
After retirement, he served as a director on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs board.
“A good pass is better than a miracle play any day.”
