Arthur Edmund Symonds (8 May 1890 – 20 April 1946) was a New Zealand sportsman. He played one first-class match for Otago during the 1926–27 season.Arthur Symonds, CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
Born at Dunedin in 1890, Symonds worked for railway companies. He played rugby union for the Zingari-Richmond club in Dunedin and represented the Otago Rugby Football Union in seven matches between 1911 and 1912. He was described after his death as having "played a good, honest game of football"Old Otago footballer's death, Otago Daily Times, issue 26141, 2 May 1946, p. 2. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.)Personal, Otago Daily Times, issue 26139, 30 April 1946, p. 4. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.) and in 1930 he was considered to have been one of the club's most prominent players.Zingari-Richmond, Otago Daily Times, issue 21135, 19 September 1930, p. 9. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.) He was later one of its vice-presidents.Zingari-Richmond club, Evening Star, issue 20741, 13 March 1931, p. 6. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.)
Symonds played club cricket for Dunedin Cricket Club and represented the provincial side in a 1924 fixture against Southland. He scored 43 and 17 and was reported as having "played well", although "he had more than his share of luck".Cricket: Otago v Southland, Southland Times, issue 19194, 13 March 1924, p. 6. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.)
He played his only first-class match for Otago in February 1927. In the match, which was against Canterbury cricket team at Carisbrook in Dunedin, he kept-wicket, replacing Laurie Green who had broken a rib in the previous match against Auckland.Plunket Shield: Otago v Canterbury, Evening Star, issue 19474, 4 February 1927, p. 6. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.) Symonds took one catch and scored five runs, although his wicket-keeping was poor and his performance behind the stumps described as "not too good" as he conceded too many byes.Canterbury bat first against Otago eleven, The Star, issue 18072, 4 February 1927, p. 5. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.)Otago Takes Wooden Spoon Of Cricket Competition, The Star, issue 18075, 8 February 1927, p. 12. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.) He missed a "good stumping chance", although his keeping improved during the match.Notes on yesterday's play, The Star, issue 18073, 5 February 1927, p. 10. (Available online at Papers Past. Retrieved 4 June 2023.) He did not play for the representative side again.
Symonds died at Lower Hutt in 1946. He was aged 55.
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