Born at Milltown, Alfred Lovett was the eldest son of James Ebenezer Lovett and Hannah McDonald, a Gunditjmara woman born at Lake Condah, where Alfred grew up. At just five feet two inches, Alfred was a jockey, but also a good footballer, and played for Heywood. In a game against Hamilton in August 1904, Alfred was best for Heywood.  He also umpired matches, and after a game between Drumborg and Hotspur, some of the players remarked that he was the best umpire they ever played under, and that he kept down rough play.

Alfred was riding in races around the district from around 1902. In May 1905, fresh from some race wins over the jumps, Alfred rode at the Coleraine Cup meeting.  During the Hurdle Race, Alfred’s horse, Juliet, fell and appeared to land on him.  He was unconscious and was taken to Coleraine, and although he regained consciousness, he was dazed for several hours. Alfred moved to Hamilton in 1909. He married Sarah Ella Spring, and a son, Alfred Patrick, was born. Leo Lawrence was born in 1913.

On 29 July 1915, Alfred went to Melbourne to enlist for WW1.  His four brothers would follow him over the next two years. He left Australia with the 26th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement in October 1915 for Egypt. In March 1916, Alfred transferred to the 21st Battalion and soon after left for France, arriving at Marseilles on 5 April 1916. The battalion then travelled by train to Strazeele, in the Flanders area, where training ensued for several weeks. The battalion was in the field during May with heavy bombardment toward the end of the month, resulting in some casualties. They remained in the field throughout June.

By early July, the battalion was moving towards Pozieres, taking up position in trenches near Sausage Valley. Preparations were underway for an attack on Pozieres, and by 25 July, the battalion was facing heavy shelling, and casualties had risen. The following day, they were pulled out and began to make their way east to Berteaucourt-les-Dames.

 In late August, Alfred joined the 3rd Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery, about to move into Belgium. He fell sick on 21 November 1916 and didn’t rejoin his unit until January 1917 but returned to hospital after a few days.  In April 1917, he was found to have rheumatism and transferred from Rouen, France, to England, where he spent the next 12 months. Alfred returned to Australia in May 1918 for early discharge.  

Alfred returned to the Hamilton district, initially living at Bochara. Over the next 20 years, Alfred lived in many parts, including Melbourne and New South Wales. During the 1940s, he moved back to Victoria’s south-west to Greenvale near Condah.  His eldest son, Alfred enlisted in 1942 and served for three years. 

Alfred died in 1962 in Portland, at the age of eighty-two.