[1] Bonnor was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and made his international debut in the first match played in England in 1880.

Being very tall for the 19th century at 6 foot 6 inches he was also exceedingly strong and made the most of it with some powerful hitting, however at times his cavalier attitude led to some periods of poor scores as well.

First, during the Oval Test match of 1880 between England and Australia, he was out caught for two to a ball he had hit so high that by the time GF Grace had snaffled him, waiting directly underneath it on the boundary, he and his partner had almost completed their third run.

On the next tour, in 1882, Bonnor made a £100 wager with a disbelieving fellow passenger on the SS Assam that he could, with his throw after stepping off the ship, send a cricket ball 100 yards: he won the wager by throwing the ball 119 yards and seven inches, done without a run up.

[2] Bonnor died of a heart attack, aged 57, in Orange, New South Wales, and is buried at the cemetery there.