After a period of gold prospecting, Daniel Boyle (Harry's father) settled in Sydney Flat (now Woodvale) where he ran the Australian Store.

[1] Harry Boyle learned his cricket from gold prospector and Bendigo Advertiser journalist, John Glen.

[3] In March 2023, the Woodvale Community Group named the ground, the Henry Frederick (Harry) Boyle Oval in recognition of his sporting achievements.

He moved to Melbourne permanently in 1874 and became captain of the EMCC in 1875 following the retirement of Dan Wilkie from first class cricket.

[11] He was chosen as captain for the 1880 tour but a shipboard team meeting voted to replace him with the more outgoing Billy Murdoch before their arrival.

[12] An outstanding medium-pacer, Boyle's greatest strengths were said to be the accuracy of his deliveries and his ability to probe a batsman's weaknesses.

W G Grace wrote of Boyle in his 1899 Cricketing Reminiscences, 'Boyle had a rare head on his shoulders, but was often successful in getting batsmen out when other bowlers as good had tried and completely failed.'

[25] Harry Boyle was descended from two members of the Australian First Fleet, Thomas Chipp (a marine) and Jane Langley (a convict).

Following consultations with Doctor Springthorpe of Collins Street Melbourne), Boyle was admitted to a private hospital[27] and an operation was performed on his throat.

Following the operation, it was hoped that he would recover and Boyle travelled to Bendigo to stay at the house of his brother-in-law (Senator James Hiers McColl).

[28] Hopes for his recovery were short lived and on 10 October 1907, he was taken from Senator McColl's house to Nurse McKinnon's Private Hospital on Wattle Street.