Sydney competition in 1921–22 and took 51 wickets, more than anyone else in the competition. The pub was not a success, and late in 1922 the couple returned to Melbourne, where he opened a tobacconist's shop in St Kilda. He lost his stock in a burglary in 1923 and could not afford to re-stock and start again, so he took a position with St Kilda City Council maintaining the municipal parks and gardens, where he remained for the rest of his working life. Ironmonger joined the St Kilda club at the start of the 1922–23 season, along with another 40-year-old spin bowler, Don Blackie. They eventually played together for St Kilda for 12 years, during which time St Kilda won six premierships. When they retired, Ironmonger had taken 862 wickets in his grade cricket career in Melbourne, which as of 2021 is still the highest career tally for the competition, and Blackie had taken 803, which is still the second-highest tally. After three seasons out of first-class cricket, Ironmonger returned to the Victorian side during the 1924–25 season. In his second match, he took a hat-trick against the touring MCC while taking 5 for 93 off 39.5 eight-ball overs. The Victorian team toured New Zealand at the end of the season, but Ironmonger declined his invitation as he could not take the required time off work. He did not re-establish his spot in the Victorian team until 1927–28, when he took 25 wickets in the Sheffield Shield at an average of 29.12 (Don Blackie took 31 at 22.22) and Victoria won the Shield. Test career Ironmonger's Test debut came in 1928–29 when he was 46. He played Test cricket until the age of 50, and first-class cricket until the age of 53. He is the fourth-oldest Test debutant and the second-oldest Test player. Unsurprisingly, because of his age, his Test career spanned only 14 matches, during which he took 74 wickets at an average of 17.97. In that time, though he achieved some outstanding results. 11 wickets for 79 runs against the West Indies in Melbourne in 1930–31 9 wickets for 89 runs against South Africa in Brisbane in 1931–32 11 wickets for 24 against South Africa in Melbourne in 1931–32 He took 31 wickets in the 1931–32 South African series Bert Ironmonger also set the record for becoming the oldest Test cricketer to take his maiden five-wicket haul as