History

1870

Saturday 5 March 1870

A notice appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald that read: “Rowing Association. – A meeting for those interested in the advancement of amateur rowing and the formation of a Rowing Association, will be held on Monday next, at half-past 7 p.m., at the Oxford Hotel, King Street. Henry Freeman, Hon. Secretary pro tem.”

Monday 7  March 1870

A meeting was held at the Oxford Hotel at which Q.L. Deloitte moved a motion “that it is desirable that steps should be taken for the formation of a club, having for its object the encouragement and improvement of amateur rowing in this colony.”  The motion was duly seconded and carried and the Sydney Rowing Club was born.

Tuesday 8 March 1870

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “the Sydney Amateur Rowing Club may now be considered an established affair.”

George Thornton, the first President of the Club and past mayor of Sydney, used his power to secure a site adjacent to the current Opera House site.  A tender for the construction of the first club house was accepted for the cost of 195 pounds.

27 August 1870

The Sydney Rowing Club was inaugurated with a grand ceremony and procession of boats on the harbour.  All boats in the procession carried the Club flag, which at this time was white with a dark blue cross.  All crews wore the Club uniform which was a white straw hat with a blue and white ribbon with white shirt and trousers.  The Club was officially opened by His Excellency, the Earl of Belmore.  The Club’s first dinner was held that night at the “Cafe de France” on the corner of King and George Streets.

17 September 1870

The Club’s first regatta was held on Sydney Harbour attracting a large group of interested spectators.  The regatta consisted of five races. The last event of the day afforded great amusement to spectators as two skiffs were tied end-to-end with the first to tow the other to a point on either side being declared the winner.

August 1870

Club membership reached 340.

1871

3 May 1871

The first Annual General meeting of the Club was held.  The annual report attributed to the first year of the club “a large amount of success” and members were congratulated “upon the great improvement in the style of rowing exhibited.”  Club assets totalled 615 pounds.

1872

Anniversary Day 1872

“Sydney” crew made the journey along with a “Parramatta River” crew which included the first Prime minister of Australia, Edmund Barton.  Sydney won the race by 1/4 mile exhibiting a style that “had the Cambridge swing with the Oxford stroke. They approached perfection.”

1873

Deloitte and his colleagues conceived the idea to purchase the site of The Red House.  The land was considered “beautifully situated at a bold point of the river” only seven miles from Sydney.  There were already adequate facilities for members to remain whilst training and stop for the night if required.  There was also plenty to do if tired of rowing; including fishing and shooting in the adjacent bush.  A special general meeting was held in 1873 to consider “Branch Establishment on Parramatta River.”

1874

February 1874

A special general meeting resolved to purchase the Red House property “Red Cow Inn”  situated on Abbotsford Point, the current site of the Club.  The transaction was finalised at a cost of 460 pounds.

By the end of the 1873/74 season the Club owned 21 boats.

11 July 1874

“The Branch”, at Abbotsford, was officially opened by Q. L. Deloitte after a procession of boats, including thirty-six oarsmen in eight boats, executed precision movements at various points on their way from Circular Quay to Abbotsford.

1875

January 1875

A meeting was held that decided from this point bona fide amateurs could no longer race for monetary prizes and that trophies would be the only acceptable form of prize.

1876

27 June 1876

Edward “Ned” Trickett, Champion Professional Sculler of Australia travelled to England to challenge Joseph H. Sadler for the World Championship. Trickett won and became the first Australian to win a World Championship in any sport. On his return to Sydney he was greeted by a hero’s reception of 25,000 people.

October 1876

The Victorian Rowing Association, the first association of rowing clubs in the world, was formed with eighteen member clubs.

1878

The rowing movement spread to the schools with Sydney Grammar establishing its own club.

December 1878

A meeting of Sydney and Mercantile members elected three delegates each to form the New South Wales Rowing Association. F. H. Dangar, of Mercantile, was elected President but was replaced the following year by George Thornton who remained President for 22 years.

1880

In the early 1880s A. B. “Banjo” Paterson became a member and drew inspiration from his interest in rowing to write such works as “On the Water”.

By the end of the 1879/80 season the Club owned 38 boats and total assets of 2300 pounds.

October 1880

The new Rowing Association held its first ever regatta.  Sydney Rowing Club had a very successful day winning all but one race.

1881

Construction of a Government road at East Circular Quay necessitated removal of a portion of the shed and alterations costing 195 pounds were needed to cope with the changes.

The NSW Rowing Association’s second regatta was notable for hosting the first school race in Sydney where the boys from Royston College beat Sydney Grammar by 6 lengths for the “Mayor’s Challenge Cup.”

1882

A new room was added to the branch and the property was revalued at 1250 pounds.

1883

Active membership was 180.

1884

A lawn tennis court was added at the Branch.

1885

The first annual dinner was held at the Branch with 50-60 people in attendance.  There was no guest of honour at this dinner, as was to become the custom, however Mrs Todd the housekeeper and her daughters put on an excellent dinner.

The inter-colonial race of 1885 marked the first time in which Tasmania and Queensland participated.  The NSW crew was victorious from Victoria, followed by Tasmania then Queensland.  The race also featured the Tasmanian boat boasting the first appearance of a ‘fin’ on an eight.

1888

The Club received notice from the Government to quit the site in Circular Quay.  A site was secured on the western side of Woolloomooloo Bay between Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the Domain Baths, where the headquarters of the Club remained until 1947.

As the old city shed was demolished and the popularity of the Branch increased there were plans for the expansion of facilities at Abbotsford to cope with the demand.  Reclamation of some of the water frontage and purchase of further land also took place.

1889

August 1889

The new shed was opened at Woolloomooloo.  The committee was confident that it was “one of the best boating pavilions to be found in any part of Australia, and quite equal in appearance to the best to be found either on the Thames or on the Cam.”  The shed contained a lofty and well lighted boat-house, part of which extended on piles over the water, while overhead was a clubroom together with lockers, baths, lavatories, dressing rooms, caretaker’s room, workshop and extensive balconies on three sides.  The total cost of construction was almost 1600 pounds.

In the early days of rowing there were three classes of rower: professionals, manual labourers (who also rowed for money) and gentlemen amateurs.

1890

The Club reported total assets of 6,207 pounds.

Throughout the 1890s “The Branch” at Abbotsford was plagued by its own popularity.  The accommodation was deemed insufficient for members and improvements were made early in the decade.  These, however did not suffice and committees were formed in 1895 and 1898 to consider further building, however both committees decided that the time was not right to build.  In 1898 the Branch was connected to the Sydney water supply however, sewerage was yet to be connected and continued to pose a problem.

In 1893 Samuel Hordern, a Vice-President of the Club and head of Anthony Hordern and Sons, the famous department store in Sydney, donated a magnificent Clasper-built eight, and two sets of Ayling oars.

The 1880s were a time for great social interaction at the Club with moonlight concerts being held at the Branch featuring string bands and the grounds being illuminated with Chinese lanterns.  Smoke concerts were also held throughout the nineties, where trophies and special presentations were often awarded.

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1892

13 year old coxswain Sid Hellings fell from a horse and fractured his elbow so badly that his arm had to be amputated. He was back coxing a year later with a special device rigged up to allow him to steer the boat.  Sid went on to represent the colony in the 1892, 93 and 94 inter-colonial eights.

1894

The Club consists of 110 active and 125 honorary members.

In 1894 the GPS schools began formal rowing competition.  Major Z. C. Rennie donated a fine trophy to be awarded as the perpetual trophy for the main race. They continue to compete for the Major Rennie Trophy and the title of Head of the River to this day.

1895

Miss Edith Walker of Yaralla became a Vice-President of the Club in 1895.  Although women were not permitted to be members of the Club. Miss Walker was one of the wealthiest women of the era and a renowned philanthropist and the Club benefited immensely from her support. This may have helped in the decision to elect her as a Vice-President.

In 1895 James Reading Fairfax returned as a Vice-President, after previously holding the position from 1885-89.  Sir James was most well known for his position at the helm of John Fairfax and Sons, founded by his father, owner of the Sydney Morning Herald.

1899

By 1899 the Club was considered by the Sydney Mail as “the wealthiest Club in Australia” whilst at the same time being “perhaps the most heavily indebted” due to its land holdings and bank overdraft respectively.  The club employed three permanent staff; a caretaker and assistant caretaker at Woolloomooloo and a housekeeper at the Branch.

In 1899 the NSW Rowing Association developed a points system for determining the Club premiership.   Sydney Rowing Club was declared the winner of the first NSWRA Premiership.

1900

At the annual meeting in August, Deloitte advocated improvements to be made at the Branch, adding that he hoped to live to see “a really handsome structure on the beautifully situated grounds.”  A special meeting three months later agreed to construct a new building consisting of six bedrooms, bathroom and further acilities, at a cost of 500 pounds.  A further 85 pounds was spent on furniture.  Plans were also developed for the construction of a dining hall and billiard room.

Active membership was 93.

1901

The Australian Commonwealth came into being on 1 January 1901.  The first Prime Minister of Australia was Edmund Barton, a foundation member of the Sydney Rowing Club.

George Thornton, passed away in November aged 80.  Thornton had been President of the Club since its foundation as well as being President of the Rowing Association for 22 years.  His great leadership, considerable political influence and generosity had helped greatly in the formation and development of the Club.

The obvious choice to replace Thornton as President of the Club was Q. L. Deloitte.  Having been the Club’s first captain he had remained at all times a tower of strength in the Club, devoted during good times and bad.  Deloitte held the position from 1901 to 1928.  Deloitte also replaced Thornton as President of the NSW Rowing Association.

1903

In 1903 the question of allowing manual labourers to row as amateurs was raised again as in previous years, within the NSW Rowing Association.  The matter was discussed at the Sydney annual general meeting and members were convinced that the move would help NSW again become competitive in the inter-state races and that this change by no means meant that manual labourers should be allowed to enter Sydney Rowing Club itself.  A motion was then passed by the Rowing Association allowing manual labourers to row as amateurs.

1904

The Club’s fleet consisted of 24 boats.

The Club held its first ever ball at Baumann’s New Rooms, Pitt Street, Sydney and The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the event was “one of the most successful social functions of the season”. The room itself was “artistically decorated with a profusion of flags, a charming effect being produced by a skilful arrangement of oars, draped with the Club’s colours (light blue) around the walls”.

A group of Sydney rowers decided to undertake an epic challenge, to row 300 miles from Sydney to Richmond and back.  They started at the entrance to Broken Bay, reached the head of the Hawkesbury and promptly set off for the three day journey home. They barely made it back as a southerly storm blew up just as they rounded North Head.

1905

The Abbotsford arm of the electric tram service was opened in 1905.  Indeed, at this time most of Sydney was serviced by trams and the system was the second largest in the Commonwealth behind only London.  It was estimated that on average, one tram journey was taken in Sydney every day, for every man, woman and child living in the city. The introduction of the trams to Abbotsford however, did not bring about the expected increase in patronage at the Branch.  The Abbotsford tram line was closed in 1954.

1906

By this time rowing amongst ladies was becoming more common and acceptable to the men.  In August 1906 the first ladies championship in double sculling was held on the Parramatta River and was won by Mrs Woodbridge and Hyde from a field of ten crews.  Soon after, Mrs Woodbridge was challenged by Miss Gertrude Lewis to a race for 25 pounds a side for the first ladies sculling championship of Australia.  The race took place in February, 1907 with Miss Lewis winning easily.

1908

The first race for lightweights was held at the SRC Regatta in October, 1908.  Rowers under 10 stone were permitted to participate and the Sydney four won handsomely from a field of five. The first lightweight race for points was at the Leichhardt Regatta in November the same year.

Q.L. Deloitte was presented with a magnificent silver trophy in recognition of his service to rowing. The Q.L. Deloitte trophy was presented by the “Friends of Q.L. Deloitte” to mark the jubilee of his first win in a rowing race.  The handsome trophy was presented to the NSW Rowing Association and became the perpetual award for the NSW Championship eights.

1909

The Club’s fleet consisted of 26 boats; three eights, two regulation fours and five other fours, four pairs, three gladstones, six skiffs, a best double scull, a best pair-oar and an outrigger.

1910

The popularity of the Branch meant that more boats were being stored there.  In April 1910, a new boatshed capable of housing a fair sized fleet was officially opened.  The shed was 68′ by 16′ and cost 113 pounds.  A new staging and pontoon, capable of boating an eight was donated by a keen member at this time.

The decade had been difficult for the Club financially.  Several blocks of land had been sold at Abbotsford to reduce the mortgage however it still stood at 1400 pounds.  Total assets were 4484 pounds with total liabilities of 2580 pounds.  The Branch property was valued at 2545 pounds, the Woolloomooloo clubhouse at 1000 pounds and the boats and oars at 651 pounds.

The Great War had a dramatic impact on the Club during this decade with active membership falling as low as 42 in 1919.  By 1920, aided by the admittance of manual labourers to the Club, membership had recovered to 94.

In May 1910, the first amateur ladies rowing club, Western Suburbs Ladies Rowing Club was formed.  By 1917 there were six ladies amateur rowing clubs in Sydney and vigorous competition between them.

The interstate conference decided to make inquiries about sending a crew to Stockholm for the 1912 Olympics.  The following day NSW won the interstate eights and the NSWRA promptly met and resolved to send an eight and a sculler to the Games.

1912

In 1912 a Sydney Rowing Club crew competed in an international competition for the first time.  The crew won the Grand Challenge Eights at the Henley Royal Regatta, witnessed by the King and Queen of England.

Ladies interstate racing commenced in 1912 with a Queensland crew defeating Albert Park in Melbourne.

This year also saw the first participation of our rowers at an Olympic Games, when R B Fitzharding, H
Hauenstein, S Middleton & J A Ryrie rowed for Australia at the Stockholm Olympics.

1914

The effects of the war really started to impact rowing in NSW in August, 1914 when enlistments commenced.  Thirteen members of Sydney Rowing Club had enlisted by September and the Club cancelled its regatta of that year.  Queensland was due to hold the interstate races in 1915 however the Rowing Associations of all states were unanimous in their opinion that interstate racing should be postponed until after the war. The NSWRA decided not to stage its premiership between 1915 and 1918.

1917

The Club’s fleet consisted of 28 boats; three racing eights, two practice eights, three racing fours, two practice fours, nine gladstone skiffs, five pair oars, three double sculls and a four pair skiff.

1918

By the end of the first World War 91 Sydney Rowing Club members had served Australia and 21 had paid the supreme sacrifice for their country.

1919

At the end of the War the “Henley Peace Regatta” was held.  The Australian eight won the “King’s Cup”, a handsome trophy presented by His Majesty King George V.  After much debate the King finally decreed that the cup be used as the permanent trophy for the Interstate eight-oared race of Australia.

1920

Electric light was installed at the Branch in Abbotsford.

Sydney Rowing Club’s 50th jubilee regatta was the highlight of the 1919/20 season with the Rowing Association honouring the event by allocating the champion Eights and champion sculls to the regatta.  The regatta was a fabulous occasion, “the glamour, sentimental and historical associations surrounding the celebration and the delightful weather brought about a very large attendance.”  Competitively, however the Club had yet to recover from the war and racing results were poor.

In May 1920, NSW competed in its first ladies interstate race without success.  At the regatta a meeting was held where the Australian Women’s Rowing Council was formed, showing considerably more organisation than the men

After winning the Kings Cup in 1919 the AIF Sports Control Board had taken possession of the Cup and passed it onto the Australian War Memorial Council, who did not wish to part with it.  At the interstate race in 1920, the conference of Rowing Associations agreed to request the Australian War Memorial Council to make the King’s Cup available as the perpetual trophy for the interstate eights.  When this request, and a further request later in the year were refused, the Victorian Rowing Association took further action.  In October 1920 a petition to the King was prepared and signed by Captain Disher, stroke of the original eight requesting that His Majesty make known his wishes for the disposal of the trophy.  A reply in May 1921, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Winston Churchill, stated that “His Majesty commands me to inform you that it is his wish that the Cup should be used as a permanent trophy and be competed for annually in the Interstate Eight-Oared Race of Australia.”

1922

In March 1922, a fire destroyed the boatshed in Woolloomooloo and a substantial portion of the fleet and many valuable records and memorabilia were lost.  The Club was protected by insurance and a new shed was opened on the same site in November the same year. Nineteen boats were lost in the fire and the Club set about rebuilding the fleet over the coming years.

1924

In 1924 The Australian Amateur Rowing Council was formed.  The AARC was to meet once a year at the time and place of the King’s Cup and at such other times as was necessary.  The purpose of the Council was essentially to determine the rules and policies that govern the King’s Cup and other interstate races.

1925

Club membership was 191.

1926

In the winter of 1926 a new point-score competition was established for amateur scullers with silversmiths, Walker and Hall donating a perpetual trophy for the competition.  Bert Goulding won the first race, Kessel the second, and the third race saw the emergence of 20 year-old Bob Pearce, son of Harry Pearce.  He went on to win the last four races of the competition and then a row-off with Pye to break their points deadlock. Pearce’s efforts were widely regarded and many observed that he was a sculler to watch for the future.

1927

By 1927 a recently organised winter point-score competition had been organised with rowers being graded into A and B divisions, the A division competing for a newly established Q. L. Deloitte Cup.  Bert Goulding was the first winner of this Deloitte Cup.

1928

Social events were of great importance in the 1920s with the Club’s Annual Ball being a highlight each year. In 1928 the ball was held at David Jones’ Ballroom, with the Governor in attendance and a guest list of over 550 people It was a fantastic event and contributed 117 pounds to the Club’s revenues.

H R Pearce was our only rower selected for the Olympic Games held in Amsterdam and won gold.

Club membership reaches 305; 52 Life members, 163 active members and 90 associates. Bob Pearce was awarded the Club’s first ever Honorary Life Membership.

The NSW Women’s Rowing Association was formed.

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1929

Quarton Levitt Deloitte passed away on 7 April 1929.  Deloitte was the man who moved a motion “that it is desirable that steps should be taken for the formation of a club, having for its object the encouragement and improvement of amateur rowing in this colony.” thus breathing life into the Sydney Rowing Club.  He was the first Captain of the Club, served as Vice-President from 1878 to 1902 when he became President of the Club and the NSWRA, both posts he held till his death.  He was the staunchest supporter of all rowing clubs and rowing activities and was widely lauded as the “father of amateur rowing”.  A large crowd including the Prime Minister attended his funeral.

A meeting was held on 21 June, 1929 to consider the appointment of a new President, to be only the third in the Clubs 59 year history.  The choice was C.A. “Clarrie” Smith, a top oarsmen of the 1890s who had served the Club as committee man, treasurer, vice-captain, captain and vice-president.

1930

By the end of the decade the Club’s assets were 6,171 pounds; Clubhouse and land at Abbotsford 3500 pounds, Clubhouse at Woolloomooloo 1290 pounds and the fleet 714 pounds.

With the effects of the depression being felt it was decided that the next two King’s Cup races would be held in 1932 and 1934, thereafter reverting to an annual event.

The fleet consisted of 22 boats: four racing eights, a practice eight, two best fours, five regulation fours, three pair oars and seven gladstone skiffs.

Social events were again integral to Club life in the 1930’s with the Annual Ball continuing successfully (462 at the 1930 Ball).  Smaller dances were also held regularly, a little too regularly for the regular boarders at the Branch who wished the dances to be limited to one every three weeks.  The Ladies Sub-Committee was very active thanks to the efforts of Mrs C.A. Smith and Miss Maude Honey (later Mrs Jack Goulding).  In 1934 the Younger Set Committee was also formed, known by the older members as the “undesirables”, they were also very effective at organising social events and fundraising.  The two Committees amalgamated in 1938 to form one social committee.

1931

A meeting was convened, of a “small but enthusiastic gathering of rowing men” who decided to inaugurate the Union of Old Oarsmen.  The Union’s aims were to foster a spirit of good fellowship among all men who had rowed or sculled and to maintain an active interest in the sport.  Social functions and fundraisers were held and two delegates were elected to the NSWRA.

1932

In 1932 the “Bridge Opening Celebrations Regatta” was held to mark the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Five races were held at the regatta and a special dance was held at the Branch in Abbotsford to commemorate the occasion.

Bob Pearce again represented Australia at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.  He claimed another Gold medal amid the general agreement that he was the greatest sculler the world had ever seen.

1933

In 1933 the NSW Police Rowing Club was formed and a shed erected on Blackwattle Bay.  They soon achieved success by winning the 1935/36 premiership and their eight being selected to represent Australia at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Competition amongst the womens clubs in Sydney remained strong in the 1930’s with Sydney Women’s Rowing Club enjoying most of the success.  In 1933 at the Sydney Ladies’ regatta, the first ladies’ eight race in NSW was held, with the Sydney crew winning easily.

Professional competition for the World Championship continued to be strong early in the 1930s until the reigning champion Ted Phelps, of America, accepted a challenge from Bob Pearce, who had just turned professional.  The race was held before almost 70,000 people and Pearce won by such a margin that it was doubted if any high-stakes challenges would be found for Pearce.  Pearce defended his title several times in the decade with the 1938 race against Paddon, of Australia, resulting in Pearce rowing out to about 8 lengths lead and then just “paddling” home.

1934

Membership was 173.

25 August 1934

A fire destroyed a large portion of the Clubhouse and premises including the lounge, dining and billiard rooms. Many old trophies and important memorabilia were lost in the fire. Substantial repairs had to be undertaken. The financial position of the Club was very poor and drastic solutions were being considered including selling the Branch, selling Woolloomooloo, or selling some land at the Branch or the Branch liquor license. A Special Finance Committee decided that economies should be effected at the Branch and a membership drive inaugurated.

1935

Draught beer first became available at Abbotsford with Reschs being the beer of choice.

By the mid 1930s, Club activities were firmly focussed on the Branch with most of the boats transferred there also.  The lack of focus on the Woolloomooloo allowed the shed to fall into poor condition and around this time Pearce, the caretaker was dismissed from his post.  Sale of Woolloomooloo was being seriously considered by the end of the decade.

In 1935, one of the great professional scullers, Bill Beach, passed away.  An appeal was opened up and in 1938 a granite monument was opened in Cabarita Park, site of many of his triumphs, in his honour.