1910 was a pivotal year for the club. At last the club began to emerge from the ‘slump’ of the last five or six years. The first twenty years of the club had been enormously successful in all aspects of operation. The club had a membership roll of 120.We were very successful at regattas with wins in all classes of boats including Senior eights. Financially we had weathered the economic downturn of the early 1890’s. But by the mid 1890’s we started a downward slide. The youthful enthusiasm of the ‘new’ club had given way to a rather staid ‘middle aged’ existence. But as in all spheres of life, the wheel does turn and for City it began its return to success and prosperity around 1910.
Regatta racing had started to improve about two years earlier when the committee realised the need for a concerted effort with a strong emphasis on coaching. This season, the gradual build up of new recruits and consistent coaching was bought to fruition with both the quality of crews racing and the quantity of oarsmen available for selection.
At Upper Yarra Regatta William Commons became only the second Ballarat City Sculler to win Maiden sculls on the Yarra. E.Issacs was the first sculler to win at Upper Yarra back in 1895
Ballarat Regatta was held on the 19th of February and the club entered crews in Maiden eights, fours, pairs and sculls, Junior sculls and Club four. We had a really successful regatta this year with William Commons taking out the double winning Maiden and Junior sculls. C.Kelsal and W.Griffin won the Maiden pairs.
Barwon Regatta was the final regatta for 1909-10 season on February 26th.The club was represented by a Maiden four and pair and a junior four. The Junior four of O.Ehms, H.Allchin, G.Allchin and F.Beaumont with O.McPhail the coxswain, took out the Junior fours race, the first four-oared win for many years. Fred Luke again won the Championship Sculls of Ballarat for the second year in succession.
The Captain Mr. Graham Coulter resigned this year and his job was taken over by one of the most enthusiastic and ardent workers for the club Mr. E. A. James. The Annual report credited much of the season’s success to his hard work and that of vice-captain William Commons.
The founder of the club Mr. J. W. Graham died this year. He had been associated with the club from the first calling of the first meeting that decided to form City. He was captain for the first 12 months and then kept an interest in the club’s proceedings. He was made a life member in 1879 and right up until his death he would make an appearance at Annual Meetings and keep that connection with the club’s early days very real. With his passing all the initial prominent pioneers who had launched the club were gone.
Ballarat City Rowing Club History Blog 