1949

Ted Edwards continued as president this year and Dave McCallum was secretary until he resigned in February 1949 due to work commitments and Mr. Cliff McCahon took on the position for the remainder of the season. Captain and coach of most of the regatta crews this season was Mr. Stan Wilton and Robert (Bob) Lawrie was treasurer. Bob would go on to fill the Treasurer’s role for the next 25 years giving the club over a quarter of a century of service. And as will be revealed he presided over some of the most difficult financial times the club would ever face.

The rowing highlight of this season was the pair of  Frank Beattie and Albie McGuire winning a Senior pair race at Ballarat Regatta. This was the first Senior pair won by the club since the Commons brothers wins in 1912. Indeed it was the first senior win of any sort for years and it would be another 25 years before Ballarat City oarsmen again started entering and winning Senior races. The club continued to be in a sound financial position and membership stood at just over forty.

The club attended eight regattas for the season VRA, Henley and Warrnambool at the end of 1948, Colac, Ballarat, Barwon and Mildura and Wentworth in 1949. The only wins we scored were Albie McGuire and Frank Beattie in the Senior pair at Ballarat and a Junior pair at VRA Regatta. The Maiden pair of Lindsay Campbell and Kevin Meyers also won at Ballarat. The club had an enjoyable trip to Mildura at Easter and were hosted by the Mildura Rowing Club. Boats and club members were transported by Marks bus, a boat frame having been constructed to fit on the top of the bus.

Open Day saw the club combine with the two sister clubs and run Combination four races. P. Quinlan from City was in the winning four. Interclub competition was held for novice rowers in pairs, fours and eights and deemed a great success. This racing appears to have replaced the Ballarat Novice Regatta that provided much competition and friendly rivalry for the three clubs before the war. There being no Novice Regatta the Premiership of Ballarat also lapsed. The Social Committee continued strongly under strong leadership with J. Rogers secretary and Keith Halsall treasurer. They periodically provided funds to keep the club running. The Ballarat City table tennis team were successful in winning the ‘A’ Grade pennant this season and entered three teams for the next year with high hopes of obtaining similar good results. The Badminton team was also entered again this season but without the success of the previous year.

Early this season the Reverend Yeo officiated at an unveiling and dedication of two memorial seats situated in front of the boatshed on either side of the driveway. These seats were purchased and erected by the club, in memory of the members who had paid the ultimate sacrifice in World War 11. The second seat was in memory of the late C.H. (Harry) Bunce who had led the club so successfully in the 1930’s up until the war and had been instrumental in achieving the building of the new boatshed. One seat was still there in 2000 but the plaques that were originally attached were removed by the Council when they were upgrading the seats, but have never been located. As part of my research I approached the Ballarat City Council in 2000 about replacing the memorial plaques and the seat dedicated to Mr. Bunce. Both the seats and the plaques were replaced and are still there today.