Author Archives: kdroryeskymeshcomau

I find it fascinating that no matter how well you think you know the facts of history, the more you research the more nuanced and closer to the historical reality you come. Even revising and revisiting old research can create new understanding and insight. Although I knew the facts of the 1870’s pretty well havingContinue reading “1877”

The club only recorded one win in 1876 .At the 1876 Ballarat regatta the crew of A.S. Brown, J.Fitzgerald, W.Crampton, Arthur Gibbs won the Senior gig race. Ballarat regatta this year was a combined rowing and sailing event, and there were more sailing events than rowing events. Subscriptions were raised in an effort to payContinue reading “1876”

City had the distinction of being one of the three crews to race in the first ever eight-oared race held in Australia, where we placed third. This race was held at the Melbourne Regatta 1875 and was won by the Civil Service crew with the Warehouse Rowing Club second. Both these clubs are long sinceContinue reading “1875”

The club added again to its fleet this season an eight-oared outrigger boat one of the first clubs in Victoria to have an eight, and an out-rigger sculling boat. The use of eight-oared boats didn’t really become commonplace at regattas until 1877 but this meant both for training and racing the club could now boatContinue reading “1874”

THE FIRST INTERCOLONIAL RACE During the 1970’s and 80’s the members of Ballarat City had no idea of our amazing history and no idea of the incredible achievements of the rowers of the 1870’s. Having lost 80 years of memories in the disastrous boatshed fire of 1950, even the older members only had memories goingContinue reading “1873”

The early 1872 Ballarat Regatta Committee, made up of representatives from both clubs, again organized the Ballarat Regatta to be held on Lake Wendouree again. It was decided to ask the Water Commission permission to enclose part of the reserve near the boathouses to erect a grandstand to improve conditions for spectators. This they dulyContinue reading “1872”

Not letting the grass grow under their feet the committee organised in December 1870 several new boats from Melbourne sent by Mr James Edwards for the approval of the club. They comprised one streak gig, three scullers boats, one bat-wing pair and two clinker four-oared gigs. The club obviously purchased at least some of theseContinue reading “1871”

In 1870 Lake Wendouree finally filled after 5 years of drought and such low water levels that only one of the 5 fledging rowing clubs-Alabama,Tay, Lubentia, Ariel and Ballarat- only the oldest Ballarat Rowing Club had survived. Ballarat had started as the Regatta Club in 1862 and in 1864 Robinson McLaren, the father of rowingContinue reading “THE BEGINNING 1870”