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The Maiden four of Neville Kerr, Mick Walsh, Alan Dixon and Bob Coutts, coached by Pat Harrison started the 1959-1960 season with winning form and set the tone for the rest of the year. This crew won four Maiden fours in 14 days, which was a record at the time. While it was common toContinue reading “1959-1960 Double Quadruple! The Invincibles.”

Over the years of my research into rowing and specifically Ballarat City Rowing Club, I have found some fairly extraordinary crews and races they have been involved in. Scoring a treble of any sort in rowing is difficult and rare so I ‘m starting this series of posts with a treble that is unique. SoContinue reading “TREBLES AND QUADRUPLES”

Ninety members of the Ballarat City Rowing Club enlisted for World War 2 and of those 8 men were killed serving their country. Several were also POW’s in Germany and Japan. My current research is to find their names and record their stories.                                           LEST WE FORGET                                            ARMY BANNISTER A.                     HILL H.                          MCKEWONContinue reading “1945   HONOUR ROLL FOR WORLD WAR TWO”

Albion Rowing Club (England), Ballarat Rowing Club, Ballarat City Rowing Club Peter Cazaly was the third of nine children born to James Cazaly and his wife Elizabeth Eagles. James and Elizabeth married in about 1826 and lived at Stoke Newington near London. James was 48 and Elizabeth 26. James occupation was given variously as bookkeeper,Continue reading “PETER CAZALY”

It began with this letter to the Editor of the Ballarat Courier asking the question why there were no opportunities for women to row. It was published on the 25th of February 1971 and was signed “Discontented Shore-bound girls.” It drew attention to the fact the while Ballarat had three rowing clubs, not one ofContinue reading “1971 -The wakeup call! Beginning of women’s rowing in Ballarat.”

As the rowing season 2021- 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first women’s club in Ballarat and also significantly, the first women’s regatta held on Lake Wendouree in January 1972, it seemed an appropriate time to research further into the Begonia City Ladies Rowing Club history, particularly their struggles to establish the first women’sContinue reading “CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN’S ROWING IN BALLARAT”

Ballarat City Rowing Club HONOUR ROLL January 1919 When researching for members who served in World War 1, I discovered an article describing the dedication of the club’s first honour board. It was unveiled at the boatshed on Saturday the 18th of January 1919 by Lt. Colonel Alfred Wilton Bennett who was again elected PresidentContinue reading “Their name liveth forevermore.”

Edward (Teddy) James O’Reilly was born in 1894 in Ararat. His parents were Patrick Henry and Susannah O’Reilly. Teddy was only 10 when his father died in 1906 in a tragic house fire at Meredith near Ballarat and his mother Susannah O’Reilly lived in Ballarat East and was his next of kin. He was educatedContinue reading “Edward (Teddy) James O’Reilly”

William Brazenor was born on 7 April 1888 at Ballarat, son of William Brazenor and Ellen Coogan. On his birth certificate his name is listed William Brazenor Coogan. His father William married Maria Smythe, a widow with four children, in June 1888. It appears that William became part of the Brazenor family. Tragically his motherContinue reading “LIEUTENANT COL.WILLIAM BRAZENOR MiD (3), DSO and Bar”

Jack Inglis Blaikie was born in Ballarat in 1893. His parents were Robert Laidlaw Blaikie and Annie Blaikie (maiden name Brown). He is recorded as having attended Ballarat Junior Technical School which is now Dana Street Primary School. He probably attended from about 1900 until about 1908. From about 1902 when he was approximately 8Continue reading “Jack Inglis Blaikie”