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History of Balmain Working Men's Rowing Club

Change of Name - 1892 

At the half-yearly meeting of the Balmain Working Men’s Rowing club held in Dick’s Hotel Balmain on Wednesday evening 14th December 1892, the captain Mr H J Bourne, proposed and Mr C Berry seconded, that the name of the club be altered to the “Enterprise Rowing club.”  A dispute arose and a ballot was taken, which resulted in a victory for the new name by one vote. 

A great fight was put up by the Enterprise club to widen the amateur definition.  Eventually the club became affiliated with the NSW Rowing Association in February 1894 with the direct result that its members could race without hindrance at the amateur regattas.  

The doors were now open for the working men to challenge all other rowing clubs on equal grounds. This was a great moment for the Enterprise Rowing club. Up until this time they had been restricted to competing within their own club regattas or in the Manual Labour entries at open regattas. 

It wasn’t until 1912 that the E.R.C hosted their first Association regatta which was reported to go down in history as an indicator of their successful status as a rowing club. 

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