History of Begonia City Ladies Rowing Club

1977 – Senior A racing and Championships

Having started off the 1976-77 regatta season with Dimboola and Horsham Regatta, this year saw Begonia City Ladies racing nearly every weekend. In all they attended 12 regattas and started to have some success. The girls represented the club in Youth fours, Senior B fours, Senior B pairs and at the Dimboola Regatta of this year raced Senior A fours. This was the club’s most active season yet but still with a core of just 6 or 7 members. Jenny Burzacott was the only one new member to join this year. The number of clubs competing had trebled. From the six women’s clubs affiliated with the VLRA in 1972, there were now 21 clubs affiliated including two schools, Geelong College and Geelong Grammar. These were the first schools in Victoria to offer rowing for girls.

Mr. Bob Angow took on the role as president of Ballarat City Rowing Club with Ralph Murphy the secretary and Alf Quick elected treasurer. Captain for the men was Jim Burzacott and Tracey Kriz continued as Captain of the ladies. Kate Wise continued as BCLRC secretary. There were only five committee meetings held this year well down on the sixteen or so that were usually held. Membership was down again both men and women. The Begonia City Ladies Club was, for all intents and purposes, now run by the Ballarat City club with combined committee meetings. Despite the lack of active members the both clubs did have a very successful season beginning with BRA Open Day when the club won Novice sculls and pairs and had two members in the combination crew for Novice four. The next win came with Novice pairs at Metropolitan, Banks and Colac regattas and Novice eights at Horsham and Dimboola. Danny Elliott, who was also coaching Begonia City ladies crews, had a very successful season winning Lightweight sculls at Metropolitan and Albert Park regattas and rowing composite with Terry Poole of Corio Bay to win Senior double sculls at Ballarat Regatta. Begonia City Ladies also had two wins in a Senior B four at Ballarat Regatta and a Senior B pair at Albert Park Regatta. This year there were 3 women’s races on the Ballarat Regatta program:-Ladies Elite double scull, Senior B four and Senior A four. 

Cover and entries for Ladies Senior B four and Elite double sculls from the Regatta Secretary, John Morcom. In his  program for Ballarat Regatta, March 13th, 1977 he recorded the winning crew in Senior B fours and placings. Crews from Artemis and Essendon Ladies contested the Senior A fours.

Begonia City crew winning Senior B four after receiving their trophies at the Judges box at the finish of the race. They don’t look very excited as the prize for winning was NOT a silver trophy like the men but a small framed print of flowers on silk! Unfortunately it took a few years for the organizers of regattas to realise that most women would prefer the same trophies as the men. Crew: Kate Wise (b), Kathy Hayes (2), Marg Elliott (3), Andrea Kriz (str).

Begonia City Ladies Rowing Club, Senior A four at Dimboola and Horsham Regatta 1977. At the back from left is Andrea Kriz and Marg Elliott and in front, Tracey Kriz and Kate Wise.

From left to right: Greg Van Gaans (cox), Jenny Burzacott, Marg Elliott and Andrea Kriz at the Barwon River, Geelong.
The car is the 1964 Chevrolet that Captain/coach Danny Elliott towed the club trailer to regattas with. Our crew of four girls and a cox usually travelled with him. Photographs from Kate Elliott collection.

Victorian Universities Regatta, January 22nd, Lake Wendouree was the first regatta of the year. There were three Championship races for women on the program:- Champion Ladies Elite Sculls, Champion Ladies Elite four and Champion Ladies Senior B four. Begonia City Ladies did not have a crew ready to race at this regatta. Women’s State selectors Kath (Suhr) Bennet and Jeff Sykes were selecting crews and scullers for the 1977 National Championships in Perth.

Article from Ballarat Courier January 1977

Results for VLRA Championships, Footscray 28/2/77

Timetable and entries for women’s races at Victorian Universities Regatta 22/1/1977

1977 Regattas and Racing

1. VLRA Championships, February 27th Maribyrnong River, Footscray. 

Ladies Senior B pair (rowed in tub boats):-Marg Elliott and Andrea Kriz-first

Ladies Youth four:-Kate Wise, Andrea Kriz, Marg Elliott, Kathy Hayes-first in heat; second in final.

2. Barwon Regatta, March 12th , Barwon River, Geelong

Ladies Youth four:-Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz.

3. Ballarat Regatta, March 13th, Lake Wendouree

Ladies Senior B four:- Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz- first

4. VRA Victorian Championships, March 14th, Lake Wendouree.

Ladies Champion Youth four:-Kate Wise, Andrea Kriz, Marg Elliott, Kathy Hayes - fourth in final. (Won by Nestles Rowing Club) 

5. Scotch Mercantile Regatta, 19th March, Yarra River, Melbourne.

Ladies Youth four:- Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz, cox: Simon O’Brien-second in final.(First event for Schoolgirl fours first at this regatta.) 

6. Corio Bay Ladies Regatta, October 22nd, Barwon River, Geelong.

Ladies Senior B pair:-Kate Wise, Tracey Kriz -second in heat.

Ladies Senior B pair:-Marg Elliott, Kathy Hayes-first heat, second in final

7. Artemis Ladies Regatta, November 5th, Barwon River, Geelong. All races 500m!

Ladies Senior B four:-Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz

Ladies Senior B pair:-Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes

Championship Youth pair:-Andrea Kriz, Marg Elliott, first heat, second in final.

8. Dimboola Regatta, November 14th, Wimmera River, Dimboola 

Ladies  Senior B pair:-Kate Wise, Tracey Kriz-first heat, second in semi-final.

Ladies  Senior A four:-Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Tracey Kriz-second in final.

9. Horsham Regatta, November 20th, Wimmera River, Horsham.

Ladies  Senior B pair:-Kate Wise, Tracey Kriz-

Ladies Senior A four:-Kate Wise, Kathy Hayes, Marg Elliott, Tracey Kriz.

10. Upper Yarra Regatta, December 3rd, Yarra River, Melbourne.

Attended but did not compete as only two women’s races on program, Ladies Elite four and Ladies Lightweight four. 

11.Melbourne Regatta, December 10th, Yarra River.Ladies 

Senior B four:-Kate Wise, Jenny Burzacott, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz-Second by 1 length  

12. VLRA Championship Regatta, Albert Park Lake, December 11th.

Ladies Senior B pair:- Andrea Kriz, Kate Wise-first 

Ladies Senior B four:-Kate Wise, Jenny Burzacott, Marg Elliott, Andrea Kriz-first heat

Images from the Begonia City Ladies Senior B pairs, Corio Bay Ladies Regatta, October 22nd,  Barwon River

Back L-R: Marg Elliott, Kathy Hayes, Andrea Kriz, Danny Elliott (coach) Front: Greg Van Gaans (cox), Tracey Kriz.

Back L-R: Marg Elliott, Kathy Hayes, Tracey Kriz, Kate Wise. Front: Greg Van Gaans (cox) and Oscar the Grouch (club mascot).
Photographs from Kate (Wise) Elliott collection.

Cover and competing clubs from VLRA Championship Regatta program, Sunday 28th February 1977. 

Entries for Senior B pairs.

VLRA Championship, Maribyrnong River, Footscray, 28th February.

Top left L-R: Kathy Hayes, Andrea Kriz and Marg Elliott

Top right: Kathy Hayes and Marg Elliott with trophy.

Marg Elliott (bow) and Andrea Kriz (stroke) winning Senior B pairs, VLRA Championships, Maribyrnong River, February 28th, 1977

Marg Elliott and Andrea Kriz finishing second in Champion Junior pairs at Geelong.
Photographs from Kate (Wise) Elliott collection

VLRA Championship Regatta, Albert Park Lake, December 11th, 1977.

Left: Andrea Kriz after presentation for Senior B pair at YWCA Regatta, December 11, 1978. Right: Andrea with girls from Artemis Rowing Club who placed second.

Cover, affiliated clubs and Senior B pair entries for VLRA Championship Regatta. There were nine entries in the event. By the end of 1977 there were 21 women’s clubs affiliated with the VLRA.