History of UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Interstate and Overseas Rowing

The first interstate race in which Haberfield Rowing Club took part was on 26th October, 1929 when Mr. Jack Scott won the Yarra Challenge Cup and Silver Sculls at the Melbourne Henley Regatta. Since that first interstate win nearly twenty years ago, the pages of Haberfield Rowing Club have been dotted with the attempts sometimes successful, sometimes thwarted of Haberfield crews and oarsmen to win honours in every State of Australia and New Zealand.

Eights, fours, pairs and singles nearly every type of crew has joined in the procession. And too, the rowers of this Club has come, during the years of these efforts, success at one time or another in nearly every classic event of Australian amateur rowing.

The Yarra Challenge Cup first races for in 1904 had already drawn entries on the part of hopeful N.S.W. scullers in several separate years with only Alma Cox, Balmain 1913, and Bobby Pearce, Sydney, 1927 proving winners when Jack Scott Jnr. went over in 1929. Trained long and faithfully by his father, Jack won a notable and clean-cut victory. His time of 6 mins. 41 secs. had been bettered on few occasions. Scott by giving Haberfield Club its first interstate win began an uninterrupted series of wins for N.S.W. up to the Second World War.

Jack met H. Ricketts (Sydney) and C. Peppler (Yarra Club) in the first heat which he won by six lengths. J. C. Hardy of Footscray City Club was his rival in the final, in which he proved too fast for the Victorian by some three lengths. In the same year, J. Scott raced with success against the giant New Zealand sculler A. K. G. Jackson of the Wanganui Club on his Australian tour.

1930 saw a great year and a magnificent performance on Scott's part, when on 5th May he won the Australian Champion Sculls. From the start of the sculling title which was raced over two and a half miles, Scott, Haberfield N.S.W. gained a slight lead, after which he led all the way. The early order of the others, was Jelbart, Victoria, Buckley, Queensland, and Beauchamp, Tasmania. Scott steadied from 32 to 27, later decreasing to 22. He gradually increased his lead near the finish and lad by ten or more lengths when the gun went. Beauchamp was a similar distance behind Buckley of Queensland who finished second. Jack's time 15 mins. 56 secs. was a new Australian record.

Next to give notice that Haberfield had produced another great sculler was Herb Turner who in 1932 in Melbourne won for Haberfield and N.S.W. the Australian Championship from Richardson, Queensland, R Beauchamp, Tasmania and Peppler, Victoria. Turner's next interstate race was again in Melbourne. Just before the final of the Silver Sculls, Turner rowing to the start saw a boy fall from a bridge into the river. The boy was immediately in difficulties. Turner dived from the skiff, rescued the boy, and re-entered the boat and rowed the race to win the cup. Turner met Jack Goulding (Sydney) in the final. Goulding was faster off the mark, and soon gained a lead of a length, which he retained to the houseboats. When both scullers were slightly interferred with by an eight oared crew going up to the starting line, Goulding was too far over but Turner, spurting soon got out of the way, and won one of the best sculling races seen on the river by half a length in record time. Turner's time 5 mins. 27 secs. was one second better than that of the Olympic Champion Bobby Pearce when he won in 1927.

Turner repeated his win the following year when at Brisbane he won the Australian Title, for the second year. He smashed the record to win by twenty lengths from R. Beauchamp, Tasmania and G. Boreham, Queensland, time 14 mins. 32 secs. more than 30 seconds faster than Scott's previous Australian record.

The Club's first King's Cup representative was G. Walker who in 1932 was chosen as emergency to the Mosman crew which represented N.S.W. in Victoria that year.

1933 was a notable year in other respects for Haberfield Club for it saw two members gain selection in the N.S.W. crew. Namely Stan McGilvray and Ted Howlett. New South Wales won the King's Cup from Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, time for the three miles on the Brisbane River, 14 mins. 30 secs.

On 11th May 1936, on the Nepean River, the N.S.W. crew after a great race with a light, but high rating, Western Australian Crew won the King's Cup for the fourth time in a row, South Australia was third, then came Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. Haberfield Representative, Stam McGilvray rowed in the two seat while the 1936 Club Captain Ted Firth was the emergency. The following year this time in Perth, Western Australia, N.S.W. repeated with another great win on the Swan River. Stan McGilvray was again with the crew, to set the record of three Australian Championship wins which still stands as the Club record.

26th November, 1938, Haberfield Senior Eight then undefeated in Senior Rowing in N.S.W. raced for the famous Grand Challenge Cup at Henley, a fine heat win over Footscray City, brought them to the final against Mercantile Club, Melbourne, although giving away nearly a stone a man, Dr. Parkes splendidly conditioned crew fought in a fashion traditional of the event to be beaten by one third of a length and this only after the blades of the two crews had clashed near the finish of the race and Haberfield had lost ground in getting clear. The race had attracted a tremendous amount of interest and was watched by nearly one hundred thousand people. Mercantile's winning time of 4 mins. 44 secs. was only seven seconds slower than that taken by the great London Rowing Club crew of 1934. Our Haberfield crew was J. Eddie (bow), G. Harrison (2), B. Williams (3), O. Ruffels (4), D. Marks (5), M. Ruffels (6), A. Eddies (7), L. Robinson (stroke), R. Schneider (cox), Dr. J. A. Parkes (Coach).

1939 King's Cup crew saw Haberfield gain its greatest representative honours six crew members, cox, coach and emergency gaining state representative honours for the first time, while the other two members of that crew both well known to Haberfield Oarsmen, were Merv Wood Olympic Sculler, and Tom Brennan who nearly ten years later won fame as a member of the Haberfield crew which won the King's Cup.

In December 1939, a New South Wales Crew was chosen to visit New Zealand stroke Lance Robinson was in the key seat of this crew, while Kevyn Webb was the Sculler, Bill Taylor emergency, the eight won the Senior Eights at Hamilton, dropped the Eights at Auckland and Wanganui to come again at Wellington to win the New Zealand Championship, said one New Zealand paper, "Rowing in beautiful rhythmic style throughout the 2000 metres course the N.S.W. oarsmen gave their supporters few anxious moments and completely rehabilitated themselves in New Zealand eyes. 'They rowed a great race' "were words on everybody's lips at the finish.

The eights race itself was one of those rare athletic contests with an international flavour that go down in rowing history as epics. All crews got away to a splendid start, but N.S.W. rowing a smart 33 to the minute were first to gain an advantage, being followed by Aramoho. The lead alternated between these two with Union, Port Chalmers and Petone following in that order. With a mile to go, N.S.W. rowing their finest race of the tour and Aramoho, rowing possibly their greatest eight oar race, indulged in a series of spurts and counter spurts and it was apparent that unless Union had something extra in store one of these two would win, but with a few hundred yards to go, N.S.W. raised a great spurt, went on to win well by about half a length with clear water to Union. Thus Lance Robinson became the first Haberfield Club oarsman to win an International Championship.

Kevyn Webb then 16 years of age and the youngest ever to represent Australian rowing abroad, rowed many fine races against New Zealand and Olympic Representative and six times National Champion Bob Smith, said the Hamilton Times after the Senior Sculls "A young sculler of whom much is expected, Kev Webb of Haberfield Club N.S.W. endorsed the fine reputation with which he came to New Zealand by filling second place to R. B. Smith Auckland and New Zealand Champion. In the single Sculls the 16 year old Australian youth rowed with fine judgement and with beautiful style to beat all but the imperturbable Smith."

While in the Wanganui Championship, the following description is from the Wellington "Star". "The appearance of K. Webb N.S.W. and R. Smith New Zealand Champion in the champion single sculls added interest to that race. In a great fight which was mainly between Webb and Smith the nine men entered gave their best. Webb seemed to have an advantage soon after the start and he held this most of the way rowing smoothly and well, but when Smith challenged, he managed to get ahead. Webb, sculling prettily clapped on the pace over the last quarter of a mile and in a hard finish with Tris Hegglun all Black Rugby International, secured second place by a margin of a half a length."

Haberfield's next interstate start was in the 1940-41 Victorian Sculling Championship, from the "Sporting Globe" New South Wales, unbeaten on the Yarra since 1929, upheld their record today when 17 year old Kevyn Webb, Haberfield won the Victorian 2000 metres Championship on the Yarra from four Victorians. Jim Barton former Australian Champion sent the field away in a good line. 

Webb stroking at a terrifically high rate, led the field, followed by Ron Williams also rating high, Rawlins and Brady. Adapting himself splendidly to the fast conditions, the Haberfield lad had a clear length lead after 50 yards and had added another length at the quarter mile. Webb's easy effortless strokes contracted to those of Rawlins, who appeared to be labouring considerably. Rawlins, however, was sculling a good length and set off after the leader who was sculling at least four strokes a minute faster.

At the half-mile the position of the two leaders had not changed. Williams was four lengths behind Rawlins and Brady a similar distance further back. Approaching then mile peg, Rawlins made a determined effort and reduced the lead slightly but it was evident that the N.S.W. boy had the race in his keeping and he increased the lead again to two lengths. Rawlins challenged repeatedly, but Webb always had his measure and maintained a two length advantage, which he could have increased at will. The official result, K. Webb, Haberfield 1, R. Rawlins, Melbourne 2, and R. Williams, Richmond 3. Time 7 mins. 20 secs.

A week after over the Henley course Jack Eddie and K. Webb raced in the Upper Yarra Regatta, the race was won by Webb. Haberfield did not race against interstate crews until the end of the year.

In 1946, the King's Cup race was again held at Penrith N.S.W., was represented by the entire Haberfield crew which a few weeks earlier had won the State Champion Eights. V. Aitken rowed bow, F. Smith (2), C. Cogle (3), K. Vale (4), M. Ruffels (6), O. Ruffels (7), L. Robinson (Str.), Ted Healey (cox), Dr. R. A. Parkes (coach). Ideal weather conditions prevailed, all five crews got away together at the gun. Two hundred yards from the start N.S.W. had the nose of their shell in front of Victoria. At the half mile Victoria took the lead and the crews began to string out. Victoria untroubled and stroked beautifully by Wal Lambert won by a length and three quarters in front of New South Wales with Western Australia six lengths away in third place.

In November of the same year Haberfield with a Senior, Junior and Maiden Eight invaded the Australian Henley with more than thirty members of the club making the trip to Melbourne. Brilliantly steered by coxswain Ted Healey when the fin dropped off his boat enabled Haberfield to win the Grand Challenge eights at the Australian Henley. The fin dropped off in the last quarter of the first heat when Haberfield beat Mercantile. The crew J. Eddie (bow), F. Smith (2), O. Ruffels (3), W. Winkworth (4), E. Eder (5). C. Cogle (6), A Eddie (7), L. Robinson (Str.), E Healey (cox), Dr R. A. Parkes (coach) had an all the way win in the final. Haberfield was first away at the start, and led at the bridge by three quarters of a length. Rowing with great dash and a powerful stroke, while covering plenty of water, Haberfield stalled off repeated challenges from Footscray and passed the finishing line a good half a length in front of Footscray City. In the Junior Eights, Haberfield finished third in the final, the Maiden Eight was beaten by two feet in its heat while K. Webb finished second to Ron Rawlins in the sculls final.

The 1947 King's Cup crew when announced by N.S.W. sole selector contained the names of seven Haberfield men namely, Colin Cogle (4), Kevyn Webb (6), Owen Ruffels (7), Lance Robinson (Str.), Ted Healey (cox), Dr. R. A. Parkes (coach), Alex Eddie (emergency). This crew again finished second to Victoria in the Australian Championships rowed in Perth, Western Australia.

In December 1947, a Haberfield crew with Bruce Goswell rowing bow (Bruce was then a member of North Shore Club), K. Webb (2), O. Ruffels (3), L, Robinson (Str.), Ted Healey (cox) Dr, R. A. Parkes (coach) won the N.S.W. Olympic Four Oared Test Race. A week later Webb was forced to withdraw with injury and his place was taken by Alex Eddie. On the third January 1948 at Ballarat the crew raced on the Olympic Test Regatta. Victoria defeated N.S.W. by half a length and earned the right to represent Australia at the London Olympics. Practically every yard of the 1850 metre course the two crews raced together, It was a tribute to their coaches that neither crew cracked at any stage of the journey. After the race Owen Ruffels of Haberfield was chosen as a member of the Olympic team. Later because of lack of funds the Olympic Federation caused Ruffels to withdraw from the team. 

Haberfield R. Hore (bow), W. Chapman (2), K. Gee (3), D. Malligan (Str.) B. Wallace (cox), K. Webb (coach) won their heat of the 1947 Stewards Challenge Cup at Henley, only to be defeated in the final by our old Victorian rivals, Footscray City.

The year 1948 saw a classic rowing victory for Haberfield, the entire Club crew, W. Shepherd (bow), D. Malligan (2), K. Gee (3), W. Winkworth (4), E. Eder (5), T. Brennan (6), A. Eddie (7), J. Eddie (str.) Ted Healey (cox), Dr. J. A. Parkes (coach), O. Ruffels (emergency), after winning the State Champion Eights and a special test race against a Sydney composite crew, were chosen and represented N.S.W. in the King's cup race held in Hobart, Tasmania. Stroking brilliantly from start to finish N.S.W. won the blue ribbon event of Australian Rowing when it beat Western Australia by one and half lengths. N.S.W. and W.A. went to the front early and for half the distance fought it out blade for blade. Every time W.A. rating 38 challenged, N.S.W. held them rating about 32 and clearing six feet. The light blue crew finished with a great burst to win by one and half lengths, the time being 14 mins 50 3/5 secs. It was the first Club crew to win the great race since the famous Mosman eight won in 1929. 

In November 1948 at the Australian Henley, Kevyn Webb won the Silver Sculls title by six lengths from J. Williams, Mercantile 2nd and A. Welch, Richmond 3rd. A week later in Sydney the New Zealand Champion Eight and Sculler had their first race of the Australian tour at the Haberfield Regatta. In the Senior Eights a strong north-easter caused very choppy water on the Iron Cove course. Approaching Iron Cove Bridge New Zealand and Haberfield were level. Haberfield sprinted under the bridge and caught Aramoho by surprise. The local crew using a long powerful stroke retained the Bernie Williams Cup which trophy the club has held since 1938.

The sculling race proved to be a remarkable one, New Zealand Champion Joe Schnieder snatched victory from Kevyn Webb, when 10 yards from the finish Webb caught a backwash fell from his boat. The Haberfield Sculler was a length clear and looked a certain winner. Webb, lying across his shell was placed second. a canvas behind Schneider.

The next Saturday at Sydney Regatta on the Parramatta River, Webb's luck changed and he had an easy win in the Senior 2000 metre sculls after Schnieder who finished second and Olympic Champion Merv Wood had clashed about 400 yards from the finish. The eights luck however, was out when about the half-way mark Jack Eddie's swivel broke and the crew forced to retire, New Zealand going onto an easy win. 

The final regatta of the New Zealand tour of Australia they raced in several events at the Metropolitan Regatta. After a wonderful race New Zealand who did not get to the front until the last 500 yards rowed away to win by half a length from Haberfield with Melbourne third. New Zealand Champion and later Empire Games representatives Joe Schnieder and Des Simondson beat Webb and Cannon in the double sculls while in the N.S.W. 2000 metre Champion Sculls M. Wood won by one length from Schneider with Webb two feet away, third. The Haberfield sculler, however, won the quarter mile dash by one length from Schneider with Rawlins of Melbourne, third.

In 1949, Haberfield beat its previous record entry for Henley with Senior Four, Junior Fours (2 crews), Maiden Eight and Lightweight Maiden Eight. Only the Senior Four reached the final. Haberfield, Ken Gee (bow), Bill Winkworth (2), Erwin Eder (3), Les Mongomery (Stroke), Kevin Fos (cox), Jack Eddie (coach) was too strong for Mercantile in the heat and Melbourne in the final. It won convincingly on each occasion. The above crew became the first Haberfield crew to win the Stewards Challenge Cup. A week later they raced at Ballarat in the Empire Games test regatta.

At this regatta Haberfield defeated the "Guinea Pig" crew of Leichhardt in the final. Banks-Preston led off the mark, but later they settled down, the order was Mercantile, Banks, Haberfield and Leichhardt. At half way Haberfield had taken charge. With about a quarter mile to go, Haberfield still led. Then Leichhardt opened up a burst and stroke by stroke began closing the gap. Haberfield, however, waited. It allowed the lead to be reduced to about a canvas, and when the sting had been extracted from Leichhardt's challenge it went away again in a last furlong burst to win going away by just over a half length.

The Australian Empire Games team for the 1950 Auckland celebration thus contained seven Haberfield members, namely, Les Montgomery, Erwin Eder, Bill Winkworth, Ken Gee, Kevin Fox, Jack Eddie and Kevyn Webb. Jack Beresford had this to say about the coxed fours rowed on Karapiro on 6th February 1950. "The New Zealand crew was inspired in their race against Australia (Haberfield) by the presence of the Governor-General and the Prime Minister following in a launch, and a tremendous race it was. At the start Australia jumped into the lead but at 500 metres the All Blacks were still only four feet ahead, but from here on good honest shoving put their boat gradually ahead and the verdict was finally one and a half lengths. The cheering that went up could be heard all over the North Island."

K. Webb won the 400 metre invitational sculls at the Games while one week earlier he had won the sculls at the Hamilton Regatta.

The individual records of our interstate representatives are as follows:-

z = runner up * = won

Kevyn Webb 24

Jack Eddie 12

Erwin Eder 10

Dr. J. A. Parkes 10

Lance Robinson 10

Alex Eddie 9

Ken Gee 8

William Winkworth 8

Kevin Fox (cox) 7

Leslie Montgomery 7

Owen Ruffels 7

Edward Healey (cox) 6

Doug Malligan 6

William Shepherd 4

Harold Brown 3

Norm Cannon 3

Colin Cogle 3

Stan McGilvray 3

Malcolm Ruffels 3

Herb Turner 3

Bruce Wallace (cox) 3

William Chapman 2

Bruce Close 2

Alan Green 2

George Harrison 2

Ray Hore 2

Alan Lowndes 2

Robert McKinnon 2

Dave Marks 2

John Morris (cox) 2

Ray Scheider (cox) 2

Jack Scott 2

Frank Smith 2

Bruce Williams 2

John Bennetts 1

Doug Bowden (cox) 1

Ron Brown 1

Fred Campbell 1

Ken Collier 1

William Collins 1

Neville Cooper (cox) 1

Arthur Dalrymple 1

Alwyn Druce 1

Eric Everitt (cox) 1

Bill Farrell 1

Peter Fletcher 1

Harry Gilbert 1

Ken Halpin 1

Les Heming 1

Ralph Holman 1

Les Howell 1

Edward Howlett 1

Peter Jackson 1

Robert Jones 1

Robert Jones 1

Peter Laycock (cox) 1

Bill Litchfield 1

Alan Lockley 1

Ron McGaw 1

Dave McLeod (cox) 1

Peter Malcom 1

Victor Mossong 1

Keith Ryan 1

Clive Shaw 1

Richard Sims 1

Brian Starke 1

John Smallwood (cox) 1

Robert Stalker 1

William Taylor 1

Norman Thomas 1

Thomas Tressider 1

Alan Walker 1

Cliff Williams 1

In addition to these names, Bill Taylor visited New Zealand with the N.S.W. crew in 1940 but did not race at any regatta. K. Webb and G Clubb were entered in the New Zealand Champion Double Sculls but did not start, not did K. Webb and J. Eddie race, who in January 1941 were entered in the Senior Pairs at Lake Albert Regatta Melbourne Vic. While in 1947 at Henley Victoria, a Haberfield crew of Norm Cannon (bow), Ron Pringle (2), John Roney 93), Cliff William (stroke), Tom Tressider (cox) and Harry Gilbert (coach) were entered in the Maiden Fours, but due to a mishap to their boat this crew did not start.

Thus Haberfield Club has been represented in the following regattas:-

• Hamilton N.Z. 
• Auckland N.Z.
• Wanganui N.Z.
• New Zealand Championships, Wellington
• Upper Yarra Vic.
• Victorian Champion Sculls and Pairs
• Australian Henley 
• Lake Colac
• Ballarat
• King's Cup Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales
• Palestine.