History of UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

J.B. Sharp Cup Series

Come experience, show me the way,

Teach me righteousness, fair play!

Show me the place where I should go,

to learn the truth, where friendship glows,

Make me strong, religious, clean,

Obedient, respectful, firm, serene,

Help me make good, so I can plan,

An ideal life, a real true Man.

Of all regattas and races in which Haberfield oarsmen have competed perhaps the best loved and best remembered are the now famous J. B. Sharp winter series. In order to give an outline of the history of the Sharp Cup Regattas since their inception in 1924, it is necessary to look back along the history of rowing on "our" cove for a considerable period further than that date. Rowing has been an established sport on the Iron Cove for nearly three quarters of a century. The first club to be erected was the Balmain Rowing Club which was built at White Horse Point in 1882. Leichhardt Rowing Club followed in 1886 and with the advent of this club there began a series of unofficial challenge races held in week-ends during the winter months. Enterprise Club also featured in these races until the Club was demolished by the gale of September 1917.

Although no definite history is available it appears that rowing continued to thrive by reason of these interclub challenge races until after the first great war. With the advent of Drummoyne and Haberfield Clubs, this unofficial racing assumed much greater proportions and became of such importance as to warrant organisation. As a result the late J. B. Sharp presented the Bay Clubs with a magnificent perpetual trophy which was first raced for and won by Balmain Club in 1924.

The original conditions of the racing were designed to measure the all round strength of the clubs. No premium was placed on senior rowing nor on the comparative numerical strength of each club. So well have these original conditions served throughout the entire history of the regattas that there has been no material alteration since their inception. One change, however, which is of outstanding importance is the introduction in latter years of a Novice Pair-oar race at each Regatta in each season. Excellent trophies each year were donated by Mr. J. B. Sharp and since his death by his estate, and since the winter is essentially the beginner period, this innovation has met with remarkable success.

I think perhaps a Sydney paper under the headline, "House Full, sign made History" caught much of the J. B. Sharp rowing interest, the story began when John Bennett Sharp was crowded out of a Saturday theatre matinee in Melbourne in 1920. He was killing the last few hours of a business trip before catching the train back to Sydney. He was not a turf man, so he decided to have a look at the Australian Henley Regatta.

That afternoon converted him into Australia's number one rowing fan. Amongst the crews he noticed the black and gold colours he had often seen in his home suburb of Balmain. The programme showed to his surprise that they were from his own town. He introduced himself to the oarsman and travelled back to Sydney with them. Within a week he joined the Balmain Club, was elected President the following year. He held that office for 19 years.

Founder of a prosperous furniture manufacturing firm, he was able to help rowing in a practical way. His name always headed the appeals list for funds to send crews interstate. For many years he travelled from State to State to watch the Australian Championships. he was enthusiastic over crew racing but loved sculling. In 1928 he went to Holland to see Bobby Pearce win the Olympic Sculling Title for Australia. He helped to buy the shell which started Pearce's cousin Cecil, 1936 Olympic representative on his big race career.

From 1924 onwards he donated an annual J. B. Sharp Cup for the Balmain, Leichhardt, Drummoyne and Haberfield. Since World War II, Glebe Club has been invited and competed annually.

It was a sad day and a great loss for all when Mr. Sharp aged 74 passed away in April 1943. The following year oarsmen, young and old, who had competed in the Sharp Cup races met and opened a Special Fund. The money raised was used to survey a central rowing course on Iron Cove Bay. The course, a measured 2000 metres with permanent aligning post, is now known as the "J.B. Sharp Memorial Course".

A further sign of the high regard in which this great rowing man was held, was the establishment in the official N.S.W.R.A. season of the now popular J. B. Sharp Memorial Regatta of which former Haberfield men, Milton C. Kent and Harry Gilbert are President and Secretary, respectively.

The results of the J. B. Sharp Cup winter competition since 1924 are as follows;

The J. B. Sharp Memorial Fund was officially opened on 14th April 1945 and in conjunction with this opening, the first J. B. Sharp Memorial Regatta was held. The following table will give some idea of the progress of this regatta in a few short years.

J. B. Sharp Memorial Regatta Results

Novice Fours

Maiden Fours

Senior Eight

Senior 1/4 Mile Sculls

Handicap Sculls

Maiden Eights

Junior Four

Champion Junior Eights of N.S.W.

Lightweight Champion Eights of N.S.W.

Senior Double Sculls

Senior Pair Oar

Lightweight Maiden Fours

Open Fours

Lightweight Open Fours

The Walker and Hall Sculling Cup

Three years after the J. B. Sharp Winter Rowing Series started, the firm of Walker & Hall, donated a fine trophy for perpetual competition to be raced for over a series of five races held in conjunction with the Sharp Regatta.

This handicap sculling event has drawn large fields, the record being twenty three starters at the 1948 Haberfield J. B. Sharp Regatta. The Walker & Hall Cup was first won in 1927 by Bobby Pearce of Sydney Rowing Club, who the following year won the Gold Medal at the 1928 Olympic Games in Holland. 

Results