History of Williamstown Rowing Club
Whilst this is not a full history of the club, it is the best that we have of this little known club which commenced pre 1883 and disbanded pre 1914. It is possible that this club became, or was also known as, the Harbour Trust Rowing Club. Both clubs disbanded pre 1914 and both were situated in the same district. Further, one of the Williamstown Rowing Club members in their 1887 eight won a junior four race for Harbour Trust Rowing Club at the Melbourne Regatta in 1886, namely A Redding. The trophy says senior four but the records show that it was a junior four win. Redding was a member of the senior eight for Williamstown in the period 1886-88 inclusive.
Redding's 1886 Melbourne Regatta Junior Four Trophy
This account was written by club member W George Ogden and published in the Williamstown Chronicle on 16th May 1941. Ogden was the stroke of the Williamstown crews during this successful period and obviously a champion oarsman. He is prone to some exaggeration at times which given his age at the time of writing and the time elapsed from the events discussed, is understandable.
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Veteran Describes Early Williamstown Rowing Club
To. the Editor.
Sir,-I am forwarding to you a truthful and correct account of the rowing as conducted under the colors of the Williamstown Rowing Club in the early days.
My close association dates back to the evening of the 5th September, 1883. The boathouse was situated at the foot of Mariner street, North Williamstown. Seventeen young men, all workers, were waited upon and invited to attend the annual meeting which took place in the Mechanics Institute on the date stated above. George J Goble, J.P., mayor, occupied the chair and 60 sat down to hear Mr J. H. Silke read out the report and balance-sheet for the past season, 1882-83. A very agreeable surprise was in store for the visitors who attended. I was told by the captain, Mr J. Moore, that if we paid a deposit of 10/- each down two of our number would be allowed to nominate for the seats on the committee. All of my mates at once urged me to accept, and W. Witham also went into the ballot. I was elected top of the poll on account of receiving a compassionate vote from a large number of old members and our 17 votes all told being given solidly for me. Mr Witham was not elected on the occasion, but later on gained distinction as an oarsman.
I was 20 years of age the 21st of the following month, October. I was born in 1863. Now I will at once go into details on the rowing distinction of wonderful young oarsmen rising from 19 up to 29 years of age, to give honor to the men who preceded the new arrivals. It is a duty I must carry out to allow the people of Williamstown to know who gave signal service to the name of the club prior to my admission - the Holten family, Fowler's, Jackson's, Blackett's, White's, Wood's along with single names as I will give showing clearly how pure the sport was con-ducted - Messrs R. Hutton, W. McLean, T. O'Brien, W. Ross, J. Kilgour, D. McLeod, V. Parker, Wm. Mathews, T. Owens, T. Bell, W.M. Jones, D. Grimwood, R. Mullens, G. Moss, T. Lonsdale, W. Hayes, C. Lindsey, A. Aitken, J. Garnsworthy, H. Cook, W. Senior won praise for loyalty and devotion, but the people Iiving at present in the seaport city want to hear of our past achievements.
The club was founded many years back and ran about seventh in order of seniority. The Melbourne University comes first, Richmond second, Ballarat third. Yarra clubs follow of course. No club has been formed since the auction sale years ago on the Strand after the collapse of the finest eight-oared crew, known in Victoria as the invincible Williamstown challenge eight. The Melbourne, Corio Bay, Yarra Yarra and Footscray held pride of place from 1878. Up until 1884 on the 2-mile championship course for challenge eight-oared races the starting point was from Stony Creek to the bridge at Footscray, near the junction of the Saltwater and river Yarra.
December, 1884, was the afternoon on the 22nd that Victorian senior oarsmen got a sensation. Eight working men from the. Williamstown club entered for the open challenge eights. Melbourne were considered a certainty. by showing their easy victory at 2 p.m. in the race for bona-fide amateurs champion class. At 4.15 p.m the light blue from Williamstown faced the starter to contest the two miles £40 prize, open to the workers, middle class and the rich. The race was never in doubt for Williamstown led and won in very fast time. It was the first time in the history of the club a champion eight was won, and Mr Alfred Fowler, our coach, got a wonderful reception, and the flags of the rowing club were unfurled for one week. The honorable A. T. Clarke, our M.L.A. and president, took the chair at our banquet table, medals and trophies won in 1883-84 season. As a guide I will give a calendar of dates. No second prize was given in my days.
Colac Regatta, 8th December, 1883: Maiden eights-Williamstown, second, rowed 1.30 p.m., prize £30. Junior, eights---Willlamstown, first, rowed 3 p.m. prize £35.
Richmond Regatta, December 15, rowed 1883, Upper Yarra--Clinker four-oared race, won two heats, beaten in the final by Yarra Yarra club.
Melbourne Regatta, December 22, 1883 -Won junior eight, defeated in maiden eights.
Year 1884:- Won senior eight at Ballarat regatta, February; won junior four same day, both rowed in best boats on Lake Wendouree (prize, £5 senior eight, £4 junior eight each oarsman); won championship four, Albert Park Lake, in March after being defeated at Colac, Ballarat, Geelong and Yarra.
Somers Cup of £50; Won 1886 by Williamstown, won 1887: by Williams-town, won 1888 (walk-over). Rowed on Barwon River.
Astonished all Victorian oarsmen on the Barwon River by rowing two dead heats in the challenge eights, and it was a world's record. To see the Williamstown and Ballarat City row stroke for stroke in a third contest the judge was amazed, and in fear to within 10 feet that a third dead heat would result. He was saved on account of No. 6 calling to stop rowing, and to our sorrow the judge gave a one-foot victory on the post to Ballarat City, eight-oared crew. This gave Williamstown and Ballarat City a name that will last for all time. This was rowed in March.
I will now deal with the Somers Cup proceedings. Two well-known and reputed citizens of Geelong who conducted the Victoria Hotel, Malop-street, named Somers, decided in year 1886 to, give a rich prize, for senior eight-oared race at Barwon River, to be called the Somers Cup, for all Victorian amateurs to compete in a challenge eight, and as about 25 clubs were eligible at this period great interest was taken all over the colony as we were then known. The donors were actuated by a friendly feeling towards coming worthy champions of the following clubs; Melbourne Rowing Club; Corio Bay, Yarra Yarra, Wendouree, Ballarat City, Ballarat, Albert Park and Williamstown. Our club had won the challenge four and rowed the two dead-heats in 1885, the former on the Albert Park Lake and the latter on the Barwon, and the year previous we won the senior eight at Ballarat and the champion eight at Melbourne. The Corio Bay were also doing well, having won at Lake Colac. Needless to say intense interest was taken in the regatta at Geelong in March, 1886. Our crew were in full form and doing, fast time. I was rowing as stroke, 38 to the minute, and the Corio Bay were all at work under Charles Brownlaw on the bay at Geelong. The cup was on view, and it was fully worth £50.
Amidst great cheering on regatta day Williamstown won all heats and the final, and brought the cup home and placed it into the vaults of the Commercial Bank for safety. This cup had to be won three times before final possession was secured, not necessarily in succession, so in the year 1887 our eight went down, and won once again, making it two victories in succession. Again we took charge of the cup until March, 1888. Now great events arose in the year 1887. Our eight won the challenge eight at Melbourne regatta, and as it was Her Most Gracious Majesty's jubilee-Queen Victoria being on the throne-events rose to the heights. The mayor of the City of Adelaide, who made a fortune in the breweries of South Australia, came to Government House on the North Terrace, and asked if His Excellency, Sir W. C. F. Robinson, the Governor, would allow him an interview in accordance with a letter received from the private secretary. Three p.m. was named. Of course it would be a pleasure to see the Hon. E. T. Smith, M.L.A., as mayor of the City of Adelaide. No time was lost, and the mayor expressed a desire to offer £100, gold medals, for an Australian contest, 3 miles, for all Australian oarsmen under the amateur rules. A race would take place on the Port Adelaide River in best eights, and 19th November was suggested as a most suitable time after surveying the river and the calendar to tides. The Governor was delighted, especially so on account of being patron of the South Australian Rowing Association. The Press all over Australia were given the news, and rowing clubs felt it a very high honor to accept this handsome invitation, especially to have such rich gold medals if successful. Fully two months was available for preparation, and the news was. out in our Victorian newspapers within 24 hours of a final decision from the kind donor.
Our eight in Williamstown were undefeated in 1886-87 in eights challenge class. In addition we won the senior four at Geelong in 1886 and Colac in 1887. The people of Williamstown acclaimed us as a champion crew of all times, and our president, the Hon. A. T. Clark, and our senior vice-president agreed on a meeting to start a fund of £150 to send the best men rowing in Victoria to try and win this wonderful race of 3 miles. We sent a message. to the "Herald," and Mr Winter ordered J. Lillington, the Williamstown town reporter, to get all news from our club and attend the meetings, not forgetting to write up our past rowing history. Once a start was made money came in freely. The Carlton Football Club, who were premiers in 1887, decided to help us, Tommy Leydon being captain. This step was taken on consideration of Gilbert Currie being number four in our champion eight-oared crew, having been one of Carlton's best followers for many years.
Mr Leydon arranged for his premier team to play Footscray and Williamstown combined match the local cricket ground, and the Carlton Football Club assured our full list of players that a first-class team would appear to meet the best from Williamstown and Footscray. The day duly arrived, and a wonderful financial success was the result. It is very gratifying to me approaching my 78th year to recall those happy days, never to return again. The Moore and Edwards troubadors, who appeared every Wednesday in the Mechanics' Institute, Electra-street offered to give a bene fit to the fund. It was an unexpected pleasure to hear of this offer, which was gratefully, accepted by all the, people on the committee attending to our finances. In the end £20 came in by post from Mr. Moore and Alfred Edwards who ruled the weekly concert. How, proud all the people of Williamstown felt when a cheque for £150 was placed in the bank, and our trusted manager, Mr. J. H. Silke, was informed of the fact that he could operate at once and see to our champion Williamstown eight's departure. We left Melbourne the afternoon following the Prince of Wales birthday, which was 10th November, a Thursday, and at 11 a.m. Friday we landed at Adelaide.
It is wise of me to now speak of our crew, coach and coxswain. I will name each oarsman and his position in the boat for the interest of readers: Bow, H. Currie; , No. 2, A. Redding; No. 3, R. Patterson; No. 4, G: Currie; No. 5, T. Bell; No. .6, W; Geirck; No. 7, M. Hackett; stroke, W. G. Ogden; coxswain, B. Edwards; coach, W. Snadden; emergency, H. Bradley.
This crew were never beaten, and at Adelaide on the 19th November, 1887, won the championship of Australia, 3 miles, on the, Port Adelaide River by 14 lengths, and astonished every man who followed rowing. The universal opinion prevailed that this crew could have defeated any crew in the world.
Now it is my duty to come along to the year 1888 to the third race for the Somers Cup at Geelong. To our surprise no crew would oppose us; all clubs felt we were invincible. We were allowed to bring the cup home once again, but it was to be brought to Geelong seven clear days prior to the 1889 regatta. I saw to all those demands being carried out, and in a couple of weeks following the 1888 Melbourne regatta was being arranged, and as the inter-colonial eight-oared race was being rowed in May on the Yarra, Mr Upward, the coach, decided to get together a strong Melbourne eight-oared crew to meet the Williamstown in the challenge eight-oared at this regatta. It was no use meeting Williamstown was the statement on all rowing men's minds, so Mr G. E. Upward took it upon himself to enter for the race, and as expected out of all the clubs in Victoria only Williamstown and Melbourne entered. The Geelong refused; also the three Ballarat crews. People said it was a shame to crush a first-class eight in this manner. Mr Upward said to me he was confident at the mile, he would be able to defeat Williamstown on the Albert 'Park Lake. However, the day came. and a lovely new boat was secured for the Melbourne crew. R. Booth was stroke. and W. G. Ogden was stroke of the Williamstown championship eight. Thousands came to see the race from all parts. Four p.m. was the time of starting. At word off Melbourne and Williamstown touched the water together, but it was seen the new boat was assisting Melbourne. They led at the quarter-mile, half-mile and three-quarter-mile post. We were catching them, and 350 yards from the judge we had to row up to 40 to 42. We passed them to win the hardest race ever rowed in our rowing days by two lengths. Both crews were exhausted. This settled our future rowing, no club would row, against us in Victoria. -Yours,
W. GEO. OGDEN.
Extracted by Andrew Guerin
December 2024
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