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History of 1919 Peace Regatta

1955 Interstate Championships

Women's: 2 Apr 1955, Milton Reach Brisbane River QLD
Men's: 7 May 1955, Port River SA

Photos 1955 Interstate Championships Photo Gallery

1955 programme

1955 Programme Cover for the Men's Interstate Championships


Organising Committee & Officials

Organising Committee: F M Errington (Chairman), C Baumann, A A Bottroff, Brian P Bishop, A McKinley, T Fogarty, N M Collins, A R Johnson, James Harvey
Starters: James Lord & Keith B Forwood
Umpires: A A Bottroff & Len T Grummet
Judges: J P Marcus & A J Parham
Timekeepers: Jock Gosse & B C Rennie
Despatch Stewards: N M Collins & H B Lowe
Course Stewards: Richard D Clark, P C Mitchell & A S N Freeman
Clerk of Scales: C Poynter
Liaison Officers: T Fogarty & K McCoy


67th Men's Interstate Eight-Oared Championship–The King's Cup

Time: 15.40.2
Margins: 2 1/2 and 3 lengths

1st WA - Bow: Jack Messer, 2: Don O'Brien, 3: Richard Child, 4: Ken Roberts, 5: Milton Francis, 6: Allan Hall, 7: Don Ross, Str: Robert Semple, Cox: Terry Scook, Emerg: Kelvin Walmsley, Cch: E K (Eddy) Edwards, Mgr: Gordon M Andrews
2nd VIC - Bow: Don Christie, 2: Max F Shaw, 3: John W Dartnell, 4: Warwick O Granowski, 5: Garth O V Manton, 6: W Neville Howell, 7: Adrian C Monger, Str: Brian J Doyle, Cox: Neil Hewitt, Coach: Norman W Cairnes, Emerg: C Brian Dawes, Selectors: Robert R Aitken, Ron March & Coach, Mgr: Stan R Jeffrey
3rd NSW - Bow: William Andrews, 2: Peter M Evatt, 3: James Kenneway, 4: A John Rodgers, 5: Stuart Mackenzie, 6: David Asimus, 7: Geoff Williamson, Str: David R Anderson, Cox: Lionel Robberds, Emergs: Richard Browne & William Rodgers, Cch: Jack A Goulding, Mgr: Eric C S Holford
4th QLD - Bow: J Boyd, 2: N Reddacliff, 3: Brian Dorrough, 4: Fred Jacques, 5: K Preston, 6: A Douglas, 7: Robert (Bob) Barrett, Str: Ray Green, Cox: Ron Smithers, Cch: Harry Green, Emerg: Ron Green, Manager: J Bolster
5th TAS - Bow: L Moy, 2: D Hammond, 3: A Goss, 4: J Fitzgerald, 5: B Fisher, 6: H Wells, 7: R McQuilkin, Str: Nimrod Greenwood, Cox: David Rattray, Emergs: R Stephenson & B Law, Cchs: J Verney & Nimrod Greenwood, Mgr: C B Needham
6th SA - Bow: R Lepley, 2: Graham Coldwell, 3: Doug K Wiles, 4: David Schier, 5: K Harris, 6: W D Fotherington, 7: Ian A Jamieson, Str: J Tassie, Cox: B C Laughton, Emerg: R Simpson, Cch: Taufik (Toff) K Qurban, Mgr: A McKinley

Western Australian Crew

Bow: Jack Messer, 2: Don O'Brien, 3: Richard Child, 4: Ken Roberts, 5: Milton Francis, 6: Allan Hall, 7: Don Ross, Str: Robert Semple, Cox: Terry Scook

In the eights race, Victoria led all the way until a 1/4 mile to go when the Western Australia put on an almighty burst to row through the Victorians and win comfortably. It was great racing by the Western Australian crew.


Men's Interstate Sculling Championship–The President's Cup

Time: 15.55.5
Distance: 2 1/2 miles
Margins: 4 and 1 length

1st NSW - Mervyn T Wood
2nd QLD - Barry Green
3rd WA - Gerry Hubbard
4th TAS - Barry J Foster
5th VIC - Don Dudgeon

In the sculling race, Wood led from the start and won comfortably. The race was amongst the minor placed crews who had a great battle. Hubbard led Green for most of the race but Green rowed through to take second place. The Tasmanian sculler Foster spent some time at Leichhardt Rowing Club (NSW) training with Peter Evatt during the summer bfore this race.


Men's Interstate Pair Oared Championship

Time: 8.03
Margins: 2 1/2, 3 and 3 lengths
Distance: 2000m

1st VIC - Bow: Robert B Duncan, Str: Bruce D Dickson, Cox: Rod Trezise, Cch: Harry R Duncan
2nd NSW - Bow: William Rodgers, Str: Richard Browne, Cox: Lionel Robberds, Cch: Jack Goulding
3rd TAS - Bow: Malcolm Plummer, Str: Max Plummer, Cox: A Westbrook, cchs: A Campbell & J Verney

The coxed pair championship was a race between the specialist Victorian crew and the reserves from the NSW crew. Rodgers in the NSW crew had won this event in previous year. The Victorian led from the start and prevailed by a comfortable margin.


Women's Interstate Four-Oared Championship–The ULVA Trophy

Distance: 3/4 Mile
Time: 4.00.0
Margin: Dead heat followed by 1 1/2 lengths in the re-row.

1st NSW - Bow: Noelene Watson, 2: Margaret Agnew, 3: Hazel Horth, Str: Joan Scard, Cox: Lionel Robberds, Cch: Ray Nicol
2nd VIC - 3: Judy Potter
3rd QLD
- Bow: V Ward, 2: J Pearman, 3: V Wright, Str: C Sexton, Cox & Cch: Mr Robert G Longmore

New South Wales Crew

Bow: Noelene Watson, 2: Margaret Agnew, 3: Hazel Horth, Str: Joan Scard, Cox: Lionel Robberds

Two sensational races comprised the 1955 event. In the first race there was a dead heat between NSW and Victoria which was not well received by the crowd. NSW started well but were pegged back by Victoria. The crews were never separated by more than half a length throughout the race. Then in the last 100 yards, there was a great struggle resulting in a dead heat. The Queensland crew was not of the same standard of the other two crews. The NSW crew requested a re-row as they regarded themselves as fitter than the Victorians and one of the Victorians had collapsed after the first race. The crews met again for a re row the next day. In the re row, Victoria sprung a gate shortly after the start and was thereafter never in the race.


Sources

  • Regatta program
  • Victorian Rowing association annual report
  • Author's records
 

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