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Edward R Ainley

Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (VIC)

Edward Ainley died young in 1907 whilst the President of Yarra Yarra Rowing Club. His obituary in the Annual Report of the Victorian Rowing Association noted that he had done much to advance the sport through his skill as both a sculler and oarsman. An excellent oarsman and administrator of the sport, much respected and revered by the Victorian rowing community.

An obituary in The Argus noted that he was one of the best known of Victorian oarsmen and was in his day, the best amateur sculler in Victoria.

At Yarra Yarra Rowing Club, he served as Captain from 1887/88 to 1893/94, Vice President 1897/98 to 1898/99 and President 1899/90 until he passed away on 13/10/1907.

He was Yarra’s first Victorian Rowing Hall of Fame member.

Given that Yarra Yarra was so successful in this period winning its first Victorian Premiership Pennant in 1891, and subsequently did not have a Victorian representative from 1896-1961, he is much revered.

1885 - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship bow - Second
1886 - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship bow - First
1887 - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship bow - First
1887-94 - Captain Yarra Yarra Rowing Club
1888 - Victorian Champion Scull - Second
1888 April - Intercolonial Men's Eight Championship two seat - First
1889 - Victorian Champion Scull - Third
1889-1907 - President of Yarra Yarra Rowing Club
1890 - Victorian Champion Scull - First
1890-1-2-3 - Victorian Champion Four stroke - First
1891 - Victorian Champion Scull - Second
1891-2-3 - Victorian Championship Eight stroke - First
1892 - Victorian Champion Scull - Fourth
1893 - Victorian Champion Scull - Second
1894 - Victorian Champion Scull - Sixth
1903 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector - First
1904 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector - First
1905 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector - First
1906 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector - Second

1890 Victorian Champion Four from Yarra Yarra
Left to right: J Yeomans (2), V G Petherick (cox), Edward R Ainley (stroke), Alex Chamley (3), Charles W Horsburgh (bow)

Andrew Guerin 2015, updated October 2020 with additional results sourced by Steve Roll

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The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
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