Erwin Eder

Haberfield Rowing Club (NSW)

The following profile was written by Kevyn Webb in 1950 and includes Erwin's own words.

Erwin, at 22 years of age has won the King's Cup, Australian Champion Eights, Grand Challenge and Stewards Cups at the Australian Henley and the Empire Games Test, making him as the youngest, and one of the most successful in the Club's history. His story, as he told it to me is as follows: -

"I was born at Petersham, Sydney on 14th November, 1927. For years I was one of Shore's staunchest supporters when the Head of the River came around and it was then that love of rowing was planted.

"Even in those days I think my mother used to hope that rowing would attract me as a sport. In 1940 I entered Fort Street Boys' High School and passed the Leaving Certificate there in 1944, and during that period represented the school firstly in the Seconds and then in the First Grade Football team, Third Grade Cricket and was reserve for the mile at the C.H.S. Athletic Carnival.

"Early in 1940 my family and I witnesses a regatta held on the Hawthorne Canal. We barracked for Haberfield and on that day I made up my mind that some day later on I would participate in such regattas. In September, 1943, therefore, I joined Haberfield Rowing Club, and which was only a half a mile from home. I was overawed by such great club oarsmen as Owen Ruffels, Lance Robinson, Vic Aitken, Kevyn Webb, Jack Eddie, Alex Eddie, Malcolm Ruffels and possibly the greatest of all, my late friend and coach, Dr. J. A. Parkes, whose reputation as a great coach was widely known, and who was mentor, coach and physician to many of the boys. He stood for "Play the Game" in rowing.

"The first crew that I raced in was a Lightweight Maiden Four at the Anniversary Regatta in 1944 in which we were unplaced. Then followed a succession of seconds in this class of race until the J. B. Sharp Regatta on the Balmain course in which I rowed 3 in a Maiden Eight to record my first win. At the J.B. Sharp Drummoyne Regatta I entered four races to record two firsts, one second and one third in the Lightweight Maiden Fours, Maiden Fours, Junior Fours and Maiden Eights.

" The first great thrill was at Leichhardt Regatta of the 1945-46 season when Vic Aitken, bow man of the Senior Eight was late arriving, and I was asked to row bow. We won the race and I was in a dream for days.

"It was about this time I first joined forces with Bill Winkworth when we both were members of a Maiden Eight, and from then on he has been a members of every winning crew that I have raced in, except two pair-oared races in Victoria in which I rowed with Kevyn Webb.

"The following season Bill and I were tried out for the Senior Eight and were both successful to our great delight, and on 22nd November, 1946, we were both members of the first Haberfield crew to win at Henley when we won the Grand Challenge Cup in record time. Three months later our crew won the Champion Eights by 300 yards. in the 1947-48 season Bill and I were members of the Champion Fours, and Champion Eights and went on to be chose in the N.S.W. crew for the King's Cup and won that coveted trophy on 24th April, 1948, on the Derwent River at Hobart.

Erwin in Five seat of 1948 NSW Kng's Cup crew

1948 victorious NSW team

"Of all the wins and successes of my rowing career to date nine races stand out in my memory so vividly that I would call them my greatest wins. They are.

1946 Grand Challenge Cup, Henley on Yarra
1947 Champion Eights, N.S.W. Penrith
1948 Senior Pairs, Lake Colac, Victoria
1948 Champion Pairs of Victoria, Ballarat
1948 King's Cup, Hobart, Tasmania
1949 Champion Fours, Richmond River, Lismore
1949 Champion Fours, Tweed River, Tweed Heads
1949 Stewards Challenge Cup, Henley on Yarra
1949 Empire Games Test Race, Ballarat

"Although I have won many other races some of them more important, to me these races mean comfortable, relaxed rowing, where we were able to give of our best all the way and where the effort of giving has developed a racing rhythm that has never been beaten - many of these races were close and hard that have been most enjoyable. I was vey happy to win my 50th race on the day of my 21st birthday party, a very memorable occasion and to March, 1950, have registered 67 wins, at the age of 22 years."

Kevyn Webb
1950

Sources:

Kevyn Webb's 25 year history of Haberfield Rowing Club which was self published in 1950.
Images from the Guerin collection

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

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
These contents of this history are copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

Disclaimer: Whilst extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, the editors take no responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from inaccuracies contained in this work.