John Caldwell Gunn
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (VIC)
Member from 1873/74 to 1907/08
There are no Yarra Yarra Rowing Club annual reports available for this period, so all notes come from newspapers.
Gunn was an early and prominent member of the Yarra Yarra Rowing Club who passed away 1907/08 whilst serving as a vice president.
He served in the club's administration being:
- Committee in 1879/80,
- Captain 1883/84
- Vice president from 1897 to 1907/08
He was also a coxswain in the first crew win for Yarra, a Maiden Gig in 1874. (The same regatta that fellow member Philip J Steele won the first sculling race).
The following is a brief account of that first winning crew of the Melbourne regatta of 1873/74.
Bow seat was W G Temple who spent time as on the committee1873/74, Vice-captain 1875/76 and secretary 1878/79.
2 seat was Alex Purse a past captain and committee member.
3 seat was William Senior a member for 1872/73 & 1973/74.
Stroke seat Philip Steele the founding secretary, then secretary 1875/76 to 1875/76.
There were 9 competitors in the event.
In this same regatta Philip Steele also won the maiden scull in a boat with a sliding seat the first boat fitted with same.
The sculling race had 12 starters.
Jim Skidmore
June 2024