Geoffrey A Hale
ANA Rowing Club (WA)
Bill Cooper in his history of WA Rowing "Home and Dry" published in 2008, reported that:
It appears that Grant agreed with manager Jan Hosking that Western Australia must identify heavier and more powerful oarsmen for its King’s Cup crew. In the following year he retained only Francis and Ledder from the 1959 eight, replacing the remainder with Geoff Hale from ANA, Berry Durston from University, Max Cunningham from Swans, Brian Anderson from Bunbury, and John Rosser and Rodger Ninham from Wests. Anderson was forced to withdraw though illness in November 1959, and was replaced by Max Gamble from the Perth Rowing Club. According to manager Ron Polglaze, it was “the youngest, heaviest and tallest crew ever to represent the state” but, at an average of 79 kilogrammes, it was still the second-lightest combination in the race, and exactly the same average weight as Christ Church Grammar School’s winning Head of the River crew some 46 years later.
The experiment worked with The Western Australians taking the King's Cup and the right to represent Australia at the Olympic Games.
1960 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship two seat – First
1960 – Olympic Games – Men’s Eight two seat – eliminated in repechage
1960 Olympic Eight with Geoff in the two seat
Andrew Guerin
June 2021