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australian rowers profiles and history

Dr J A Parkes

Leichhardt Rowing Club (NSW) then Haberfield Rowing Club (NSW)

Kevyn Webb wrote the following profile on Doc Parkes in 1950 as part of his 25 year history of Haberfield Rowing Club.

To the sport of rowing there has been more contributed by the coaches than the sport itself has given to them in return. The record of rowing's steady progress through the years bears out such a contribution. 

Perhaps the most famous and fabulous figure in Haberfield rowing history was Dr. J. A. Parkes who in his fourteen seasons with our club coached his crews to eleven State Premiership wins. From the "Story of Dr. Parkes" published in a Sydney sports magazine we learn that in the year 1934, in Sydney a young doctor was becoming worried about an increase in weight. In an accidental sort of way he joined Leichhardt Rowing Club. He has a brainwave to go out in a skiff. Ultimately he was persuaded to take over a crew more for disciplinary purposes than to develop skill.

A few days after he agreed to start coaching, Parkes stopped by a library and took out a book on rowing by Steve Fairbairn. After reading and partially memorising all available volumes on our sport he began working on his first crew. The Dr. sought out Ernie Keary and Bernie Williams (both former Haberfield coaches) learning all he could from them. It was not long, however, before his ideas on the Fairbairn "heresy" clashed with then orthodox Committee of Leichhardt Rowing Club. In 1936 Dr. Parkes transferred to Haberfield Rowing Club.

In his first season 1936-378, the Club won the Junior Pennant, and the Dr., coaching 15 winning crews. In April 1937 he won his first Senior Eight, the Anniversary Gold Cup in State record time.

The "Doc" (titles are often used in connection with sporting figures, but Parkes, a doctor of medicine, was also called the "Doc" by Haberfield men with a pride and visible, if unostentatious affection) with a runaway win in the N.S.W. Champion Fours and in 1938 took his first crew interstate to race at Henley in the Grand Challenge Cup. A fine heat win started the crew favourites for the final, after a great race the crew lost to Mercantile Club, Victoria by a few feet. The Doc swore he would return and win the Grand, but some eight years including six years of the worst war in history, were to pass before his ambition was realised in 1946.

May, 1939, saw the Doc as coach of the New South Wales crew in Brisbane for the King's Cup and Australian Championship. Queensland won, only after Victoria (who ere disqualified) and N.S.W. lost upward of two lengths in an effort to avoid buoys which had been placed along the course to keep crews in their lanes. These buoys were indiscernible in the glare of the sun. During the war years the Doc carried on with what little time he could spare. Haberfield remained top club, winning the N.S.W.R.A. unofficial Premiership each year till the wars end.

With the end of hostilities and the return from overseas service of many of his pre war stars, Parkes won the first post war Champion Eights, and this entire crew represented the State in 1946 King's Cup race.

The Doc's next trip was in May 1947 to the Australian Championships in Perth Western Australia as N.S.W. coach, again his crew finished second to Victoria. He coached the 1948 N.S.W. Olympic Test Four to Ballarat, Victoria, and in the same year the N.S.W. crew which won the King's Cup and Australian Championship in Hobart, Tasmania.

Of the "Doc" himself, the article quoted earlier, had this to say. "There is a tradition of gruffness about him. When in the midst of making a crew his strict disciplines never relaxed. In a launch Parkes would occasionally rip out a cuss word, when it was necessary. His crews were always in perfect condition. he was looked up to and liked by all the men who had worked under him. He was outside his coaching, shy and very sincere. He was on familiar terms with only a few a few of his crew men.

He regarded rowing as the finest, cleanest and most beneficial of all spots. The finest because of the things required of one who would excel in it. He believed that you would find in the crew squads of clubs the very highest type of young man. There is no more unselfish sport than rowing. Finaly, it is a significant fact and a further indication of Parkes' coaching ability, that not one ex G.P.S. oarsman has ever been in his first crew, The Doc brought all his oarsmen up the hard way.

The Club was shocked to learn that one week before the 1949 Champion Eights Dr. J.A. Parkes passed away in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, and was buried with full rowing honours at Wentworth Falls.

Since he joined Haberfield Club he coached over 130 winning crews, including the Australian Champion Eights, the Grand Challenge Cup at Australian Henley, and numerous state champions., Haberfield oarsmen of the last two decades regard him as the greatest teacher of rowing who ever lived.

Other outstanding coaches in Haberfield's twenty-five years of active rowing, include G. McGilvray, Norm Elphinstone, who coached the N.S.W. Lightweight Champion Eights and Fours in 1932-33. Owen Ruffels 1939-40 Lightweight Champion Eight, Jack Eddie who became Senior Coach upon the death of Dr. J. A. Parkes, with whom he coached the 1946 Champion Eight. Jack's Senior Four last season won the senior fours at both Henley  (Stewards Challenge Cup) and the Empire Games Test race. K. Webb in 1946-47 coached two State champion fours, namely the Lightweight and Junior Titel winners. Ernie Keary coach of numerous N.S.W. crews abd the 1938 Australian Empire Games Eight abd Charlie Saleh now famous Mercantile and Wesley College coach. 

Andrew Guerin
July 2024

Source: Haberfield Rowing Club, the first 25 years by Kevyn Wenn and published by him in 1950.

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