Sidney Raper

Mosman Rowing Club (NSW)

The following profile has been copied from the Mosman Rowing Club centenary history, Red and White Hoops - One Hundred Years of Mosman Rowing Club, published by Jacobson Publishing Pty Ltd in 2011 and is reproduced with permission of the publisher and the author, Judge Mark Williams SC, Past President and Life Member of Mosman Rowing Club. Thank you to both for access to this most interesting profile.

Born in 1906, Sid Raper was an influential figure at the club from the time he started rowing in 1923 until his untimely death in 1967. Young Sidney rowed at Riverview, and also represented the school in the GPS Rugby side in 1923.

It didn't take him long to achieve selection in the NSW King's Cup crew, initially in 1928. Selection issues dogged this crew which finished fifth. Sid was an emergency for the Famous Eight, the MRC crew that won the King's Cup un 1929.

A move to coaching brought quick success, and he moulded some very fine crews. The MRC eight won the Boone Memorial Cup in 1933and the Champion Eight in 1935. He also coached a number of Champion Fours.

By 1936, Sid Raper was the coach of the NSW crew, which won for the fourth year in succession. Other coaching experiences included working with Mervyn Wood, Olympic gold Medallist in the single sculls.

He was Honorary Secretary from 1926 to 1929, Club Captain from 1929 to 1933, and President from 1958 to 1967. He was influential in the MTC's acquisition of Killarney picnic grounds as well as the negotiation over the Pearl Bay boatshed site, and the development of the permanent facility opened in 1967, but unfortunately he died shortly before the opening.

Sid Raper kept meticulous scrapbooks from 1927 until 1951, which have provided a great source of material for this book [Red and White Hops - One hundred years of Mosman Rowing Club].

MRC eight at the 1930 Riverview Gold Cup
R Blundell (bow), H Hurley (2), E Bromley (3), W Bennett (4), T Mitchell (5), S Raper (6), G Kennedy (7), J Byrne (stroke), H Pearce (cox)

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.