James W (Jim) Skidmore
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (VIC)
It is a great privilege to be able to collate a profile of Jim, a rower who has thoroughly enjoyed the sport almost forever. Not only that, he has, and continues to contribute so much to the sport he loves. The usual description of stalwart does not do justice to his contribution and enjoyment of the sport. Rowing has become a key part of his life and he has become a key part of his club's and State's rowing activities.
He remains a modest and very capable contributor to the sport. Even today in his eighties, he has mastered computers and has taken on with gusto his club's photographic records. Few clubs have such a full photographic record of their history.
From a club novice, Jim raced at the senior level and at National Championships. He made double sculling in Victoria his domain for many years.
Born and raised in Beechworth in North East Victoria, he came to Melbourne for employment and lived in a boarding house where he met Jim Hume, an enthusiastic rowing man who encouraged him to try rowing as a sport. He joined the Yarra Yarra Rowing Club which became his new 'home'.
His first regatta wins were in novice pairs at the Metropolitan & Preston regattas on 21 & 28 September 1957.
Jim Skidmore in the background and Alan Rice in the foreground sculling in tubs in 1957
His introduction to sculling was with the winter handicap series with a win on the 15th June 1957. Later on, shift work that made crew boat rowing difficult. So, he bought his own single scull in 1961.
His rowing career blossomed winning his way through all categories along the way. Much to the surprise of your correspondent, given his height and big frame, he had wins in lightweight crews in 1958 including Henley and the Victorian Championship Lightweight Eights.
With wins in the maiden pairs and fours, he went on to win a maiden eight in the VRA 2000 meter regatta on 3rd October 1959. This crew included John Castle, who later went on to win two Kings Cups.
Later on, he again teamed up with John in 1961 in a junior four that won several races including the championship. It was from this crew that John was selected into the Kings Cup crew for that year. Jim also won the junior pairs championship in at Nagambie 26th December 1961.
Some frustration was evident along the way. "The junior eight title eluded me as we were disqualified - involved in 3 clashes. The race course was from the entrance to Victoria dock into the Victoria harbour towards the city we were all told to steer towards the exhibition building tower, but with 7 or 8 crews across a clash was inevitable! This was the first race of a series and we won all the other races including Henley. This was Roger Moore’s first crew as a coach and was his start to his coaching career." This crew became the training partner for the Melbourne based, gold medal winning Australian eight that went to Perth for the Commonwealth Games.
He continues: "From this eight, we entered the stern four in the inaugural National Championships in 1962 where we made the finals in both the coxed and coxless events."
1962 National Championships - Yarra Yarra were finalists in the straight four with Jim in the bow seat
He and his fellow Yarra Yarra rowing mate Alan Rice, went to the Perth Commonwealth Games as spectators. They witnessed the standard of competition and decided to have a go at the 1964 National Championships and Olympic trials in a double scull, even though they had never been in this type of craft. As there were no competitive double sculls in Victoria, they bought their own boat. They could not find a coach, so they relied on books and 8mm film taken by Peter Gill for coaching.
As a lead up event, they won the senior double sculls event at Henley, the only double scull event listed on the Victorian racing calendar for the whole season. Hence their tongue in cheek boast, “we won all the double scull races on Victoria calendar for the whole season". At the National Championships, they ended up coming second in the final by a small margin gaining rapidly in the latter stages of the race. The victors, Barclay Wade and Gary Pearce, became the Olympic double. "Another few meters we would have had the lead, it’s all history now."
Jim in the stroke seat at the 1964 National Championships
At the third National Championships in 1966 with a different doubles partner Dave Williams, they finished third in the final.
Jim has won senior coxed pairs, coxed fours and eights. Senior single scull victories include 2.5 mile championship on the Lower Yarra. His haul of victories in club regattas is significant. He has been a fixture of the winter handicap sculling series, winning the quarter mile dash, round the island races as well as well as the Herald Shield series. Some races were even in in tub boats.
Of particular note is that he has had around 23 starts in the Head of the Yarra, with wins in intermediate, open and master’s categories, including a fastest time. He claims that "we would have had a second fastest time but broke our rudder string at the end of Scotch straight'. They still managed to win the open section despite steering difficulties.
Jim has held positions from committee, vice-captain, treasurer, vice president, to patron of his beloved club Yarra Yarra Rowing Club. Not unexpectedly, he was made a life member in the 1989/90 season.
Three boats have carried his name - 1975 and 1980 coxed fours, followed in 2009 by an eight.
He was delegate to the Metropolitan Rowing Committee, Upper Yarra Regatta Committee and Victorian Sculling Association. He acted as Wentworth Rowing Club’s delegate on the VRA’s meetings and also held positions on the VOWA committee.
Also, of great note, is that he has been a Victorian Boat Race Official for over 50 years, including a time as a panel member.
The Victorian Oarsmen and Women's Association presented Jim with the Tom Rodda award in 2002 for services to rowing.
His single and double sculls are on display in Yarra’s latest shed.
A full and enjoyed life in rowing.
The following information was added in June 2024 providing specific YYRC details and some recollections from Jim.
Joined as a junior member in 1956/57
Committee 1958/59, 1959/60, 1961/62 - 1964/65, 1969/70, 1972/73, 1992/93 - 1994/95
Vice-captain 1960/61, 1965/66, 1966/67
Treasurer 1967/68, 1968/69, 1973/74 - 1991/92
Assistant treasurer 1970/71, 1971/72,
Vice president 1995/96 - 1998/99. 2000/01
Patron 2014/15 ongoing
Life membership 1989/90,
Wins recorded:-
1957 - Metropolitan regatta, novice pair (bow)
1957 - Preston regatta, novice pair (bow)
1958 - Barwon regatta, lightweight eight (3)
1958 - Henley regatta, lightweight eight (3)
1958 - Championships regatta, lightweight eight (3)
1958 - Wentworth regatta, lightweight four (3)
1958 - Metropolitan regatta, novice scull, Maiden pair (bow) and Maiden four (bow)
1958 - Preston regatta, Maiden four (bow)
1959 - V.R.A. Metric regatta, Maiden eight (6)
1960 - Yarrawonga regatta, junior four (3)
1960 - Yea regattajunior four (3)
1961 - Yea regatta, junior four (3)
1961 - Albert Park regatta, junior four (bow)
1961 - Victorian championshipsjunior four (bow)
1961 - Colac regatta, junior four (bow)
1961 - Barwon regatta, junior eight (5)
1961 - Scotch Mercantile regatta, junior eight (5)
1961 - Nagambie regatta, champion junior pair (bow)
1962 - Footscray regatta, junior pair (bow)
1962 - Yea regatta, junior pair (bow)
1962 - Albert park regatta, junior pair (bow)
1962 - Colac regatta, junior eight (5)
1962 - Ballarat regatta, junior eight (5)
1962 - Henley regatta, junior eight (5)
1962 - Barwon regatta, junior eight (5)
1962 - Head of the Yarra, intermediate section (5)
1962 - Winter sculling 5 mile handicap, fastest time
1962 - MRC 2 1/2 mile championship, senior sculls
1962 - Yarrawonga regatta, senior sculls
1963 - Rutherglen regatta, senior sculls
1964 - Henley regattasenior double scull (stroke)
1964 - Head of the Yarra, intermediate section & fastest time (4)
1964 - Scotch Mercantile regatta, senior double scull (stroke)
1964 - Winter sculling 5 mile handicap, fastest time
1964 - MRC 2 1/2 mile championship, senior eight (5)
1964 - Nagambie regatta, senior pair (bow)
1965 - Rutherglen regatta, open eight (7)
1965 - Yarrawonga regatta, open eight (7)
1965 - Albert Park regatta, senior sculls
1965 - Scotch Mercantile regatta, senior sculls
1965 - Head of the Yarra, open section (5)
1965 - Winter sculling 5 mile handicap, fastest time from scratch
1965 - Winter sculling, herald shield overall winner
1965 - Footscray regatta, senior eight (7)
1966 - Yea regatta, senior four (bow)
1966 - Sydney regatta, senior eight (7)
1966 - V.R.A. regatta, senior pair (bow)
1966 - Upper Yarra regatta, senior pair (bow)
1967 - Head of the Yarra, open section (3)
1968 - Yea regatta, senior four (3)
1971 - Head of the Yarra, veteran section (6)
1986 - Nagambie veteran regatta, “D” four (stroke)
1988 - Nagambie veteran regatta, “E” double scull (stroke)
1992 - Yarrawonga regatta, veteran pair (stroke)
At national level, in 1961, he was part of a junior eight that won at Henley and other local regattas. The stern four of this crew raced at the National Championships in both the coxed and coxless fours finishing 4th in the coxless event and 5th in the coxed event. He was seated bow.
In 1964 national he stroked a double scull to 2nd place in the final.
At the next national regatta he sat in the bow seat of a double scull to be 3rd in the final.
All this was followed up with over 50 years as a boat race official.
There are 3 boats that carry his name:-
- 1975 a four named 'J W Skidmore'
- 1989 another four 'Jim Skidmore'
- 2009 an eight named 'Jim Skidmore'.
He still enjoys a social paddle Wednesday evenings.
His privately owned single and double sculls are on display in the shed.
From the 1989/90 YYRC annual report, general notes:-
Among such members are:-
Jim Skidmore, Honorary Treasurer, coach, video-man and trailer hauler, Because of his unassuming manner, many of his fellow members will not realise that in addition to his time spent at the club and on the water and at away regattas, Jim spends literally hours working for the club as treasurer, making sure that the figures are right, that the cash-flow is according to forecast and that the overdraught (when required) follows budget. In the clubs quiet days, the success! Jim has proved himself able to handle the increased workload, however, and all members are in his debt because of it.
An excerpt from the book
Nagambie N15
"A Century of Rowing”, published 1993
1964 -1965
Weekly Times January 1965 1964 regatta
Ian McCulloch and Jim Skidmore of Yarra Yarra, State junior pair champions of two years ago, displayed very good form to win the senior pairs.
Second in this event was a Nagambie combination comprising Neil Lodding recently returned from Tokyo, and Ron Bryant who stroked the boat.
Their performance in finishing only three-quarters of a length behind Yarra Yarra to take second place was full of merit. Five pairs finished behind them. The Banks pair, Brian Vear and Terry Davies, favourites for the race, were badly boated. They shipped a lot pf water and could make no headway.
From the YYRC newsletter 'Yarra Yabbie' no 85, December 2002
The Tom Rodda award
The Tom Rodda Award is given to a person who has worked very hard on behalf of rowing. It is bestowed by the Victorian Oarsmen and Women’s Association. The nominees for the 2002 Tom Rodda Award have made significant contributions to rowing over many years.
This year’s Tom Rodda Award winner is Jim Skidmore from Yarra Yarra Rowing Club.
Jim had a distinguished rowing career as an oarsman. For those of you younger people who weren’t rowing in 1958, Jim was in the 3 seat of the victorious Men’s Lightweight Eight Championship. He and Allan Rice missed out on the 1964 Olympics selection .for the double sculls by a bow ball, Bruce Richardson and Neil Lodding represented Australia instead.
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club recognised Jim’s many contributions to Club activities with a Life Membership. He has been a core member of Yarra Yarra’s old boys who always meet on the Yarra balcony for a beer on Sunday mornings and after winter sculling races.
He even met his wife at a Yarra function. A younger rower named Wal Oakley introduced Jim Skidmore to Thea.
Jim was treasurer of Yarra Yarra Rowing Club for 20 years, Treasurer of the Sculling Association for over 20 Years, and is the current treasurer of VOWA.
He has been a Rowing Official for over 30 years and has served on the Officials Panel. In addition to freezing in the Judges Box on the Yarra in winter and roasting in the summertime, there have countless weekends away to country regattas. The early starts, and all types of weather conditions were compensated by great friendships built with country clubs over the years.
Many crews and innumerable scullers have Jim to thank for staying in their lane during races.
Well done Jim! Thank you and congratulations.
From the YYRC newsletter 'Yarra Yabbie' 2015-9-28
Jim Skidmore announced as new club patron
At the recent Yarra Yarra annual general meeting, Jim Skidmore was announced as our new club patron. As one of our longest standing and most respected members of the club, Jim’s appointment was welcomed by all members.
Peter Gill, long-time friend and crew mate, spoke at the event of Jim’s many achievements, in particular he spoke of Jim’s passion for the sport, his years of service to the club and his outstanding achievements as an oarsman.
Peter shared the story of the most striking features of the YYRC boathouse. ….the beautiful old wooden boats suspended from the ceiling upstairs.
The boat originally belonged to Jim Skidmore and Allan Rice, who purchased and used the boats to try out for the 1964 Olympics. Yarra Yarra didn’t own a double scull, so they ordered one from Sydney boat builders Sargent & Burton specifically for the purpose.
Jim and Allan won the double scull event at Australian Henley, 29/2/1964, representing the first win for a Victorian crew in many years. They also won at the Scotch Mercantile regatta, 21/3/1964, being the only regatta on the Victorian regatta program to put on events for this type of boat.
At the second Australian National regatta in Canberra, 2/5/1964, Jim and Allan came second at by a margin of just 0.3s. The winner of that race went to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.
We are honoured to have Jim as our Club Patron.
Looking for motivation for Head of the Yarra- 1970’s, bow Laurie Muir, 2 Ted Woolcock, stroke Jim Skidmore.
From the YYRC newsletter 'Yarra Yabbie' no 59 July 2020
Meet Jim Skidmore (club Patron) and Peter Gill (club archivist)
Between them, Jim and Peter have about 130 years of YYRC membership. Peter joined first in 1955 as a schoolboy, and Jim one year later as a junior.
They have seen a lot of changes since then: women members, Masters racing, a renewed fleet, a splendid new boathouse, and a very different regatta schedule.
“We raced 2.5 miles from the mouth of the Maribyrnong to Spencer Street; and other championship races started at the head of Victoria dock to Spencer street or to the Polly Woodside, “ Jim said. “These courses weren’t buoyed, and we had a lot of clashes. Our crew was disqualified in one regatta after three crashes.”
They both attended other regattas that are no longer run, in places such as Yea, Yarrawonga and Colac, where the regattas sometimes coincided with the opening of the duck shooting season (yikes).
Jim and Peter rowed together in a lightweight 8, winning the lightweight premiership for YYRC in 1957, finishing their successful campaign at the Easter regatta in Mildura and Wentworth.
“We borrowed boats for that regatta,” Peter said, “We raced at Mildura on the Easter Saturday, then entertained ourselves on Easter Sunday while the local clubs tied all the boats together and towed them to Wentworth, ready for us by Monday morning.
Jim towed the YYRC trailer for many years, but he laughed about some of the early arrangements, “We hired trucks and stacked the boats on the tray backs, wedged between bags of straw,” he said. “People walked their boats to Albert Park Lake on long trolleys with bicycle wheels.”
Both Jim and Peter have contributed to YYRC for many years, as boat race officials, members of the committee (Jim served 20years as treasurer), and the regatta committee which organised Yarra Yarra regattas between 1978 and 2007.
Jim’s proudest achievement was his narrow second place in trials for the Tokyo Olympics 1964. That story started earlier, with his purchase with Allan Rice of a double scull named Bottles (best thing since they put beer in bottles), which is now displayed in the ceiling of the clubhouse. The two of them rowed to the mouth of the Yarra every day, then spent Sundays re-adjusting the riggers.
Olympic trials were in Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. Jim tied the boat to his car for the drive. “It hung out 10 feet front and back,” he said. “We had a great race, but unfortunately lost by 0.3 seconds. Mind you, we had won every 2X race in Victoria that season; that is, the Henley”.
The crew wasn’t coached, but Peter took 8mm film, which they compared with footage of 2X races from the UK Henley.
Both Peter and Jim work hard on the club’s archives and trophy displays, and look forward to resuming their Wednesday evening rowing sessions later in the year.
Jim’s history
Joined 1956, life member 1989/90; patron 2014/15
Wins in LW8+, LW4+, 1x, 2x 2+, 4+
Raced head of the Yarra 20times, with wins in intermediate, open and master’s categories.
Rowed the flying doctor marathon (Murray & Darling Rivers) several times.
Won Herald Shield for overall leader in the winter handicap series.
Committee member, Vice-Captain, Treasurer, and Vice President between 1958/59 and 2000/01.
1964 Henley regatta senior double scull
1964 photo Jim Skidmore (stroke), Allan Rice (Bow) after National championships Canberra.
1964 photo Jim Skidmore (stroke), Allan Rice (Bow) after National championships Canberra.
Mosman double disembarking to receive winning award after race. (Barclay Wade & Gary Pearce). Jim and Allan in background.
2017 award 50 years’ service as an official Jim Skidmore
Jim has kindly provided the following rowing recollections.
Memories on a career in rowing:-
1958Lightweight eight with wins at Barwon and Henley regattas plus the Victorian championship.
At the Henley regatta we were level with South Melbourne when one of their oarsmen lost his oar, he then dived over the side and swam to shore, and from there on we raced a crew of 7 people.
1960 junior four Yarrawonga regatta, a squall came up after we started the race, all crews sank. We won the re-row.
1960 photo
This was on the old course from a headland across a bay to finish near the swimming pool area. Not near the current rowing shed area.
We headed to Rutherglen regatta where we raced the same crew, the course was from the far bank past the current 1000 metre start. On the way to the start we noticed a local crew sitting at the side of the course. After we started the race they came on to the course several lengths ahead of us, we did not catch them. After this incident a number of Rowing Victoria’s committee members decided that Victoria needed licenced officials to run regattas.
1961 junior four at Albert Park regatta, Victorian championships also Colac regatta.
This crew included Roger Moore who represented the state in the lightweight fours, also John Castle who went on to win the Kings cup that year.
1962 junior eight with wins at Ballarat, Barwon, Colac and Henley regattas.
This crew was a very powerful crew which in my view could have won senior eight events. At the Barwon regatta we were slightly ahead of Scotch College crew, there cox called for an effort saying that Yarra had had it, our cox responded and in 3 strokes we were 2 lengths ahead. Our first race as a crew was the Victorian championships on the lower Yarra from the entrance to Victoria Harbour to race towards the city, we were told to head for the exhibition building in the distance. With 7 or 8 crews across it was inevitable that clashes occurred, we were involved in each thus were disqualified, we won at all regattas afterwards that the other crews entered.
The stern four entered in the 1st national regatta and made the finals in both coxed and coxless events.
I sculled in the 2 1/2 mile championship regatta on the lower Yarra from the junction of the Maribyrnong River to Spencer St Bridge. My starting station was near the south bank, my main opposition was near the north bank. My tactic was to sprint off the start then cross over nearer to where my main opposition was competing so that I had him under close observation at all times, when he put in an effort I would wait a few strokes before answering the challenge. This tactic worked and it is the only time that I was able beat Peter Edwards in a sculling race.
In 1979 I was caught having a drink half way through a senior sculls race.
In the winter sculling series I remember the round the island race where I started from scratch, caught the field bar 1 (Don Dudgeon) at the back of the island. Don rounded the last corner into the main stream, he was followed by a ferry returning from a trip further upstream. With this being a narrow section of the river I had difficulty in getting past the ferry, when I did Don was too far ahead for me to catch him.
In a later round the island race I was first off and in cutting the corner at the 800 meter start area I ran head long into an eight on a training row, resulting in a severely damaged scull, and me ending up in hospital requiring stitched to my backside, luckily my spine was not touched and I was able to recover. It took 12 months to repair the scull with a lot of advice from others. The scull now on display in the Yarra shed on close inspection some of the joins and repairs can be noticed. The eight was not damaged.
In the 1964 Head of the Yarra starting from 3rd position we gained the lead at the Island and were never headed, we were an intermediate crew who were also the fastest crew on the day.
The following year I was a substitute in the clubs senior eight, starting first it felt like a training row as we moved further ahead with each stroke, until we tried to round the corner at the end of Scotch straight, where our cox pulled too hard on the rudder rope and broke one, this slowed our progress, where one crew got past us, they were in a different section so we ended up winning our section (open).
Another incident with the head of the Yarra was when one bow side oarsman lost his rigger button near the 2000 meter start position, a friendly Powerhouse member cycled ahead to gather a replacement oar, he swam out to the boat swapped oars then returned to the bank. I am not sure which year this was. We continued the race to the finish.
1964 Double sculls events wins at Henley and Scotch Mercantile regattas, followed by a 2nd at the National regatta. When we bought the boat there was no competitive double scull boats in Victoria and the only regatta to hold double scull events was Henley. I like think we inspired others to take up this type of boat, they seem to be very popular at current regattas.
1968 a senior four win at Yea regatta due to the regatta committee requesting an entry for this race to make it an event. As a selector there were few options we had 3 senior oarsmen at that time, we needed a fourth person, Mick Long was selected a good oar who had few wins, and was nearing the end of his rowing career. Our opposition was a Banks crew who on paper should have won, our lane was the favoured lane and we made the most of it.
1968 senior four Yea regatta
I also participated in several RFDS Murray marathons, the original course was from Boundary bend to Robinvale rowing club. One event we had a combination of Yarra and Wentworth members as well as 2 Germans in Australia for a rowing holiday. We were rowing a coxed Quad scull with a backup crew in the Wentworth S E S launch, where we had the advantage of being able to change crews when we desired. There is an island near Robinvale the crew took the long way around, the S E S launch ran out of fuel, and nobody at the base station radio calls went unanswered.
It was my turn to be on the bank to drive the car to the finish, when the crew eventually arrived I had an esky ready with ice cold drinks which were consumed rapidly.
My rowing career was followed up by 50+ years as a boat ace official, carrying out duties from starter, umpire, judge or weigh in officer for lightweight oarspersons or coxswains.
As a starter one of my difficult starts was at Wentworth regatta, I was at the 1 mile start seated on a tree branch, the race involved 3 crews with stern coxswains, the breeze was swirling around in the area gently, just enough to move the crews slightly off course, and at that time coxswains could raise their arm if they were not straight, signalling that they were not ready the other arm was holding on to an overhead toggle. The swirling wind had one of the crews off line nearly all of the time. It took time and a little patience.
On one Horsham regatta it was a cold wet miserable day. My job was the starter for the final shift, I had a word with the course announcer to say if all crews for an event were at the start area before race time I would start them early. The crews obliged and the regatta finished well ahead of time, trailers loaded with competitors on their way home early.
One incident that had me worried was at a Mildura regatta where I umpired a special race to be filmed for publicity purposes. The long distant start was used the crews (2 eights) raced for approx. 1 km before rounding buoys at a right angle bend, my fear was that the outside crew would start the turn from wide before the buoy line and the inner lane would start turning after they reached the buoy line. There was a helicopter overhead filming so I did not want a clash as both crews headed for the finish. All went well both crews were aware of the hazards and no clash of oars resulted when coming out of the turn phew!
Another incident occurred at a Nagambie regatta I was following a female coxless pair in rough conditions in a duck hunting punt boat, the crew tipped out as this incident happened before surf rescue attended regattas, I had to do the rescue myself, unfortunately both women decided to climb into the boat on the same side, so over we went . We swam to shore to be picked up by a local club member. All equipment and the boat were recovered and the motor was started later in the day.
At a regatta at Carrum I was umpiring from a motor boat, when a wind change made the course too rough and the regatta was called off. Crews near and around the start area had to return to the boating area. One eight was in trouble as each wave broke over the bow and travelled into the boat well putting them in danger of sinking. By moving the umpires boat so that it was in front of the eight we escorted it back to the boating area with them not receiving more water in their boat as we sheltered them from the waves.
In 2017 at Rutherglen regatta I was presented with an award for 50 years’ service as a boat race official by Andrew Guerin.
Assisting at the National regatta Carrum, I had the job of refuelling the motor boats, and occasionally driving the umpires, one race that I remember was the final of the women’s youth four, an all Yarra crew racing under Victorian colours. I followed this race and noted that the bicycles following on the bank were barracking for Yarra not Victoria!
At another national regatta I was allocated to the boat weighing job, this was the first time that boats were required to be weighed in Australian competition, together with checking certain safety items. Many boats did not meet the rules and a long wait on the scales held up progress resulting in a very long que for others that needed to be certified.
In the winter sculling series I also assisted with starting at both 800 meters cycling up to the 2000 meter start then returning to the 800 meters for more race starts.
In the Hawthorn to city time trial I sat in a boat just upstream from the Wallan road bridge, to ensure all competitors were on correct alignment to pass through the centre of the arches with no mishaps. I then followed the last competitor, catching one sculler who had run up in one of the litter traps, I had to climb out and raise the counter weight so that he could back out.
Memories!
Andrew Guerin
February 2022 (updated June 2024 with specific YYRC details and also recollections from Jim)
Sources:
- Jim Skidmore's records and interviews
- Yarra Yarra Rowing Club photographic records which have been compiled by Jim
- Author's records