1930 Rowing Victoria State Championships

1^st Ron Jelbart, University

2^nd C F W Peppler, Yarra Yarra

3^rd S B McGorm, Ballarat

4^th A Cambridge, Bendigo

5^th E F Johnson, Mercantile

The race was held prior to the Championship Eights on Saturday, 15^th March, 1930, over a course of 2 1/2 miles, commencing at the 3 mile 2 chain mark, Coode Canal, and finishing at the 42-chain mark, Lower Yarra. A very interesting race, in which the winner, R. Jelbart, came from a long way back to win comfortably by four lengths. 

Ron Jelbart

1^st South Melbourne – Bow: H C McEwan, Str: J B Roberts, Cox: D Clarke

2^nd Ballarat

3^rd Wendouree

4^th Essendon

Other competing crews:

Mercantile - Bow: W Haworthy, Str: H Robert Rush, Cox: W Fyfe

Banks

Merbein

Ballarat City

DNS Shepparton

South Melbourne Rowing Club scored their initial success in the Pair-oared Championship, rowed at Ballarat on Saturday, 18^th January. Nine crews entered, but Shepparton did not start. Won by three feet; Ballarat, second, two feet head of Wendouree. South Melbourne are heartily congratulated on their win.

Start of the 1930 Champion Fours on the Lower Yarra

Note that the crew second from the far end has not bothered to await the starters instructions

1^st Mercantile – Bow: G R B Patterson, 2: Doug C Brooke, 3: Fred H Shore, Str: Cecil McKay, Cox: R Cliffe, Coach: James M Macfarlane

2^nd Rutherglen Lake

3^rd Melbourne

Other competing crews:

Ballarat

Hawthorn

South Melbourne

Essendon

The Committee decided that the Four-oared Championship would be rowed on Lake Colac, on Saturday, 14^th December, 1930. This action was taken as an experiment in an endeavor to discover a more satisfactory course than the Lower Yarra for future championship and King’s Cup races.

The Colac Regatta Committee spared no efforts to make the fixture a success, but, unfortunately, the weather on the day of the race was the worst possible from a rowing point of view. Although the crews waited during the afternoon in the hope of conditions improving, it was necessary to postpone the event, and it was decided to row the race on the following day on the Lower Yarra, Melbourne.

Conditions obtaining on the Lower Yarra on the Sunday were such that it was not possible to row the race on that course. Owing to the fact that the country competitors were anxious to return home at the earliest, the race was rowed in heats on the Upper Yarra over a course of approximately one mile and a quarter.

Results – First Heat: Melbourne defeated Ballarat; Second Heat: Mercantile defeated Hawthorn; Third Heat: Rutherglen Lake defeated South Melbourne and Essendon. Final won by Mercantile; second, Rutherglen Lake; third, Melbourne. No time was taken for the races. 

1^st Mercantile – Bow: G R B Patterson, 2: Walter N Ricketts, 3: Henry Guinn, 4: A W Finlay: 5: Jack South, 6: Doug C Brooke, 7: Fred H Shore, Str: Cecil N Mckay, Cox: M Green, Cches: Alex B Sloan and James M Macfarlane

2^nd Richmond

3^rd Hawthorn

4^th Banks

Mercantile won the Eight-oared Championship by two lengths from Richmond. The race was rowed on Saturday, 15^th March, 1930, over the 3-mile course, starting at the 3 mile 2 chain mark, Coode Canal, and finishing at the 2 chain mark, Queen’s Bridge. 

1^st Stan B McGorm, Ballarat

2^nd Ron Jelbart, University

3^rd E F Johnson, Mercantile

4^th J C Hardy, Footscray

5^th P McGrath, Wendouree

Mr. S. B. McGorm won the One Mile Sculling Championship for the second year in succession. 

1^st Mercantile – Bow: F H  Batten, 2: H Raven, 3: S Timewell, 4: R Scott, 5: T Fogarty, 6: J E Campbell, 7: S S McKay, Str: J H Bailey, Cox: M Green, Coach: Edward Kenny

2^nd Albert Park

3^rd Hawthorn

4^th Ballarat City

Mercantile won the Champion Junior Eights for the second year in succession. The race was rowed over a two-mile course on Saturday, 29^th March, 1930. Mercantile won by 1 1/2 lengths from Albert Park. 

1^st Albert Park Ladies -– Bow: K Sampson, 2: J DeZolte, 3: L Ludlow, Str: E Murphy, Cox: D Hassell

The Championship was conducted on 15th February 1930 on Albert Park Lake at the VLRA regatta. 

There was a senior pairs event at the VLRA regatta but the newspaper report does not call it a Championship. Accordingly no Championship Pairs are recorded for this year.