Scroll To Top
History of AAGPS Head of the River Rowing Regatta

1940 NSW AAGPS Head of the River

Grammar’s Win Head of the River. Magnificent Tussle. Shore Wins Both Fours. (Sydney Morning Herald, 22 Apr 1940)

Winning one of the greatest and most exciting eight-oar rowing contests witnessed by the present generation, Sydney Grammar School, after a lapse of six years, gained the Great Public Schools’ “Head of the River” title on the Nepean River on Saturday. 

Going to the front after the first 100 yards had been rowed, it gradually increased its lead to a length, steadied its stroke, and, giving an almost faultless exhibition of oarsmanship, went on to win from Sydney High School by three-quarters of a length, with Shore third, half a length farther back.

Then followed St. Joseph’s College, The King’ School, Newington College, St. Ignatius’ College, and The Scots College, in that order.

Ten Thousand saw the eight-oar race. In former years, many thousands, who scrambled for positions to watch the race, had no personal link with the G.P.S. and no interest in the race itself except that is was a huge annual public show. This year, the crowd was substantially smaller. But 90 per cent of the spectators seemed to be schoolboys, relatives, and friends.

Observers who had attended that boat race for more than a decade, considered it was the quietest Head of the river they had ever seen.

 

Senior 1st Eight

Major Rennie Trophy

1st Sydney Grammar School – Bow: E.C. Marshall, 2: S.H. Prentice, 3: W.A. Tait, 4: J.R. McDonnell, 5: D.A. Smyth, 6: J.H. Sutherland, 7: R.A. Short, Str: A.F. Clarke, Cox: W.W. Hay, Cch: R.B. Ward

2nd Sydney High School – Bow: E. White, 2: N. Rea, 3: K. Davenport, 4: A. Brown, 5: J. Duffy, 6: K. Wieland, 7: F. Smith, Str: K. Longmuir, Cox: A. Vidal, Cch: F.M. Nichols

3rd Shore – Bow: H.W. Couison, 2: D.E. Wood, 3: L.R. Osborne, 4: P.L. Colleit, 5: D.R. Osborne, 6: D.R. Roughton, 7: G.C. Dent, Str: P.N. Shaw, Cox: K.E. Goldring, Cch: L.C. Robson


Senior 1st Four

Yaralla Cup

1st Shore – Bow: G.R. Evans, 2: B.H. Gosling, 3: L.D. Heath, Str: J.H. Morgan, Cox: J.D. Hum, Cch: J.B. Burten

2nd Sydney Grammar School – Bow: D.B. McCrede, 2: A.E. Waits, 3: R.G. Davey, Str: L.J. Alexander, Cox: O.C. Brook, Cch: A.T. Stewart

3rd St. Joseph’s College – Bow: G.A. Horton, 2: G.J. Ryan, 3: P.J. Walsh, Str: C.W. Crane, Cox: P.C. Simms, Cch: S.C. Cusack


Senior 2nd Four

1st Shore – Bow: G.V. Wolstenholme, 2: G.B. Kansas, 3: L.W. Davies, Str: L.H. Carter, Cox: H.D. Springfield, Cch: J.B. Barrle

2nd Sydney Grammar School – Bow: L.D. Bond, 2: W.T. Waite, 3: D.H. Keller, Str: L.H. Linlay, Cox: R.G. Sharp, Cch: A.T. Stewart

3rd Sydney High School – Bow: G. Jones, 2: J. Barty, 3: W. McBride, Str: B. Stauer, Cox: D. Rose, Cch: D.J. Dunty

< previous 1939

> next 1946

top of page

Website by Hope Stewart—Website Design & Management