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

1949 NSW AAGPS Head of the River

Record Crowd of 15,000 Sees Shore Win Head of the River (Sydney Morning Herald, 24 Apr 1949)

A record crown, estimated by the police at 15,000, lined the banks of the Nepean River at Penrith yesterday to see Shore win the G.P.S. Head of the River.

Shore led nearly all the way to beat High by a quarter of a boat’s length, with Scots and Newington dead-heating for third half a length further away. The previous record crown was 12,000 last year.

In ideal regatta weather, the first cars began to arrive at Penrith about 9:30 a.m. Before noon, all parking space near the riverbank had been taken.

The Great Western Highway to Penrith was a string of gaily decorated cars and buses. A few minor smashes, in which cars crashed into those ahead of them, also held up traffic.

By 3 o’clock the riverbank was packed for about 300 yards back from the finishing line.

Special trains and buses which ran to Penrith were also packed. The trains reached Penrith trailing ribbons and streamers. Their passengers were already barracking.

 

Senior 1st Eight

Major Rennie Trophy

8:14.20

¼ length

½ length

Dead heat

1st Shore – Bow: J. Lloyd. 2: D. Meares, 3: E. Perdriau, 4: D. Lane, 5: P. Codey, 6: J. Lawrence, 7: B. Sundstrun, Str: E. Cowdery, Cox: A. Haydon

2nd High

3rd Newington

3rd The Scots College


Senior 1st Four

Yaralla Cup

6:10.00

1 length

½ length

1st High – Bow: J. Reddish, 2: E. Foster, 3: R. White, Str: G. Mahony, Cox: W. Wiggins

2nd Shore

3rd Newington


Senior 2nd Four

6:17.80

¼ length

3 lengths

1st High – Bow: B. Mackey, 2: J. Mealey, 3: J. Nicholson, Str: J. Agnew, Cox: P. Jones

2nd Newington

3rd St. Joseph’s College


Senior 3rd Four

4:35.60

2ft

¼ length

1st           High – Bow: G. Woodbourne, 2: J. Arnold, 3: D. McCann, Str: C. Powell, Cox: V. Littlewood

2nd          The King’s School

3rd          Shore


Senior 4th Four

4:39.80

1 ½ lengths

½ length

Dead heat

1st           The King’s School – Bow: J. Leighton-Jones, 2: E. Froggart, 3: R. Oldfield, Str: J. Bryant, Cox: F. Lemann

2nd          High

3rd          St. Joseph’s College

3rd          Shore

< previous 1948

> next 1950

top of page

Website by Hope Stewart—Website Design & Management