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