1951 QLD GPS Head of the River
The 29th Head of the River was conducted on Saturday 21st April 1951 on the Toowong Reach of the Brisbane River.
B.B.C.'s dominance of the GPS Head of the River continued in 1951 with the College completing an impressive treble by winning each of the three events on the programme.
A record 10 000 strong crowd lay witness to dramatic circumstances in the Championship Fours contest. Churchie crabbed with only a handful of yards to go allowing B.B.C. to row past them and attain their fifth O'Connor Cup trophy since the competition resumed after World War II.
Having proven victorious at the University Regatta in the Maiden Fours division on Saturday 1st April 1951, The Southport School were considered as strong candidates for the trophy by pundits in the Brisbane tabloids during the lead up the Head of the River regatta.
The draw for the 1951 Head of the River commencing at 4.30 P. M. was:
No. 1 Church of England Grammar School, No. 2 Brisbane Grammar School, No. 3 Brisbane Boys’ College, No. 4 The Southport School, No. 5 Brisbane State High School
And for the Second Crews, commencing at 4.15 PM:
No. 1 Brisbane State High School No. 2:The Southport School, No. 3 Brisbane Boys College, No. 4 Brisbane Grammar School, No. 5 Church of England Grammar School
The races were rowed rather late in the day to ensure a suitable tide.
Organising Committee:
Great Public Schools' Association
All Schools' Championship Four
The O'Connor Cup
Distance: 1 Mile
Times: 6:49.00
Margins:
1.5 Lengths (1-2)
1 Canvas (2-3)
4 Lengths (4-5)
1st Brisbane Boys’ College - Bow: I. W. G. Thompson, 2: J. W. Cameron, 3: G. M. Byth, Str: L. K. Stubbings, Coach: B. A. Junner
2nd The Southport School - Bow: L. Davies, 2: B. Parkinson, 3: R. Andrew, Str: H. Muller, Cox: J. Douglas, Coach: C. Bere
3rd Brisbane State High School - Bow: Browne, 2: Mayor, 3: Rolfe, Str: Cochrane
4th Brisbane Grammar School - Bow: Lazarides, 2: Pitt, 3: Snelling, Str: Hart
5th Church of England Grammar School - Bow: I. Goodall, 2: L. Cooper, 3: P. McLachlan, Str: G. Dafforn, Coach: P. A. Taylor
Winning Crew: Brisbane Boys' College First Four.
Caption from Sunday Mail, Sunday 22nd April Edition:
"Brisbane Boys' College crew celebrate yesterday's Head of the River win. The crew is W. Thompson (Bow), G. Byth, L. Stubbings (Str), L. Stubbings, B. Junner (Coach), D. McLeod (Cox), J. Cameron." (Page 15)
1951 Church of England Grammar School First IV
The Race Described
“With victory two strokes away, Church of England Grammar School lost the 1951 Head of the River race in one of the most sensational regattas ever seen in Brisbane. From the start a battle developed between C.E.G.S, Brisbane Boys’ College and the Southport School. At the finish C.E.G.S were giving a last fighting dozen which should have won them the race. Their supporters were cheering the victory when suddenly the crew caught a tremendous “crab”. The shell lurched heavily and stopped running it own length. In a matter of seconds, B.B.C, Southport, State High and Brisbane Grammar flashed by to claim the positions in that order…. The Performance of the C.E.G.S. crew was all the more remarkable when it is considered that they had been only the school’s second crew. In a race eve challenge race they downed the school’s first crew, and the crews changed races. ”
Page 27, The Truth 22 April 1951 Edition
“Brisbane Boys’ College yesterday won the most unusual Head of the River race ever rowed in Brisbane… Church of England Grammar School had the race almost won when they “crabbed” on the line…. In such calm conditions, a crab could only be regarded as bad rowing. The one error cost the crew the race.”
Page 15, Sunday Mail 22 April 1951 Edition
“The 1951 Head of the River was rowed at 4.30 p.m. on the 21 April. Conditions were heavy owing to an ebb tide and a south-easterly wind.
All crews got away to an excellent start, and after the first six strokes B.B.C. had a slight lead on C.E.G.S. and T.S.S. with B.G.S. and B.S.H.S. a little further back. After settling down B.B.C., rating twenty-eight, increased the lead to half a length on Churchie, rating thirty- three. State High and Southport were half a length further back, and Grammar had dropped two lengths further behind. Gradually B.B.C. drew away to a length lead with the other positions unaltered. At the three-quarter mile mark Churchie brought up their rating and gained half a length on B.B.C. still rating twenty-eight. . Now. B.B.C. and Churchie raced for the line, but twenty yards short of the finish a Churchie man collapsed, checking the run of the boat. B.B.C. stopped short also but the running boat carried B.B.C. to victory a half-length ahead of Southport with State High a quarter length back in third place. B.G.S. finished several lengths back in fourth position.”
Page 74, The Portal, December 1951 Edition
All Schools' Second Four
Distance: 0.75 Mile
Winning Time: n/a
Margins:
0.5 Lengths (1-2)
1st Brisbane Boys’ College - Bow: R. M. Walker, 2: M. J. Nalder, 3: J. J. Shannon, Str: D. M. Cameron, Cox: R. W. Bray, Coach: K. Donnollan
2nd Brisbane State High School
3rd The Southport School - Bow: R. Bell, 2: L. Pearce, 3: R. Smith, Str: D. Young, Cox: J. Kingston
4th Church of England Grammar School - Bow: R. J. Douglass, 2: J. Hutchison, 3: M. W. Bucham, Str: R. Blakeway, Cox: J. Bottomly, Coach: P. A. Taylor
5th Brisbane Grammar School
The Race Described:
“The crews were lined up well and all got away to a good start. B.B.C. started very fast and took an early lead from State High, with other crews well bunched. B.B.C. gradually increased the lead, but B.S.H.S. on the north bank started their final sprint early and gained on B.B.C. [B.B.C.’s] crew then raised the rating and crossed the line half a length ahead of State High, with C.E.G.S. in third place.”
Page 77, The Portal, December 1951 EditionR. J. Douglas rowed in the two seat of the 1951 Church of England Grammar School 2nd IV. . As a leaving gift he donated the Douglass Cup for competition between School 1st VIII at the Churchie Regatta. It was first contested in 1952 and won by Churchie. This race was the first race for eights among Brisbane Schools in some twenty years and was the beginning of the lead up to GPS Championship being race in eights annually from 1955.
Page 53, Churchie Rowing by Peter Jell, Published by Anglican Church Grammar School
All Schools' Third Four
Distance: 0.5 Mile
Winning Time: n/a
Margins:
1 canvas (1-2)
0.75 lengths (2-3)
1st Brisbane Boys’ College IV - Bow: C. Q. Clarke, 2: W. G. Clarke, 3: N. A. Simmonds, Str: D. R. Pride, Cox: J. Jamieson, Coach: Mr. J. A. Cameron
2nd Brisbane Boys’ College III - Bow: C. A. Wade, 2: J. W. Stewart, 3: O. J. W. Neilsen, Str: R. M. Lappin, Cox: R. Anderson, Coach: Mr. K. Donnollan
3rd The Southport School - Bow: N. Eglestaff, 2: B. Mackenzie, 3: Brodie, Str: A. Wilson, Cox: Poole
4th Church of England Grammar School (a) - Bow: Fleming, 2: Casey, 3: Williamson, Str: Gibson, Cox: Heath, Coach: P. Krebs
5th Church of England Grammar School (b)- Bow: J. Meissiner, 2: J. Miller, 3: R. Perkins, Str: P. Clark, Cox: I. Grundy, Coach: P. Krebs
6th Brisbane Boys’ College V
7th Brisbane Boys’ College VI
“B.B.C. had four crews in this race. Soon after the start the event developed into a race between [B.B.C.’s] Thirds and Fourths on opposite flanks. The Fourths, in far better water Won by three feet from [B.B.C.’s] thirds, who were several lengths ahead of the procession which followed led by Churchie Thirds and tailed by [B.B.C.’s] fifths and Sixths.”
Page 77, The Portal, December 1951 Edition
Sources
Page 3, Queensland Times, Wednesday 18th April 1951 edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124612200?searchTerm=Head%20of%20river%20crew
Page 27, The Truth, Sunday 22nd April 1951 Edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/22063475
Page 28, The Truth, Sunday 22nd April 1951 Edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201439952?searchTerm=rowing
Page 15, Sunday Mail, Sunday 22nd April 1951 Edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/10322982
Page 15, Sunday Mail, Sunday Mail, Sunday 15th April 1951 Edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98349178?searchTerm=head%20of%20river%20crew
Page 73-75, The Portal, December 1951 Edition via Trove https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1563550098/view?partId=nla.obj-1563642079#page/n75/mode/1up
Page 18, South Coast Bulletin, Wednesday 4th April 1951 Edition via Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225634091?searchTerm=Head%20of%20river
Churchie Rowing by Peter Jell, Published by Anglican Church Grammar School