Significant Events in Australian Rowing
1861-1870
30th Nov 1861
Balmain Regatta. W. Deloitte, Q. Deloitte, E. Chisholm, and J. L. Sempell won Amateur Gig Fours; and same day W. Deloitte and A. Campbell won Amateur Pair Oars.
26th Jan 1862
Anniversary Regatta. Senior Amateur Fours. W. H. Deloitte, Q. Deloitte, H. Bligh, and E. Chisholm beat W, H, F, and Grantly Fitzhardinge (Judge), M A H Fitzhardinge cox. "For all bona fide amateurs who have been members of a club for the past three months."
15th Mar 1862
Jas. Punch (Sydney) beat Ben Oxlade on the Yarra for a wager of ₤200.
31st Jan 1862
First Ballarat Regatta, Lake Burrumbeet, Victoria.
26th May 1862
A definition of "amateur" appears in Brisbane Regatta regulations.
4th Feb 1863
Parramatta River, Inter-colonial Four-oared Race for amateurs. Sydney (won):-W. Mason, Hy. Freeman, J. F. Fitzhardinge, H. B. Fitzhardinge (stroke), M. A. H. Fitzhardinge (cox.). Melbourne crew: H. Woolnough, J. Bennett, J. Irving, J. W. McCutcheon (stroke), W: Williams (cox.). Time, 18 minutes 30 seconds, very fast for string-test boats.
29th Sep 1863
Richmond Rowing Club (Victoria) founded.
21st May 1864
Amateur Sculling Championship, Sydney, New South Wales Cup, valued £50. Q. L. Deloitte won from Al Crook, C. K. Moore, and Hy Fitzhardinge, and two others.
1st Aug 1867
Sydney University Undergraduates Four-oared Race - the first.
16 Jun 1868
First Public Schools Boat Race in Victoria. Scotch College beat Melbourne Grammar School.
11 Apr 1868
Inter-colonial Amateur Sculling Championship at Melbourne. Arthur Nichols (Victoria) beat Hy. Freeman (New South Wales) by six lengths. First race of the kind.
1869
The Victorian amateur rowing season opened with ten clubs and 200 oarsmen staging a procession of boats. By this time three boatbuilders were in business in Melbourne, R S Fuller, James Edwards and W T Greenland.
17 Mar 1869
Regatta on the Murray at Albury.
23 Oct 1869
First eight-oar boat in Australia launched on the River Yarra.
7 Mar 1870
Meeting held at the Oxford Hotel, King Street, Sydney (Mr. Q, L. Deloitte in the chair), when Sydney Amateur Rowing Club was formed.
26 Aug 1870
Sydney Rowing Club opened by Earl Belmore on east side of Circular Quay (Sydney Cove).
9 Nov 1870
Balmain Regatta. Inter-colonial Champion Four oared Gig Race. Two crews from Sydney Rowing Club; one crew from Hobart, and two other New South Wales crews. Won by the representative crew from the Sydney Rowing Club: C. De B. Deloitte .(bow), Grantly H. Fitzhardinge (2), H. Freeman (3), Q. L. Deloitte (str), L. McKay (cox).
24 Dec 1870
First Inter-University Boat Race (string-test fours), 3.5 miles, on Yarra Melbourne:-T. C. Hope, John
Grice, T. Colles, D. W. Wilkie won. Time, 31 minutes 4 seconds. Sydney :-E. A. Iceton, E. (Sir Edmund)
Barton, R. Teece, Alan Yeomans.