World Professional Sculling Championships
- Introduction
- Record of Racing—table summarising racing results from 1831 to 1958
- Brief History of Australians in World Professional Sculling
- 1926 Rules Governing World Professional Sculling
- 1863 Chambers (GBR)
def Green (AUS) - 1876 Trickett (AUS)
def Sadler (GBR) - 1877 Trickett (AUS)
def Rush (AUS) - 1879 Trickett (AUS)
def Laycock (AUS) - 1880 Hanlan (CAN)
def Trickett (AUS) - 1881 Hanlan (CAN)
def Laycock (AUS) - 1882 Hanlan (CAN)
def Trickett (AUS) - 1884 Hanlan (CAN)
def Laycock (AUS) - 1884 Beach (AUS)
def Hanlan (CAN) - 1885 Beach (AUS)
def Hanlan (CAN) - 1886 Beach (AUS)
def Ross (UK) - 1887 Beach retires & forfeits to Kemp (AUS)
- 1888 Kemp (AUS)
def Hanlan (CAN)—twice - 1888 Searle (AUS)
def Kemp (AUS) - 1889 Searle (AUS)
def O'Connor (CAN) - 1890 McLean (AUS)
def Kemp (AUS) - 1891 Stanbury (AUS)
def McLean (AUS) - 1896 Stanbury (AUS)
def Harding (GBR) - 1901 Towns (AUS)
def Gaudaur (CAN) - 1904 Towns (AUS)
def Tressider (AUS) - 1905 Stanbury (AUS)
def Towns (AUS) - 1906 Towns (AUS)
def Stanbury (AUS) - 1908 Arnst (NZL)
def Webb (NZL) - 1910 Arnst (NZL)
def Barry (GBR) - 1911 Arnst (NZL)
def Pearce (AUS) - 1912 Barry (GBR)
def Arnst (NZL) - 1913 Barry (GBR)
def Pearce (AUS) - 1914 Barry (GBR)
def Paddon (AUS) - 1919 Felton (AUS)
def Barry (GBR) - 1920 Barry (GBR)
def Felton (AUS) - 1921 Arnst (NZL) regains title by forfeit from Barry (GBR) who retires
- 1921 Arnst (NZL)
def Hannan (NZL) - 1922 Hadfield (NZL)
def Arnst (NZL) - 1922 Paddon (AUS)
def Hadfield (NZL) - 1923 Paddon (AUS)
def Hadfield (NZL) - 1925 Goodsell (AUS)
def McDevitt - 1925 Goodsell (AUS)
def Hannan (NZL) - 1925 Goodsell (AUS)
def Paddon (AUS) - 1926 Goodsell (AUS)
def Saul (AUS) - 1927 Goodsell (AUS)
def Barry (GBR) - 1927 Barry (GBR)
def Goodsell (AUS) - 1932 Phelps (GBR)
def Goodsell (AUS) - 1933 Pearce (AUS)
def Phelps (GBR) - 1934 Pearce (AUS)
def Miller (USA) - 1938 Pearce
def Paddon (AUS) - 1948 Paddon (AUS)
def Fisher (AUS) - 1949 Cook (AUS)
def Paddon (AUS) - 1950 Paddon (AUS)
def Cook (AUS) - 1952 Saul (AUS)
def Paddon (AUS) - 1952 Paddon (AUS)
def Saul (AUS) - 1953 Fischer (AUS)
def Paddon (AUS)
1884 Edward Hanlan (CAN) defeats Elias Laycock (AUS) on the Nepean River in Sydney
Hanlan moved to Australia in 1884 to seek competition and to give exhibitions. He accepted a challenge from Elias Laycock and defeated him on the Nepean River.
Edward Hanlan
1884 Bill Beach (AUS) defeats Edward Hanlan (CAN) on the Parramatta River
As soon as Hanlan arrived in Australia he was sought after by a blacksmith Bill Beach of Dapto.
Beach was born in England in 1854 and was brought to Australia by his parents at the age of two. The family settled at Dapto on Lake Illawarra where Beach learned to row.
Tobacco cards illustrating sculling champions Bill Beach and Edward Hanlan
Beach had been nurtured by the keen interest and huge betting involved. He had won a number of races including a win over Ned Trickett on the Parramatta course, giving him the right to challenge Hanlan. It is said that Hanlan put off Beach for some time until rumours circulated that he was frightened to compete against him. A race was arranged for 16th August 1894 before a vast crowd of an estimated 100,000 people, including an estimated 30,000 at the finishing line alone. A £1,000 side bet was also arranged between the scullers.
It
was reported that Hanlan used every trick he knew to lure Beach into wasting his strength on early sprint
duals. The Australian merely rowed his own solid race. By the two mile mark the Canadian was beginning
to tire. A dual then emerged initiated by Beach and with half a mile to go, Beach made his successful move
leaving Hanlan to sprint to catch up. Beach won by six lengths.
A monument for Beach was built at Cabarita Point which is on southern side of the Parramatta course, not far from the finish line. The inscription on the plaque reads:
The undefeated champion sculler of the world
The following notes on Bill Beach come from handwritten notes attributed to William J Goulding. (Some of the abbreviations have been replaced by their full words to provide for easier interpretation).
August 16th 1884 – Hanlon & Beach £1,000.
Defeat of Hanlon Sydney.
Beach sculled N McDonald for £50 aside on Parramatta which he won with ease. Geo. Solomon was his next opponent for £100 in wager boats and Beach won. Rowed before that at Woolloomooloo to Port Denison and back £25 presented by Deeble (Publican) won easily. Raced in Pyrmont Regatta – W Pearce beat him. He beat Reynolds for £200 won easily (after a foul and rerow).
In the Punch Trophy he beat Laycock, Trickett McDonald & H Pearce, but had to succumb to Michael Rush. Tom Clifford was next opponent for £400. Beach won. But Trickett beat him £100 aside (Parramatta course) time 20 m 11 secs. Beach's friends were dissatisfied with the result and made another match £100 a side and Beach beat Trickett. Trickett was then not satisfied and they rowed a third match for £300 and again Beach won.
Today (16/8/84) people flocked from all parts of the Colony – the attendance on the River Bank was enormous – odds on Hanlan – Hanlan tried to break him in the first mile – but Beach hung on and won hard race by 1 1/2 lengths – then Wallace Ross of England challenged Beach for £1,000 on the Thames.