OLD ROWING DAYS

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 230, 29 September 1926, Page 9

OLD ROWING DAYS

BLENHEIM CLUB'S 42nd ANNIVERSARY HISTORY OF THE FOUNDING. OPENING OF THE NEW SHED.

(By

A.M

.H.)

Now that ihe Rugby and "Soecer" players are tucking away their t'ootball jerseysi and studded boots, followers of rowing, ericket, a.nd tennis will be preparing to open up their respeetive clubs. October can truly be looked upon as tlie month oi beginnings, and ruext Saturday will see oue of Blenheim'^ oldest sports clubs open ite season, and inciclontally its new boathouse. Muth water has flowed past tlie Blenheim Rowing Club's old skidvvay sinoe it was first put down at tlie junction of tlie Omaka and Opawa Rivers. And many an, old-time niember and oarsman has passed down tlie river of life, and crossed over the Bar, to pull a paddle on a more perfect course than this world ever offered. Many changes have been wrought in and on the river; much mud and silt has been deposited, so that eaoli year finds the river less picturesque tlian in days when tlie olcl paddle steamers Lyttelton and Napier and tlie s.s.'s Mohaka, Waihi, Neptune, and Nambucca used to chugg their way up to the various landmg plaoes. A little study of where the various river craft of other days used to drop their bow hawsers will readily show now and why Blenheim was built where it is. Amateur rowing lias always had a good grip on tlie young athletic life of our Doniinion, and inuch of this spiiit is due to the fact that tlie early pioneers ineluded men who had rowed for either Cambridge or Oxford Universities, witli - the result that from 1866 to 1890 rowing clubs sprang up like muslrrooms throughout the Dominion, mainly due to the enthusiasm and support given to the sport by these stylish oarsmen, who had a happy knack of gathering members together. The laying of the first cable from Mellington across to Wliite's Bay ea used • tlie Blenheim Telegraph Office to boast.of a staff of about 50 officers. Find'ing a river at their baek door, many of the staff wete not slow in forming a rowing club exclusively for their own members' nse. Their shed stood on the present site of the Blenheim Gasworks office. Of course no liigh banks encompassed the river as they do today. It can be readily understood that, with tlie P. and T. members enjoying themselves boat-racing on the river, other keen young men of the town would be eager to participate in such a healthy sport, and the formation of another rowing club was decided upon. The first meeting was held in the Club Hotel — the wooden building which. was destroyed by fire on August 6th, 1884. The convenors of the meeting wero Dr Porter, Messrs W. E. Clouston, A. P. Green (Bank of New Zealand), and T. H. Hanna (N.Z. Loaii Company), while the following persons attended : Messrs James Hodson (wine and spirit merchant), Tommy Bax (afterwards renowned as a world' s champion club swi'nger), Richarcl McCallum (late M.P.), Thos. Horton (one-time Mayor of Blenheim), 0. Moller, H. H. Dodson, F. Nairn, T. Compton, J. F. Hathaway, R. M. Baird, and E. Paul. The Blenheim Rowing Club was duly formed and Mr James Hodson was electeb tlie first president, Mr A. P. Grcen captain, Mr R. McCallum vice-captain, Mr 0. Moller secretary. According to the report of a meeting recorded in, the Marlborough Express (tlien conducted by Messrs Smith James Furness " and T. Boundy), Mr Thos. Horton very generously donated tlie piece of ground where the new boathouse stands todav and for liis generosity he was made the club's first life member.

Mr W. Douslm drew the plans and specifications for the first shed, and Mr A. H. Preston was the sucoessful tenderer, £55 being his building price. Two new batswing boats were bought from Edwards (Melbourne, Australia), and two second-hand ones were bought from the Star Boating Club (Wellington) by one Capt. Lambert. Tlie opening day of the Blenheim Rowing Club, (according to old accounts) was a rnost august occasion, and was always recognised as a gala day for the town. The old Friendly Societies' Band was always in attendance to mahe things bright with liappy musie; boats and craft of various sorts were seized upon as a means of joining in the opening ceremony, part of which was a procession down the river as far as Crosse's Beacli and back again. The coxswains of those early days were Messrs A. and F. Markman, and Arthur Farmar. Interest and membership continued to increase in a most marked manner, and in the year 1890 tlie following members (wrho will be well known to the older generation in Blenheim) were officials in the club : Messrs W. W. de Castro (capt.), F. Barton (sec.), W. H. Buckman (treasurer), J. H. Mentiplay (viee-president), committee, Messrs J. M'emyss, F. Nosworthy, F. Shatv (of Medical Hall fame), B. F. Missen, IT. Bennett, and J. Lipscombe. Tlie orders for training crews in those far-off days were long, steadv rows down to the Malthouse, Riverlands, and back again. Then, after tea, long walks as far out as the Junction Hotel, Spring Creek, and home again ; or for a change, up to tlie old blue gums, T'aylor P'ass, and back. Long, slow, steadv work, but, by the results obtainod at rcgattas, it was 90 per cent. slow! Time and space will not allow me to traverse all tlie events of a glorious past, and I am cognisant of the fact of having to leave unsaid mueh that has gone to make up the club's splendid lieritage. The following crews are mentioned because 1 am indebteci to sonie of them for in formation confirmed. At the New Year's Day regatta (Picton) in 1893 tlie following represented the club in the Maiden and Junior Fours, rowed in boats called "inrigged gigs" ; Fred Hale (str.). J. Mackay (3), W. Draper (2), Harold Mdls (bow) and A. Carter fcoxswain). They rowed luisucoessfully through the boat shipping a sea. fn 1894, at the following annual regatta the club was represented by Fred Hale (str.), Jim McKinlev (3), A. Connollv (2), W. Draper (bow), and Harold Carey (cox). At a regatta held in Nelson 011 J anuary 2nd, 1895, tlie following represented the B.R.C. in the Maiden and Junior Fours: A. J. Maclaiue (str.), Alf Hogg (3), G. A. Sharp (2), A. Carter (bow). The erew rowed mto third position in both raoes. Picton Harbor had now become

the Mecca for championship regattas, and the years 1894-95-96-97 saw some rare tussles for the championship honors. These were the (lays of the famous Queen's Drive erew, and of our own Seymour crew, which were afterwards selected to g0' to Australia with Mr G. B. Ricliardson as coacli. Rea-1 honors came to the club in 1906, when J. M. Jackson, "Dick Hegglun, "Bdlly" Girling, and Jack Morrison won tlie Champion F ours at Picton 011 Easter Monday. I would like to tell how, at the Little River, Alf ("Skinny") Norgrove's and W . (''Breezev ') Jordari s crew won thejr races amidst great exciiement, how J. M. Jackson iost tli"1 Cliampion Fours, but won tlie Exliibition Fours; how supporters :n their eagerness for victory waded out into the sh allow waters not knowing they were getting^ wet, but space does not permit. Nor can I tell how J . M. Jackson regamed ihe Champion Fours at Napier in 1908, to lose it again at Mercer in 1909. Nor can I tell liow we came into. our own again when Reg. Anclrews, Arthur Jackson, Dick and Charley Hegglun won back tlie coveted old rooster on tlie Wanganui River in 1911. . , . „ But a club cannot exist dweliing 011 its glorious past. The cry 111 ust be "Onward, ever onward!" And at the opening day next Saturday the- public of Blenheim will liave an' opportunity of seeing, tliat the spirit of the founders is being niaintained Tlie new boat-liouse' — and grounds — are a standing monument to what can be acconiplislied when a band of workers make up their minds to do thiiigs. Already the lionorary members list has doubled itself, and it is hoped to bring tlie active mernbere up to the century mark. There is istill a. sum owing 011 the new shed, but the committee feel tliev have the ability to wipe this off, and already donations of a helpful size are coming in. It only requires a long pull, u strong pull, u pull altogetlior. and the prize is won.