The Ginger Beer Boys - The Fathers of Geelong Rowing.

     The Barwon Rowing Club is Geelong's oldest rowing club; it was established in 1870 but it's foundation was built upon a solid history of earlier clubs and rowers.

    In 1856, four young boys worked together in a local aerated waters and cordial factory located near the shores of Corio Bay in Geelong.They were employed as watermen, rowing the company's supplies and products from ship to shore. Somehow, at about the age of fifteen, they found themselves a boat, banded together in a four and launched themselves into competitive rowing, and into history. At that time there was no formal rowing club in Geelong, but they rowed together for at least six years and were known throughout the town as the "Ginger Beer" boys. Their first competitive outing may have been at the Geelong Regatta of 1857, where in the Tradesmen's Four Oared race a boat by the name of Blue Bonnet, crewed by "mere boys", came first.

Corio Bay 1856

     With no regatta held the following year, their next opportunity for competition came with the Geelong Regatta in March 1859. In a Clement Blunt built gig, the Native Youth, 35 ft. long and the first locally built boat to compete against Melbourne boats, a crew of Tom Kelly, George Graham, John McKinnon and W. Freer won the Four Oared gig race for Amateurs. On passing the flagship, the Native Youth had a strong lead, and were pulling in a style seldom witnessed in an amateur's race. A few days later, it was reported by The Argus, that the Ginger Beer boys, a crew described as "mere lads", had been issued a challenge by the two losing crews, who had attributed their loss to the Native Youth being a much superior boat, and asked to race again once they had time to procure an equally good boat for themselves. The boys replied that they could not afford to spend another six weeks in training and exercise, but if there were any fanciful superiority in their boat they would let either of the other crews have the Native Youth and take their boat in exchange; that they would, after that, take their own boat again, and pull against the other for £50, and whoever did it in the quickest time should be the winner. The challenge was not accepted.

    By October of 1859 two more Blunt boats were seen rowing regularly on the bay; the Native Lass and his most successful boat, the Young Australian, and the Ginger Beer boys were in training for the next Geelong Regatta, to be held at the end of February. The Native Lass, manned by the "native youths" of Graham, Kelly, Freer and McKinnon, came third in the Four Oared race to the winning Young Australian. The next scheduled race was the Four Oared Amateur in gigs, but this race was a failure, on account of the several crews grumbling against each other about a steersman of one boat being an amateur, and the stroke oar of another being a Yarra waterman. After a deal of unsatisfactory altercation one of the crews put an end to the squabble by rowing home. But such was the Geelong rowers belief in the superiority of Blunt's boats, that two crews set themselves for the forthcoming Melbourne Regatta; their first venture into metropolitan competition.

    Held over two days in early May 1860, the regatta course was a sinuous two miles on the Yarra River, from Prince's Bridge to the Cremorne Pleasure Gardens in Richmond, with two almost complete right angle turns. The second day, Saturday 5th May, attracted 2000 spectators, including the Governor-General of Victoria and the Attorney General, and was the first serious effort to establish rowing as a sport in Victoria. Despite early attempts, rowing had been held back by a lack of first class boats and insufficient training by crews.

    The Geelong rowers entered two races - the Junior Four Oared and the Waterman's Race in Four Oared Gigs. The junior crew of Thomas Neil, S. Bleasby, E. Fielding and D. McCallum, with John King as cox, won by almost two lengths in the Young Australian, despite being fouled by a Richmond crew at the start. The winners had to row their very best from end to end and were occasionally very closely pressed. A protest was lodged on the grounds that some of them were above the age of eighteen. A Commissioner of the Supreme Court, who happened to be present, took their affidavits to that effect and they subsequently received their prize - silver oars and rudder to the value of £10.

    In the Waterman's race, the same boat with a crew of George Graham, W. Ryan, T. Amos and John McKinnon took on a Yarra crew and won by three lengths. The Waterman's Four Oared Race in Gigs was admirably contested for the first ¾ of a mile when the superior condition and stroke of the Geelong crew gave a commanding lead. Their style of rowing was universally praised by all the connoisseurs present. From the start to the goal the winners rowed in that finished style only to be obtained by dint of hard practise.

    Leaning forward well over their toes and finishing a long stroke right home to their breasts, the pulled with an almost "oneness" of motion. The long stroke of George Graham who pulled No. 3 was much admired.

Melbourne Regatta 1860. Perhaps the Ginger Beer boys approaching a sharp turn on their way to a win.
Picture source - Melbourne Punch.

    These were the first races won by Geelong crews on a Melbourne course and much of the credit went to the locally built boats. The Melbourne press described them as "a picture of what racing boats should be" and that the Melbourne rowing men and boat builders could take little credit for their efforts.

    In reporting the results the Geelong Advertiser showed unusual restraint - Without going into a hysteria of silly boast, we have much pleasure in congratulating Geelong upon having pulled a very creditable oar at the Melbourne Regatta. The crews and boat returned home that evening by the steamer Citizen, hopefully to an hysterical crowd of supporters.

    At the 1861 Melbourne Regatta John McKinnon, George Graham, Tom Kelly and Robert Green came second to a Yarra crew in the Waterman's Four Oared and then a year later at the same regatta George Graham stroked a crew in the Young Australian to a two lengths win in the Junior Four. Of the Ginger Beer boys, only George Graham continued rowing, joining the city's first rowing club, the Geelong Rowing Club, on its formation in August 1862. 

    Inspired by their efforts, eleven rowing clubs with 145 members began in Geelong over the next decade, but by the end of 1869 all had been disbanded. Only George Graham and John Arthur, a founding member of Barwon, kept the sport alive, occasionally seen in their gig rowing solitarily across Corio Bay towards Limeburner's Point.

STEVE'S PAIR - Safe in the Arms of Barwon.

A wooden pair has been hanging in the Barwon Rowing Club's shed for as long as our oldest members can remember. Always known as "Fairbairn's boat", it has survived onslaughts of paper planes from young coxswains and barrages of bread rolls from more rowdy rowers, the demolition of the old shed, its refurbishment and transfer to pride of place in our new club rooms.

 

Picture source: Barwon Rowing Club

It once belonged to one of the earliest members of the club. Stephen (Steve) Fairbairn was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1862 and educated at Geelong Grammar School between 1874 and 1880. Whilst at school he was taught to row by J.L. Cuthbertson, a teacher at the school and by the Captain of Barwon, Edward Nicholls. The boys were offered free membership by Barwon from 1871 until 1874 when the school formed its own boat club. The school did not have a boathouse on the river until 1877 and so used Barwon Rowing Club's shed and fleet. In 1879 Steve joined Barwon and rowed stroke in the Barwon Rowing Club Senior Eight at the Colac Regatta.  In 1881-84 he read law at Jesus College, Cambridge. He rowed in the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race in the Cambridge crews of 1882, 1883 (both defeated by Oxford), 1886 and 1887 (both victorious), in college crews at the Head of the Cam four times, and in crews which won the Grand Challenge Cup (the blue ribbon of amateur rowing in England), the Stewards', and the Whyfold at Henley Regatta..

Fairbairn returned to Australia between 1884-85 and was then to and fro from England to Australia during 1887-1904, pursuing his family's pastoral interests in Victoria and in Western Queensland at Beaconsfield, originally one the largest sheep stations in Australia.

Picture source: Peter Mallory. The Sport of Rowing - A Comprehensive History. Volume 1. 2011

On a trip to England beginning in 1897 he competed at Henley-on-Thames Regatta and was captain of Thames Rowing Club. In 1898 he was runner up in the Silver Goblets (coxless pairs) at Henley Regatta in a boat built by boat builders, Brewer Swaddle and Co. of Putney, England. This boat was adapted as either a coxless pair or a double sculling boat, being fitted so that that either bow or stern could steer.

  

In 1899 Steve returned to Australia, arriving in Brisbane by steamship with his wife, two young sons, two maids and the boat. In October he travelled to Melbourne, taking the boat with him, where he took extensive exercise  on the Yarra River in his highly finished craft. In November Steve was appointed coach of the Queensland crew for the Intercolonial Eights Championship in Melbourne and had a fortnight's supervision of the crew before the race where Queensland finished last. Before his return to Beaconsfield in the middle of 1900 by rail, he donated the boat to his old club, Barwon. The club President, in acknowledging the gift, spoke of the great interest that Steve had always maintained in the club, and appointed him as the club's first Honorary Life Member.

In 1904 Steve returned to Cambridge where he made his name as one of the most influential of rowing coaches and introduced a new style of rowing, known as Fairbairnism, placing an emphasis on movement - "a perfect loose and easy elastic action" - above strict restrictive conventions on body placement. He died in Cambridge in 1938.

A few months ago, three intrepid gentlemen, John Guiney of Belgrove Hire and Barwon members Gary Giles and Chic Chandley, braved the heights to photograph inside the boat, providing the vital clue to proving its provenance.

Picture Source: Barwon Rowing Club.

The club's thanks go to:

Hear the Boat Sing historians Tim Koch, Peter Mallory, Tom Weil, William "Bill" O'Chee, Goran Buckhorn and Bill Miller.

Michael Kemp. Vintage Wooden Rowing Shells Australia."One of the oldest and most important shells remaining in Australia".

Rob Gardner, Sean Drew, Sam Elliott and Alan Chalmers for stripping back the old varnish.

Tom Prime for restoration of the boat and storage until the new shed was built.

Rob Gardner, Sean Drew, Alan Chalmers and Peter White for hanging the boat in the new shed.

 

Picture source: Barwon Rowing Club

 For 118 years past and present members of the club have cared for the boat. Thanks to their committment, we are now able to confirm not only that the boat belonged to the great Steve Fairbairn but that it is one of the oldest and most important wooden shells remaining in Australia.

It Was All Right While It Lasted. Lieutenant John Charles PAUL

The Barwon Rowing Club's World War One memorial, with its broken granite column symbolic of a young life cut short, lists eleven names. The first of the club's rowers to be killed was J.C. Paul, just a few hours after he had landed at Gallipoli.

John Charles PAUL, known as Jack, was born at Queenscliff, Victoria, on 11 April 1893 to John Keating Paul and Norah (nee Ryan). He was their second son born there; his brother Henry arriving the year before. Their father was a career soldier stationed at Fort Queenscliff with the Garrison Artillery. John Paul Snr. was born in London in 1864, educated at Rugby school and studied at the Royal Military Academy before joining the 2nd Battalion, Sussex Regiment. He served in Egypt, the Sudan and the north-western Indian frontier before emigrating to Australia in 1889 when his time of service expired. When his sons were young he volunteered for service in the Boer War and served as Company Quartermaster Sergeant of the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles, and later Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant to the 1st Australian Regiment. He returned to Geelong, living in Gheringhap Street, and after 1910 was posted as Master Gunner to Fort Largs in Adelaide, South Australia.

John Charles Paul

Both Henry and Jack were boarders at the Geelong College where they were active in the Senior Cadets, with Jack winning a Victorian Rifles Association medallion for shooting in 1906. On leaving school in 1910, Jack obtained employment as a wool traveller with Dalgety and Co's Geelong office and took up residence at the Golden Age Hotel, a short walk from the office along the Geelong foreshore. That same year he joined the Citizens Military Forces and Barwon Rowing Club, at a time when the membership doubled to 61. One of his first competitive races was at the 1912 Henley-on-the-Yarra regatta, where he rowed four seat at 6ft. and 11st. 8lbs. The crew won by a length in their heat but lost the final by half a length in a splendid race, moving the rowing correspondent of the Melbourne Argus to comment that "of the country clubs, the best on form was undoubtedly the Barwon Maiden Eight".

By 1913 the club had 78 members and was enjoying one of their most successful years. Jack was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, E Company (Geelong) of the 70th Australian Infantry Regiment, and graduated to stroke seat, winning the Maiden Four at the Ballarat Regatta. Early in 1914 he stroked the winning crew of the Maiden Eight at Ballarat.

Jack Paul. Maiden Eight stroke. Ballarat 1914

News of the outbreak of war reached Geelong on 6 August, 1914, but even before war was declared military preparations had begun. On 2 August, Lieut-Colonel William Bolton, C.O. of the 70th Infantry, was summoned to Victoria Barracks where he received orders to mobilise and proceed to Queenscliff to defend the forts covering the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. On 7 August members of the regiment from Ballarat boarded a train bound for Queenscliff, stopping at Geelong to pick up local members. A few days later Bolton was appointed C.O. of the newly formed 8th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, and, as such, had the right to choose his officers, picking Jack Paul, and another Barwon member Leo Hagger as the regimental bugler. By the 24th of the month Jack, now aged 21years and four months, was appointed 2nd Lieutenant B Company of the 8th Battalion.

Back row 1st left - Bugler Leopld Hagger. Front Row seated middle Lieut. J.C. Paul

At his farewell in Geelong he was presented with a thermos flask, compass and dressing case by the members of his company in the 70th Infantry and then left to spend a few weeks with his parents and sister Ethel at Fort Largs. He left Adelaide at the beginning of September to start his duties at Broadmeadows Camp. On 11th October he was in command of the advance party to prepare the troopship Benalla at Port Melbourne. He left Victoria as part of the first convoy on 19 October, arriving in Egypt on 8 December.

The voyage was not without its trials for a young lieutenant - at the crossing of the line ceremony the troops pursued their officers, forcing them to take refuge in the hospital where their Commanding Officer found them drenched to the skin on the open verandah. The soldiers had formed a human chain and were passing up fire buckets to throw on them. During the trip they were informed that instead of arriving in England, they were to be diverted to Egypt for further training. Apparently most of the officers were none too pleased.

Jack settled into training at Mena Camp and on 1 February was promoted to Lieutenant. He was very shortly to see some action, as a letter to his father published in the Adelaide Advertiser describes.

There is more than a touch of human interest in a letter from Lieut. J.C. Paul ... It was written in Egypt on February 13th last and is from the pen of man who has the power, in simple, unvarnished language, to draw a picture of the battle as seen by a soldier. It tells of the introduction of the Australians to active warfare in the trenches, and is one of the most interesting epistles yet received in Adelaide. Lieutenant Paul says - 

We actually got to the front. We were sent post haste, about 10 days ago, to the Canal. The Turks were advancing rapidly. We arrived at Ismalia at midnight and marched to our bivouac in the rain. The guns were booming along the battle front and rifles were cracking in the distance. Shrapnel was bursting about a quarter of a mile from where we lay in reserve all night. At 3am in the morning things became quiet and a general retreat of the Turks set in. 

We were shoved aboard a train at dawn, and my company sent down the line to a place called El Ferdan to reinforce the New Zealanders, 5th Gurka Rifles, 33rd Punjabis, Gwalor Rifles, and East Lancashire Artillery. We went straight to the trenches of sandbag redoubts, but the Turks were retiring across the low desert hills in disorder about 6000 yards away. So our infantry had to just look on. The artillery and gunboats in the Canal were shelling the hills and making a mess of things for the Turks.We had plenty of fun enough to keep one alert with snipers who were busy until the Gurkas went out and cleared them away.

It was our first taste of war, and our battalion was the first Australian infantry to be at the front. As the Turks had retired 60 miles in a week we were sent back to our base yesterday. It was all right while it lasted. The only regrettable thing was that the New Zealanders bore the brunt of it, instead of us. They had two killed and fourteen wounded. There were about 30 casualties among the Indian troops. The Turks lost more than 1000 killed and nearly as many wounded, besides about 1300 prisoners. They came into our posts in groups with the white flag out and gave themselves up. They said they were sick of it. They told us they only got one water bottle full for a week and rushed the water when we gave them a drink... they seemed glad to surrender.

We swept out in fan shape, with the Indian troops, to clear the desert to the hills and bury their dead. I take my hat off to the shooting of the naval guns. They had blown the trenches to bits. The dead were everywhere, and the sand of the desert was red with blood. The wounded were pitifully torn in all directions by shrapnel, and howled and moaned as we lifted them onto stretchers. I saw some of the most horrible sights one could wish to see. In one trench a doctor had been busy and his instruments and case were lying there, when he was cleared out by John Bull's seamen gunners. I collected some of the bullets as a memento.

I believe the names of the 7th and 8th have gone in for battle bars. It is simply rotten being back at the base after doing actual war work, but I think before this reaches you we will be in France and well into it. I have seen Cairo pretty well ... I have seen nearly all the types of Indian soldiers. The Gurkas are the great pals of the Australians. They palled up as soon as they met, and the Australians taught them how to swear and to play poker and nap. They are the jolliest, funniest little soldiers I ever saw, always playing and tumbling about. They just suited our boys. They get drunk when they can and smoke cigarettes. Now we are longing to get to France. I'll take your tip after this and quit soldiering, and settle down to civil work after this remarkable scamper around the world. I think the Great War will end as it began. Now I will ring off for today. 

"Simple and unvarnished language" it may have been, but after the publication of his letter all hell broke loose in Adelaide. A former Presbyterian chaplain to British troops in India immediately responded - great injustice to Australian soldiers ... I protest ... I never heard, or saw, of a Gurka soldier being drunk. It was quickly followed by another letter, this in defence of Jack, although, in fairness, it was written by one of his relatives who had served with Jack's father in India, and it contained such sentiments as ...wowsers ...narrative cannot be doubted for one moment ..big hearted Australians, etc., etc.

We are shown yet another side of Jack from the diary of an English private in the 8th Battalion. Jack comes across as a bit of a lad, exploring all that Egypt has to offer, friendly with all ranks and liking a drink, a feed and a bit of a yarn.

February 16th - went with Lieut. Paul and five other fellows patrolling the streets in pairs. Assembed at 11.30 and then Mr. Paul shouted, yarned til 12.30 and got back to barracks about 10 o'clock.

February 21st - went around with Lieut. Paul and had my eyes opened more than ever. Mr. Paul is a real sport. Things were quiet and we parted from Mr. Paul's friends, Joe and his friend, another Egyptian. Another fellow, an Englishman, was with us, and he and Mr. Paul and myself went to the National Hotel, where they were staying and had a drink and something to eat. I left them after a yarn with Mr. Paul, he has promised to take me around again tomorrow night by which time I will have seen enough of Cairo.

February 22nd - went away with Lt. Paul and Pte. Hayes about 9.45 and picked up Lieuts. Barrett and Hardy at Sheppards Hotel, also two Englishmen, staying at the National. Went all through the Wassa and saw all there was to see, it entirely sickened me. Left them at midnight and Hayes and I made for home.

Jack embarked on 8 April from Alexandria for the three day trip to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos. During their three week stay, several practice landings were made on the beach and they were allowed ashore on leave only once or twice. On about the 23rd Jack's battalion was told that the attack on Gallipoli would take place on Sunday 25th. Iron rations were issued and all the men's kits checked. Another lieutenant in the 8th, John Charles Barrie, later wrote in his memoirs:

Saturday the 24th was a wet day, everything was ready, and the troops were allowed to rest. In the afternoon, sixteen of us foregathered in one cabin ... and in a spirit of fun Lieut. Jack Paul forecasted our fate. He was a big, fine-looking chap, the son of a soldier, and one of the best himself, liked by all of us. Taking each in turn, he told us what would happen to us on the morrow, and that he himself would be killed. He was killed that first day, and, strangely enough, his entire forecast almost came true.

Lieut. J.C. Paul took part in the landing on 25 April as part of the second wave. Contrary to the original plan, his battalion was rushed to Bolton's Ridge. One officer was killed and another wounded as they were starting off but Jack's company advanced, driving off some Turks. When Turkish reinforcements arrived in overwhelming numbers and ammunition was running low, his company withdrew and it was during this retirement that Jack was wounded. A fellow Barwon Rowing Club member, Private Norman Hurst, later wrote to the Geelong office of Dalgety and Co. with further news.

All we know of him ... is that he was wounded during the retreat of April 25th. He and his party chased the Turks inland, but ammunition was running short. Then they had to come back to our present position. When he was hit, five fellows went out under heavy machine gun and shrapnel fire to bring him in. He ordered them to leave him and save themselves. When, however, they went to get hold of him he drew his revolver on them,  and they had to leave him. On the day of the armistice they hunted everywhere for his body, but could not find it. Some hope that he is a prisoner.

Jack's body was discovered by members of the 9th Battalion on 28th June; his identity disc was removed and his body buried on the spot. He had been listed as missing and it was more than six months before he was confirmed as killed in action and his family notified of his death. Six weeks later his father resigned his commission with the Citizen Forces and enlisted in the A.I.F. at the age of 50 years and 11 months, and was quickly appointed Lieutenant in the 32nd Battalion. The Geelong Advertiser reported that he had enlisted to revenge the death of his son, who had met his death like a hero.

I hope to go to the front soon to avenge my dear boy's death. It is a great privilege to me to know that I will have the opportunity of educating a lot of fine young fellows how to assist me in the work of how best to slaughter the copper-coloured scum of Europe. I only hope I may also have the pleasure of sending to a bad place as many Germans as possible. I shall try to secure you the fez of the Sultan of Turkey.

He later transferred to the Field Artillery, earning a D.S.O. with the 105th Howitzer Battery in June 1917. But one month later he was returned to Australia as medically unfit, suffering from nervous exhaustion, sleeplessness, wasting, loss of appetite and exhaustion.

Following the official notice of Jack's death, his obituary in the local paper described him as being of splendid physique and rare dash - one of the most dashing lieutenants in the A.I.F.  Amongst his belongings returned to his family was a fez cap. Jack's body was never found again, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey.

On the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, Nurse Madge MacInerney of Balaclava, Victoria placed an In Memoriam notice in the Melbourne Argus. It read -       In loving memory of Jack, Lieut. J.C. Paul, 8th Battalion, killed at Gaba Tepe, April 25,1915. Dearly loved and sadly missed.

And then at the end of the war in 1919 she again placed a notice - In sad and loving memory of Jack, (Lieut. J.C. Paul), 8th Battalion, killed in action Gaba Tepe, April 25th, 1915. Sadly missed. One of Australia's best and bravest.

Regeneration of a Rowing Club after the Great War.

How does a rowing club regenerate itself after the toll of the Great War? Barwon Rowing Club had an enlistment rate of 91% and eleven members killed. All of its members did not return home until the end of 1919, the last being welcomed back by his local church bells playing "There's No Place Like Home", and few of them returned to the sport either through wounds or trauma. Yet within three years the club had won the Victorian Rowing Association's Junior Premiership, the first win by a non-metropolitan club since since the award's inauguration in 1905, and came third in the Senior Premiership. The results were even more significant as this was a change-over year, with the rowing season being altered from June to May to January to December, and as such was held over an eighteen month period. The club would not win a Victorian award again until 1957.

The resurgence was driven by an energetic secretary/treasurer and a renovated clubhouse combining to produce a rapid increase in membership. At the same time there was also a community driven River Improvement Scheme which saw improvements to the rowing course and the removal of bends and beds of reeds.

The beginning of 1920 saw the resumption for the first time in five years of the Barwon Regatta, the 1919 regatta having been cancelled due to crowd restrictions placed as a result of the Spanish flu epidemic which followed the soldiers return. In November 1920 with the first post war rowing season underway, the club revived the 1914 plans to extend the club's facilities. A sub-committee was appointed to design and finance the new works. As well as providing extra boat storage under one roof, consolidating the numerous outbuildings which housed the fleet, and more modern facilities for the rowers, the overall scheme allowed for the expansion of the club's activities into athletics and other sports. The final proposal recommended the addition of a second storey, construction of a balcony, secretary's office, board room and billiard room and the provision of a gymnasium equipped with boxing ring and wrestling mat. Electric lighting was also to be installed as were catering facilities to provide an evening meal for rowers in training.

Albert Renshaw

Early in 1922, member and former serviceman Albert Renshaw's tender of £865/10/- for building works was accepted, with the final cost expected to be £1500. Altogether 78 members, companies and prominent citizens purchased debentures in the Athletic Section of the club at £1 each to finance the works and a bank guarantee of £850 secured the balance. Albert had enlisted in the A.I.F. in the middle of 1916 and arrived in France at the end of June 1918. He served with the Fifth Divisional Artillery Column until the end of the war. In January 1919 he was sent to England with migraine. He was eventually discharged as medically unfit in March with vertigo, headache and "debility", probably post traumatic stress disorder. The new rooms were opened in November 1921 before an audience of 300 and were dedicated the club's fallen members. They were described as the best rowing facilities in the Commonwealth.

The driving force behind the club's growth was Harold Hurst. He had been educated at the Geelong College and joined Barwon in 1911 aged 23 years. He enlisted in the A.I.F.'s 5th Battalion in August 1914 but was discharged as medically unfit with pneumonia a month later. Harold joined the Barwon committee in 1916 and throughout the war years volunteered with the Geelong branch of the Red Cross. Early in 1921 he took on the dual roles of secretary and treasurer and by October Barwon's general committee had approved the club's new athletic section, with rules drafted by Harold, incorporating athletics, harriers, a football team, boxing and wrestling. By 1922 this new section was conducting the Victorian Championships in boxing and wrestling.

In 1919 membership numbered 75, in 1920 just 83, in 1921 it had grown to 126 and at the end of 1922 it stood at 227, an increase of 200% in three years.

Harold Hurst

Harold served on both the general and athletics committees until 1924. He placed a great emphasis on physical fitness and training and organised the training programme for the Geelong contestants for the Empire Games. In 1924 he was granted leave of absence from the club to travel to England to attend both the Games and the Imperial Scout Jambouree. Upon his return all his energies were then focused on the scouting movement.

Amongst the club's many wins during the premiership period, the most significant was a feat never before seen in Victorian rowing and not witnessed since: the "double double", i.e. winning the Junior and Senior Eights at the Ballarat Regatta and then again a week later at the Barwon Regatta in 1922.

The "Double Double".

But the momentum was lost with the departure of Hurst and the emphasis returned to rowing. Membership numbers gradually declined until by 1925 they had reduced to just 50, with the committee deploring the lack of members to take advantage of the magnificent facilities. With the Depression and World War Two it would be many years before the clubhouse was again full.

BARWON IN THE AIR. Part Two - Capt. Henry 'Smiler' Storrer. "Chosing death, he went out like a man".

HENRY HAIGH STORRER

Picture Source Barwon Rowing Club

Henry, known as Harry, was born on 3 September 1888 in Geelong, the eldest son of Henry James and Margaret Turnbull (nee Haigh) Storrer. He attended Central College in Geelong and Melbourne University where he qualified as an accountant. He commenced work as a shipping clerk with Dennys Lascelles Pty. Ltd. and was later their accountant and manager of the firm's motor garage.

He joined Barwon Rowing Club in 1905 and rowed successfully in Maiden events from 1913-1915. His younger brother, Charles Murray, also rowed with Barwon and his father was a Vice-President of the club. He was a keen sportsman, over six feet tall and of solid build, being a member of the winning relay team for the Geelong Wool Brokers in 1913. He also played football in the Geelong Junior Football Association from 1908 until 1911, and was a keen tennis player.

Picture Source News of the Week

When the First World War commenced Harry had been a serving officer for seven years with the Australian Garrison Artillery based at Queenscliff. Upon the outbreak of war he was appointed bombing instructor at the Geelong Camp. He applied several times for permission to enlist in the A.I.F. for overseas service, but was always refused permission by the A.G.A., due to the importance of his home duties. Then in August 1915, his brother Murray was killed at Gallipoli. Three months later on 16 November 1915, Harry managed somehow to enlist in the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column. However the authorities in Geelong soon missed him and legend has it that he was removed from the ship before it sailed.

But Harry was determined one way or another to serve at the front. In March 1916 he successfully qualified to enter the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria, to train as a pilot and on completion of the course in June he went on to become one of the school's instructors. Late in August Harry took off from Point Cook in a military biplane and flew down to Geelong, encircling the city and even perhaps looping the loop over Barwon's shed and waggling his wings down past his home in McKillop Street.

1916 Officers Aviation School Point Cook. Henry is on the far right.

Picture Courtesy Australian War Memorial.

On 1 October 1916 Harry enlisted in the Australian Flying Corps, embarking from Melbourne with No. 2 Squadron as O.C. Troops on 25 October 1916. He arrived in England on 28 December and was sent for further training with the Royal Flying Corps in aerial gunnery, wireless and observation. In August 1917 he was promoted to Captain and graded as Flight Commander of 69 Squadron. He arrived in France on 26 August 1917 as part of No. 3 Squadron, the first Australian Flying Unit to serve on the Western Front.

Three months later the Squadron moved to Flanders; its duties included locating enemy gun emplacements, artillery spotting and bombing patrols in two seater RE8s. Throughout November there was little work for the pilots as bad weather severely restricted their patrols. However, as troops continued to advance, the squadron's work became essential regardless of the continual mist and rain. On 2nd December, as the squadron's war diary records, an urgent message was support was received.

The tenth stage of the Passchendaele offensive having commenced, the order was given that machines of No. 69 Squadron must be kept on the line to endeavour to locate flashes from the high velocity enemy guns shooting from positions in front of 1 ANZAC on to Passchendaele ridge. The day was not a good flying day. A gusty wind was blowing from the West rendering it necessary to take off over Bailleul town. Captain H.H. Storrer, Flight Commander, and Lieut. W.N.E. Scott, Observer, took off in RE8 A3755 at 10.45 a.m. In banking to avoid some trees the machine lost flying speed and crashed on a brick wall on the Western boundary of the aerodrome. Both Pilot and Observer were killed instantly. In spite of the bad visibility and high wind, one successful knockout shoot was completed ... and photographs were taken ... of special parts of enemy front line required by the infantry.

Harry's crashed aircraft showing its proximity to the town.

Photo Courtesy National Archives of Australia.

Nine days later his parents were informed of the death of their eldest son and the flags at all the Geelong wool stores and the Dennys Lascelles garage were lowered to half mast.

At his memorial service at the Newtown Presbyterian Church in Newtown held on 16 December, it was said of him: He was known amongst his intimates as "Smiler" because of his sunny disposition. At the store, on the river, at the Guild, as an officer of His Majesty's forces, in tent life far away from home amongst strangers, as flight commander, he was the clean-living, good-hearted comrade. Living for his duty he did it in splendid and magnificent style. It was natural that such a man should find his place amongst the most intrepid, adventurous and highest type in the war - the airmen. To know him was to love him; he was modest in his achievements, radiant in disposition, pure and noble in character, kind and courteous to all.

Many of Harry's fellow officers later wrote to his parents, one mentioning further details of the accident, in particular that as the wind tossed Harry's plane around it was in danger of falling on nearby buildings and shops. To avoid this he took a sharp turn, then the wind got underneath the tail of the machine, which crashed down onto a high brick wall at the rear of the houses. Another wrote that Harry's death did not happen in fight or in any way where excitement would help him. The whole affair ... was typical of Storrer. That was the opinion voiced throughout the squadron. I am more proud to have known Harry with his manner of dying than if he had gained distinctions in fighting. Fighting in hot blood is easy compared with what Harry did. He knew that he was practically choosing death. the other boys all knew it, but instead of asking someone else to take the risk, as he had a perfect right to do, he preferred to do it himself, and went out like a man.

Picture Courtesy Australian War Memorial

LEST WE FORGET

BARWON IN THE AIR. Part One - Captain John Bell and the Monkey.

JOHN BELL

John at Geelong Grammar School

John was born on 7 October 1885 near Bannockburn, one of four sons and a daughter born to John and Annie (nee Russell) Bell. He attended Geelong Grammar School and rowed 7 seat in the 1904 and 1905 Head of the River crews. He also served seven years with the School Cadets, the last year as a Lieutenant. He joined Barwon Rowing Club in 1906, the year after he left school, and rowed for the club at Barwon Regattas in Maiden Eights in 1907 and Maiden Fours in 1908. He played eighteen games for the Geelong Football Club in the 1906 and 1908 seasons as a reliable defender.

At the beginning of 1914 John was managing the family property 'Wurrock' near Shelford. After arranging that his youngest brother, George, take over management of the property, he enlisted in the A.I.F. on 3 September at 29 years of age, giving his occupation as grazier. Enlisting on the same day was Edward Norman Belcher, a fellow Barwon member. Both men were appointed lieutenants in the Automobile Corps, donating their La Buire cars; John's a 15.9 h.p. and Edward's a 10-12 h.p., to the Army. The La Buire was imported from France and assembled at Everett Bros.' motor workshop in Geelong.

The two men and their cars embarked from Melbourne on 21 October 1914, attached to the 1st Light Horse Brigade Headquarters. After arriving in Egypt they served as drivers for high ranking officers. Early in 1915 Lieut. Belcher wrote home that We are now all settled with the Light Horse, and the same applies to the Infantry, at Mena, near the Pyramids. We (the staff) have an unfurnished bungalow about 300 yards from the camp, and are a very happy family. The cars are all running A1; mine is as good as ever. I go into Cairo nearly every day, or to the Mena Camp, on headquarters work. Today the sand is blowing everywhere. There is a race meeting at Cairo tomorrow (the Khedive Sporting Club) to which I am making a big effort to go; it is only 20 minutes run to Cairo in the car.

We have about half a dozen Arabic interpreters attached to the camp, so there is not much chance of getting boxed with the niggers. The natives are just about the most cunning gentlemen I have struck. Their one and sole object is to best you. They get into the middle of the road, and it takes an extra loud blast to move them. It does not matter much if you kill a native; perhaps it will cost you a fiver, but woe betide you if you kill his donkey. The litigation, etc., they say, would be endless - of course this is all hearsay. Well, Bell is waiting for this to go to Cairo so I must close.

John wrote that It is extraordinary the fellows one runs across, some I had no idea were with the show. We are contemplating a reunion of old boys over here when we get in touch with them, but it is rather difficult to find them all, spread about as we are. We get a good deal of running about in the cars and to see a fair amount of the country ... it is very picturesque.

In May 1915 John arrived on Gallipoli as part of the staff of the Brigade. In the middle of October he was appointed temporary Staff Captain and then later as senior Aide-de-Camp to Colonel Chauvel.

Lieutenant John Bell on the left, standing next to General Chauvel.

Photo Courtesy Australian War Memorial.

In October 1915 John was evacuated to hospital in Malta with enteric fever and three weeks later was sent to hospital in England, taking a few months to recover. Upon his discharge from hospital he went on leave and during this time he arranged a transfer to the British Army with the Royal Flying Corps. From March of 1916 he trained in England with the Australian Flying Corps in 68 Squadron, arriving in Egypt with the squadron in August. Less than a month later he was participating in photography reconnaissance and the bombing of El Arish. He flew with fellow Australians William Guilfoyle and Stan Muir, renowned for flying with his pet monkey, all of them formerly with the Australian Light Horse.

In January 1917 the squadron moved to England, complete with the pet monkey, and commenced nine months of training for action on the Western Front with No. 2 Squadron, Australia's first operational scout unit, in Airco De Havilland DH5s, a relatively new biplane. Just prior to the group leaving for France, John's best friend, Stan Muir, was accidentally killed. Stan had enlisted in the 4th Light Horse and embarked aboard the Wiltshire along with several Barwon members. He transferred to the R.F.C. about the same time as John and they were in Palestine together when Stan was awarded the Military Cross. On 29 September 1917 Stan was testing a new DH5 biplane and had been in the air for about twenty minutes and was about to return to the hangar when its wings snapped and he fell 500ft. and was killed instantly. He was regarded as one of the best six pilots in the A.F.C. and was noted for his "stunts". Eyewitness accounts tell that when the onlookers went to the smash the man was unrecognisable, every bone in his body must have been broken; our crowd was all broken up over his death, for he was white to the soles of his feet. His death really affected John; he was apparently "pretty inconsolable".

No. 2 Squadron England 1917. John Bell is 5th from the right.

Photo Courtesy Australian War Memorial.

On the morning of 20 November 1917 the battle for Cambrai in France began in a heavy mist. Fierce artillery barrages were under way from both sides when a flight of six planes from John's squadron took off to bomb the German lines. The mist was so heavy that formation flying was impossible and so the planes set off in pairs. John, the squadron's most experienced and able flight commander, led C Flight out on the first ground attack assignment. John choose to attack a series of German artillery positions and received serious bullet wounds in the chest from ground fire, forcing him to land near the front lines.

He was rescued by advancing British troops and taken to a Casualty Clearing Station, where he wrote to his brother: I am at present at No. 55 Casualty Clearing Station, having been wounded on the 20th November. We went out at 7 a.m.(my flight six machines) on that morning to take part in the Cambrai stunt. It was horribly foggy and misty, only could see about 300 feet. At one aerodrome next to ours the patrol went off and ran into each other over their own drome; two chaps killed. Well,I tootled off with the other chaps behind me, but soon lost them and never saw them again. Our job was to go low and strafe the trenches with machine guns ahead of the tanks, which were rolling up the wire on the Hindenburg line. I soon found the war, shells, tanks, rifles, in fact a little hell. I spotted a crowd of Huns sitting round the top of a dugout, like a lot of rabbits round a burrow. I dived and let off a burst at them and they hopped it. I came back to have another go at 'em when they must have got a machine gun or a couple of rifles onto me (I was only about 100 feet away by this time) and plugged me behind the left shoulder, and hit the petrol tank. Luckily she did not catch on fire, and I managed to turn on my spare tank and the engine picked up. I had horrible wind up for a bit, thought I was down in Hunland. I managed to pull myself together and flew towards our lines, where I could see our forward guns flashing, and landed safely by a fluke alongside a battery, where they soon had me out of the machine and on a stretcher down to a dressing station, and from thence down to here, where I was operated on that night. Cracked a rib and sent a couple of pieces into the lung, otherwise no damage done elsewhere, which is rather lucky. However, what there is is painful enough, but I am getting along OK, and expect they will shift me on to the base in a week or so now, and then onto England.

Our Commanding Officer came up and saw me one evening. I am now back in the A.I.F. My transfer went through on October 28th. Whether it will make any difference I don't now know. the only thing is they may give me a trip to Australia when convalescent, which would be a rather nice change. Anyway I am going to have a good spell until winter is over.

During that morning, four pilots were shot down and seven aircraft crashed.

An AIRCO DH5.

Photo Courtesy Australian War Memorial.

Private Verner Knuckey was a wireless operator with the squadron and wrote of John's exploits in his diary. Captain Bell - OC of my flight - got a very short run for his morning - very early in the morning he got shot through the chest - the bullet passing right through and into his petrol tank behind. We always made a boast in our flight that no matter what happened, Capt. Bell he would make a good landing. He was a stretcher case from the moment he was taken out of his machine and yet he landed safely and for anyone knowing how difficult it is to land a DH5 aeroplane that will realise what a spirit this man had. He was taken away to hospital at once as he came down near an English battery of artillery, was operated on early in the afternoon and latest reports are that he is doing well. He was the last of our three very good pilots who came from Egypt with us. Re death of Stan Muir - he and Capt. Bell were bosom pals, and I will never forget the look on the latter's face at Muir's graveside. For months Capt. Bell has been a changed man, always a thorough gentleman, and last week some of us remarked that our Captain was just beginning to get over the loss of his friend. We all hope Capt. Bell gets better but we don't expect him back with us again as no doubt he will go back to England and get charge of one of the new squadrons forming up there. C Flight were very proud of their Captain both as an officer and a man, he would come up to our quarters and see if we were comfortable, and suggest improvements and get them for us. He was a level headed cool pilot and knew his game from A to Z.

Although initially seeming to improve, John died of his wounds in his sleep on 27 December 1917. His Colonel said of him He had God's own gift of making friends wherever he went. I have lost a real friend and a first rate one, and the Squadron, a fine officer and leader. At the end of the war, Private Knuckey wrote of John's death that he was One of the best pilots that ever stepped into a machine. Low flying was the order of the day (I think for the first time in the annals of this war) and in any case it was the first time that scout machines were used for carrying bombs, as each man carried 20lb. bombs under their machines. On December 28th we were advised by telephone that he had died during the night before at 10 pm. and so that saw the end of the three wonderful airmen we had brought from Egypt with us [Guilfoyle, Muir and Bell], perhaps the three best men that ever flew with the A.F.C.

You will remember me speaking of a small monkey we brought from Egypt with us owned by Capt. Muir. At his death Capt. Bell took charge of him and we brought him with us on to France. Bell died in hospital some twenty miles from our aerodrome and the night he passed away the poor little monkey passed also, it seems a very strange coincidence as we have had many colder nights before. He had caused great amusement among the French folk, most of them never having seen a monkey before, and as a regimental pet he was a great favourite.

A four-bladed propeller, suitably inscribed by the members of his squadron, was placed at John's grave. Late in December his brother, William, wrote to Army Base Records in Melbourne, enquiring about the fate of John's car, which he claimed he had given to his brother as a gift. He received the following reply: I have endeavoured to ascertain some information concerning the motor car which your brother took away with him on active service, but, beyond the fact that it automatically reverted to the Government nothing can be learned concerning it. William replied that it was of no matter, he had just wanted to be reassured that it was still "doing its bit". He later wrote asking for the return of the inscribed propeller but received only the memorial tablet.

Whilst John was lying injured at the C.C.S., his mother and sister were both in London - his sister, Margaret Gladys, working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment in London hospitals. As John was too ill to be moved, and because his C.C.S. was so close to the front lines, they were unable to visit him, although he wrote to his mother every day to reasssure her that he was progressing well.

Of his three brothers, the eldest William remained in Geelong working at Dennys Lascelles wool brokers. His other brothers, George Russell and Alan, both served with the British Army in the Royal Field Artillery. George died of wounds, sustained just a week before the Armistice was declared, on 4 December 1918, whilst Alan survived the war, although badly gassed.On 28th April 1931 the family dedicated two stained glass windows at the All Saints' Chapel at Geelong Grammar School. John's window depicts a young schoolboy holding a football.

LEST WE FORGET

Barwon, Bread and the British War

What is the connection between this British World War One poster and a Barwon member?

In December 1916 the Ministry of Food Control was established in Britain with their biggest issue the shortage of bread and grain; just six weeks supply was available. German submarines were sinking merchant ships headed to Britain in an attempt to starve the nation into submission and to destroy morale. 

In Australia, there had been a record wheat harvest in 1915-16, but shipping shortages had made the crop virtually unsaleable. The Australian government had established the Wheat Board in 1916 at the same time that the American wheat harvest had failed. The British government then agreed to buy the entire Australian wheat crop. Within two months the Australian government had passed legislation that allowed the Australian Wheat Board to control all shipping and marketing of wheat to Britain.

By early 1917 the shipping shortage was so severe that the wheat was left to moulder on wharves and there were plagues of mice and weevils. Between December 1916 and June 1917, 1,274,497 bags of wheat had been shipped from Geelong and more than 3 million bags were stockpiled at North Geelong station and Corio Quay.

Barwon Rowing Club member, Alexander Ritchie, was a clerk with the Dalgety and Co. Geelong office, with responsibility for finding ships to take the wheat to Britain. On Monday 30 July 1917, Alexander left Geelong by steamer on a short break, intending to travel around the company's agents in the Wimmera and Mallee districts. The next day he was seen at the Goldsbrough Mort annual ram sales in Melbourne, and then never again.

Another Barwon member, James Francis Guthrie, was the Geelong manager at Dalgety. On Saturday 28 July Alexander met him for lunch, where his boss advised him to take a short holiday. Since the beginning of the year he had been working seven days a week and was complaining of headaches and feeling "off-colour" and depressed. His job had been made even more stressful when in the middle of June that year the amount of wheat waiting in the rail yards to be offloaded into the stockpiles had reach 30 truckloads. The shipping agents' clerks had started to unload the trucks themselves, although apparently Alexander refused to participate. The union for 'wheat lumpers' promptly declared the wheat "black" and went on strike, putting at risk any future shipments from Geelong.

On the Monday following his meeting with Guthrie, Alexander boarded the steamer to Melbourne and was seen disembarking there, but strangely left his suitcase behind on the boat. His brother, William Ritchie, Barwon's former Treasurer, was informed of his disappearance by telephone at his home near Camperdown 3 days later and immediately starting making enquiries in Geelong, Portarlington and Melbourne. He even searched all the A.I.F. camps in case his brother had enlisted. No trace of him was ever found and it was thought at the time that he had either lost his memory or had drowned. Over the ensuing years his bank account remained untouched and a search of his lodgings revealed no clues as to his mental state.

In June 1925 the Supreme Court of Victoria granted probate on his estate, on the presumption that Alexander was dead. They made no finding on how he could have met his demise.