History of Cardross Rowing Club 1947-52

Chapter 6 - 1950-51 Season 

In July 1950, at the start of the season, the club held Learn to Row sessions on a Sunday morning and added six more men and two women to the active membership which was now numbered at 27.

Sunraysia Daily, Saturday 29 July, 1950, page 8

In August 1950 the Cardross Progress Association which had been instrumental in getting the rowing club going, closed down after 25 years. The Association had been involved in gaining many amenities for Cardross including the hall and the land that it was built on, the football club, horticultural club, electric lighting, drainage and many other public services. They were victims to their own success as President Mr. Syd Webb said because they had gained so much for the town there was now little interest in the Progress Association.

In September 1950 it was reported in the Sunraysia Daily that the club were hoping to send crews to Henley-on -Yarra and Dimboola both to be held in November. The Club did attend Dimboola with at least one crew. In the Open Championship fours race the Cardross crew of B. Stewart, J. Spalding and the Mackay brothers, Don and Bill, finished a close second to South Melbourne Rowing Club. No women’s crews competed at Dimboola this year.

The crew for Henley this year had only one returning member of the 1948 crew, Jack Harris. The  junior four comprised F. Stewart, D. Gilham, Jack Harris, and I. Mackay to compete in the Elswick Challenge Cup. They were a strong crew and won through the final against Wendouree Rowing Club where they were beaten by a mere 2 feet! They were very unlucky not to win the Elswick Challenge Cup for the second time.

It was also reported in the Weekly Times (29 November) that at this particular regatta there were three dead heats called by the judges! Given the high number of dead heats and close finishes perhaps the eyesight of the line judge should have been called into question!

Henley on the Yarra program from November 25, 1950
Kate Elliott collection

The program records the Cardross crew entered in the Elswick Challenge Cup as Don Mackay (bow), T. Mackay (2), Jack Harris (3) and O. Stewart as the stroke and coach D. Mackay.

There were no entries from Cardross in the Christmas double regatta at Berri and Renmark.

By March 1951 Cardross crews were reported to be training for the Easter double of Henley on the Murray and Henley on the Darling. Cardross entered a Junior pair at the Mildura regatta that placed second to Mildura rowing club in the final.

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