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James E Barnes

Sydney University Boat Club (NSW)

Little is known about James Barnes as his school years appear to have been during WWII when school racing was in abeyance.

A newspaper article previewing the SUBC crew for the 1947 University Championships records that he was from Armidale and studied veterinary science. It also stated that he had won two domestic four oared races that season.

As a coxswain during that period, he had stiff competition for senior coxing positions with Tom Chessell of Sydney Rowing Club. The Sydney Rowing Club crews were often the better crews in that period and they preferred Tom as their cox. The 1950 year is most interesting as the NSW King's Cup crew contained five University rowers and three Sydney Rowing Club member and was coached by University's Bill Thomas. It was however coxed by Tom Chessell of Sydney Rowing Club. The winning crew was to represent Australia in the British Empire Games. However Tom dropped out after NSW won and Jim Barnes took over the coxing duties. There is a story here but is not known to the author.

1949 NSW King's Cup crew coxed by Jim Barnes

Known rowing record

1946 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, cox -Third

1947 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, cox - First

1948 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, cox - First

1949 - Interstate Championships (NSW), King's Cup, cox - First

1950 - British Empire Games, Men's Eight, cox - First

Andrew Guerin - initiated by David Clarke who was researching the 1950 Commonwealth Games crew
November 2026

Sources

This website for results
Daily Mirror - Sydney Tuesday 27th May 1947 page 27
Sydney Rows by Alan May page 130 published by Sydney Rowing Club 1970

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The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
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