Ron Douglas
Ballarat Rowing Club (VIC) now Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club (VIC)
At the time of compiling this profile in September 2024, Ron was 90 and possibly one of the last remaining Ballarat Rowing Club members. He has a great collection of rowing memorabilia from the 1950's including his Ballarat blazer which is in pristine condition. It is now framed and hanging on his wall. The author of this profile, Kate Elliott, noted that Ron is quite a character and raconteur.
Over a period of 12 months, Kate Elliott met with Ron and helped him put his story into a book which is about to be published for his family and friends. The following extract from that book. It covers his rowing years and his connection to Ned Williams who was the first Captain of BRC and continued as Captain from 1864-1884. Well done Kate and Ron and that you for providing an insight into rowing at a Ballarat Club in the 1950s.
His profile follows.
Rowing
Ballarat Rowing Club 1950-1956
My Sporting Life
From the age of 15- 16 years I became involved with the sports of Baseball, Rowing and Badminton, being fortunate to be a member of a couple of Baseball Premiership teams in B Grade and C Grade with the Wendouree Baseball Club.
I joined the Ballarat Rowing Club, initially as a Coxswain. I also became involved in badminton at the club as members of the Rowing Club also competed in several grades of the Ballarat Badminton Association competition.
Membership of The Ballarat Rowing Club provided me with not only sporting opportunities but access to the benefits of being part of a great traditional club and lifelong friendships. The benefits can never be underestimated in terms of life experiences and values. Competing in Regattas throughout the State were wonderful experiences, and we were successful on many occasions. I still have Regatta Programs and Competitors Passes amongst my sporting treasures.
I was a Member and Committee Member for many years and at one stage I had the honour of being Club Captain during 1956 when Lake Wendouree hosted the Olympic rowing.
Ron’s treasured Ballarat singlet still in as new condition.
This is possibly the only surviving example of a Ballarat Rowing Club singlet. Even though it is over 70 years old and worn many times “in battle”, it is perfectly preserved and still in pristine condition.
When Ballarat Rowing Club amalgamated with Wendouree Rowing Club in 1973, they kept two white bars under the white star of Wendouree’s colors to signify the Ballarat white stripes. (From the Ron Douglas memorabilia collection.)
Ron joined the Ballarat Rowing Club in late 1950 as a “skinny”15-year-old as a coxswain. Many of his workmates were already members. The Ballarat Rowing Club was a great environment for young rowers. It provided a great social as well as sporting outlet. Everyone in the club contributed to the club and were proud to wear the red and white stripes of Ballarat Rowing Club. They rowed alongside their workmates and bosses and members from all different backgrounds. Public school boy or apprentice, it didn’t matter. It was very equalitarian and supportive of anyone no matter where you came from.
Other than steering some intra club races, the first “big” regatta he attended was probably the Ballarat Regatta on February 24, 1951. He was probably not experienced enough to cox at the regatta but faced his first real test a month later at the Bairnsdale Easter Regatta on March 24, 1951.
Ballarat Regatta Program, February 24, 1951.
Ron Douglas memorabilia collection.
The Ballarat Regatta was a big affair for all three of the Ballarat clubs as they did not have to travel, and they got to race on their home course. It was also an opportunity for fund-raising with the clubs taking in turns to supply afternoon teas to the visiting oarsmen and spectators.
The Ballarat Regatta of 1951 was also the very first time the “new” 2000metre Olympic course was used. This meant that races finished in the south-west or Convent corner near Mary’s Mount (Loreto) and only six crews could row abreast. Previously races had started at Mary’s Mount corner and finished in front of the three rowing sheds with the capacity to race 20 crews abreast. Ballarat Rowing Club won three races at the regatta, most notably the Lightweight eights in which they fielded a crew that was one of the best in the state.
Cover and entries for Bairnsdale Regatta, March 24, 1951, with R. Douglas listed as the cox of the Ballarat No.2 Maiden eight. This was his first race for the club.
From Ron Douglas memorabilia collection.
Ron must have developed quickly as reasonable coxswain, as he steered the Ballarat No 2 Maiden eight in a first and final against the Ballarat No. 1 eight and a Bairnsdale eight at Bairnsdale Regatta on March 24. The legendary Teddy Jones was also steering Ballarat City Rowing Club crews at the regatta and Ron can remember being somewhat intimidated by him. Ron was just a young lad beginning his rowing journey and Teddy had been coxing all his adult life from the mid 1920’s.
Ron enjoyed being a coxswain, and being one of the youngest club members, the cost of going to regattas was subsidised by the club. The whole club would pack up, with tents for accommodation and food to cook while they were away and head off with boats often precariously tied to the top of someone’s car! Bob Morris, who was club secretary, organised these trips away and everyone from cox to coach was allocated jobs on these rowing trips and so the cooking, cleaning, and washing up was taken care of without the responsibility being given to one person. Bairnsdale Regatta would have been his first trip away with the club which as a sixteen-year-old must have been a big adventure.
Ron on tour with boats on the roof of the early Holden sedan
On Easter Monday, March 26, Ron steered the No.2 Maiden eight at the Sale Rowing Club, Jubilee Regatta. This was a first and final between themselves and No.1 crew with the No.1 crew taking the honours. Ron steered Ballarat crews for one season 1950-51. By the start of the next season 1951-52 he had stepped up to rowing.
Sale Regatta program 1951 and the listing for the First and Final of the Maiden eights with Ron Douglas listed as cox of the Number 2 crew
From Ron Douglas memorabilia collection.
Ron steered a few crews to victory mainly at inter club races against the two other clubs Ballarat City and Wendouree. There was also a strong intra club competition, and coxswains would be in high demand steering in pairs and fours.
Summary of 1950/51 Season from the unpublished history of Ballarat Rowing Club by Tom Cotton.
The highlight of Ron’s coxing career was steering a Ballarat crew to third place in the Victorian Sprint Pair-oared Championship held on Lake Weeroona, Bendigo on March 31, 1951. Ron recalls his crew of G.Vawdrey and R. Irvine won their heat and semi-final and were happy to make the final. Eighteen crews vied for the honour with the Melbourne crew of N.Wills and M.Christie winning the event. This was only the second time the Championship had been held.
Program cover for the Bendigo Rowing, Club Championship Regatta March 31,1951, and entries for the Victorian Pair Oared Sprint Championship.
Ron placed a red tick beside his crew which won their heat and beside the crew which won the final. The Ballarat Rowing Club had six crews entered with a crew in every one of the six heats. Eric Laughton coached two crews. From Ron Douglas memorabilia collection.
We travelled to regattas on a covered truck. The truck was enclosed with tarpaulins which was very cosy. This was an important consideration particularly on the longer trips to Mildura, Sale and Bairnsdale. Bob Doote owned a transport company, Doote’s Transport Co., and owned several trucks. He was also a Ballarat Rowing Club member and drove us to all the regattas.
Our boats and oars were carried on top of the truck, and we sat in the back on whatever was available for comfort on the long trips. I am sure such practices would not be permitted today, but of course this was over 50 years ago.
Melbourne, Bendigo and Geelong were all day trips with everyone leaving early and arriving home late. The Christmas and Easter Regattas required us to arrange accommodation. We did on one occasion stay at a hotel, the Leura Hotel in Camperdown, but mostly we stayed at camping grounds. The club purchased two, 12 foot by 12 foot marquee tents and everyone slept in them. We catered for ourselves, and a roster was organised for cooking, washing up etc. We became very self-reliant.
But despite all the hard work of getting to regattas, Ron said “We still found time to compete and quaff copious ales!”
Young Ron is pictured abovewith two “ales” in hand and cigarette in mouth!
As Ron said, this was 50 years ago and the quaffing of ales when competing, would probably not be approved of today! The tents used by the club were purchased from Bob Lemke’s father George, who ran a canvas good business.
The Lemke’s were well known in Ballarat and Bob (Robert) Lemke was a very well-known baritone singer competing at Eisteddfods around Victoria.
Pictured above is the Leura Hotel, Camperdown, from an old Railways publication.
The Leura was built in 1857 and this photo taken about 1950.
The treble win
By December 1952, Ron was rowing with a new line up in the Novice four. He had been promoted from bow to two seat and K. Canny was listed in the program as the bow seat. However, for some reason, K.Canny was unable to compete and so Neville Foyster rowed in bow seat with Vic Dubberly in three and Frank Atkinson stroking the crew. The coxswain was B. Hawkes and the coach C. Beeston. The crew competed at the Warrnambool Boxing Day Regatta which was run as a treble with Camperdown Regatta on December 27 and Lake Colac Regatta on New Year’s Day, 1953.
At the Warrnambool Regatta there were 12 crews competing in three heats of four. The lads of the Ballarat Rowing Club No. 1 novice four won their first race, winning their heat and then the final. At Camperdown on December 27 there were four heats of three, so the Ballarat crew faced the same crews from the previous day and again won their heat and final. Then at Colac Regatta they won their third novice four, thus taking out the coveted treble. This was the only “treble” that the Ballarat Rowing Club won in its 110-year history!
In Tom Cotton’s unpublished history of Ballarat Rowing Club, he recorded the treble :-
“For the first time in the history of the club a “Treble” was won. This “Treble” being wins by a Novice four (Ron’s four) at the Warrnambool, Camperdown and Colac regatta.”
Ron remembers, “I was fortunate enough to be a crew member in the only treble won by the Ballarat Rowing Club albeit a Novice four at Warrnambool 26/12/1952, Camperdown 27/12/1952 and Colac 1/1/1953.”
Left to right:- The treble boys Ron Douglas, Vic Dubberley, Frank Atkinson, Neville Foyster.
The car they are sitting on is a 1927 Chrysler, number 252567, owned by Vic Dubberley. He was a motor mechanic and the only one of the crew old enough to have his licence.
In January 2007, when Ron first sat down to record his memories, he and his wife Dot had dinner with an old crew mate from this crew, Frank Atkinson. At this time one crew member had already passed away and one crew member was “whereabouts unknown” so there were only two of the crew left. Sadly, Frank passed away in 2010 leaving Ron the sole survivor of the “treble” four.
Ron Douglas looking very like a young “James Dean” sitting on the fender of the Chrysler. He is wearing his club blazer!
Summary of the 1952/53 season from the unpublished history of BRC by Tom Cotton, mentioning the history making treble.
Ron has kept nearly all the programs from his rowing days along with competitors passes, so along with his memories of the “treble”, excerpts from the programs and photographs are pictured in the order of the three regattas.
Ron raced at the Easter Regatta at Mildura in 1953 competing in a Maiden pair with W. Elliott. He was just 17, and underage for being on a licensed premises, but he obtained an Honorary membership of the Mildura Working Man’s Club so he could join his club mates for a beer. Probably quite a few underage rowers were also accorded this “privilege” over the years, as it would have been a rite of passage for many of the oarsmen attending Mildura regatta to have a beer in the legendary Working Man’s Club. Image
Once again, the club travelled in the back of a truck with the boats on top and camped up at Mildura. They then travelled on to Wentworth Regatta on Easter Monday.This was to be the last regatta Ron competed in for six months as, like all young men at this time, was conscripted into the RAAF for his National Service.
He served from June to December 1953 at RAAF Laverton. Most men did their service with the Army, but Ron managed to spend his time at the Laverton Base Workshops working alongside the permanent RAAF tradesmen on a variety of project. Ron’s six months serving in the Nasho’s is detailed in the next section.
ImageRon had a very successful season and for his enthusiasm and hard work in the boat, Ron was awarded the Ballarat Rowing Club’s inaugural “Most Improved Oarsman” trophy. His crewmate from the four, Vic Dubberly, was the Most Successful Oarsman.
Summary of the 1952/53 season from the unpublished history of BRC by Tom Cotton, with Ron Douglas winner of the “Most Improved Oarsman” award.
It was the only treble Ballarat Rowing Club had in its entire 110 year history.
Ned Williams Connection
As well as the influence of Eric Laughton, Ron also had real rowing “Pedigree” as his maternal great, great uncle was the legendary Edward “Ned ”Williams. Ned’s legacy to rowing in Ballarat is commemorated with a marble drinking fountain opposite the Lake View Hotel on Wendouree Parade, Ballarat.
Ned Williams in 1897
Niece of New Williams - Jeanette (Janet) Williams.
Janet Williams was Ron’s grandmother.
Edward “Ned” Williams. Ron’s grandmother on his father’s side of the family was Jeanette (Janet) Williams (1880-1951). Ned William’s was her uncle, and Ron’s great, great uncle. It was only fitting then that Ron should gravitate towards the Ballarat Rowing Club. Ned Williams was Captain of Ballarat Rowing Club from 1862 to 1884 when he “retired” from the Captaincy but remained involved with the club until his death in 1900. He was made a Life Member of the club in 1875, only the third Life Membership granted. The first Life Memberships were awarded to Robinson McLaren and William Clarke in 1867.
Ned won many races in the 1860’s and 70’s often in company of the Cazaly brothers James, Owen, John and Peter. He won his first race at the very first Ballarat and District Regatta held at Lake Burrumbeet on January 31,1862 with partner Henry Golightly. They won the Amateur Pairs race. They won this race and received a silver oar as a trophy. The silver oars are pictured with Ned’s other trophies on page 42. Ned along with Peter, James and John Cazaly won first Senior four race held on Lake Wendouree in 1865. His last recorded win was in 1873 at Barwon Regatta in the Senior fours. Sadly, most of Ned’s trophies “disappeared” with the one pictured, being dug up in a backyard in Adelaide in the 1980’s and returned to Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club where it is on display today. Ned never married and had no children, so the William’s rowing heritage was passed down through his sister’s family. Ned was Captain of the Ballarat Rowing Club for 22 years and was instrumental in many of the club’s successes.
One of Ned Williams trophies - Melbourne Regatta Senior Gig, three seat
Kate Elliott
September 2024