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australian rowers profiles and history

Edwin Jack

Tamar Rowing Club (TAS)

Edwin Jack was an accomplished sculler and oarsman pre World War I.

He first came to fame in 1907 when he represented Tasmania in the Interstate Sculling Championship of Australia, finishing third.

Controversy surrounded his 1908 appearance in this Championship when he was disqualified for being a 'professional'. Specifically he was assessed by the other States competing that he was no longer an amateur as he earned a living 'employed in or about boats for wages' thus deemed to be contrary to the amateur definition at the time. Jack was the son of a boat builder and must have worked in the employ of his father. Most galling about this post race decision was that it was reported that he won the race by three lengths and the decision made well after the event.

In his other racing, he was the Tasmanian Championship sculler consecutively for eight years. Two of those years are known to be 1908 and 1911.

He is also recorded as being the bowman of a winning Tamar Stewards' Cup Four at Henley on Yarra in 1909. This crew was stroked by the Club's famous coach J Artis, who supervised club crews in the 1920s.

Jack as shown in the 1907 Interstate Championships program

Jack from the 1908 program

Andrew Guerin

May 2024

Sources

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