Wilfred (Bill) Parkinson
Born 1909; died 2001
Richmond Rowing Club, Melbourne Victoria
Bendigo Rowing Club, Bendigo Victoria
Yarra Yarra Rowing Club, Melbourne Victoria
Bill was a life member of all the three clubs where he was a member.
The Richmond Rowing Club 150th celebration book records as follows:
'Even at the age of 90, he was still interested in what was happening at Richmond and turning up to rowing events full of enthusiasm. He was described in the RRC Annual Report 1982-83 as the 'Most Helpful Person' for his constant involvement in every area of club activity, taking on the roles of: selector, coach, repairman and organiser of regatta entries. It was speculated in an annual report for the club that every member of the club was indebted to him in some way.
Peter Antonie, World and Olympic rowing champion, said: "It is the Bill Parkinsons who are instrumental in keeping rowing alive and fostering enjoyment of the sport."'
Bill as a coxswain of the winning St Paul Ladies Rowing Club from Bendigo in 1926
The following article appeared in the "Richmond Repoart", the newsletter of the Richmond Rowing Club in June 1999.
BILLY RATES A STEADY 90
Billy Parkinson celebrates his 90th birthday with style at RRC
On April 18th the club helped celebrate the birthday of a great member, Mr Billy Parkinson. Billy, al the age of ninety, is showing no signs of slowing down as he spoke with a quick wit as we were regaled with tales of his youth at a club race/lunch luncheon in his honour.
On the 12th April 1909 under gaslights at the old “British Queen Hotel" in Bridge Street Bendigo, a boy christened Joseph Donald Wilfred Parkinson was born. Billy was educated and raised in Bendigo and was always involved in the local colour. He even became part of the Dragon in the Chinese festivals.
After primary school and a further two years at the "School of Mines" the 14 year old Billy had his first taste of rowing. He had gone to work as a bicycle messenger boy at Cambridge Press where Arthur Cambridge took Billy down to the Bendigo Rowing Club to learn how to be a coxswain.
Billy became a welcome member of the club, despite being chased off by some of the big lads on his birthday for being too small. Those lads were told off and Billy went on to bigger things.
Apprenticed at the age of 18 in 1926 to the Bendigo Gas Company as a gas fitter and plumber the strong young Billy had still to row as he was only 5 stone, 1 pound (32.25kg). It was not until 1928 that he had his first row at a regatta in Melbourne. However, Billy had always been fit and strong for he trained as a wrestler as well as a rower. It was also in 1928 that Billy had his first competitive bout of wrestling. A few years later in 1932, Billy's other talent, cycling was brought to the bore. A group of the Bendigo rowers had decided that it would be a lark to cycle to Sydney to compete in a regatta and then return, also by bike.
The group attracted a great deal of interest in the press in Sydney, as well as at home, for the dashing nature of their efforts. The crews were all soundly beaten at the regatta in the Middle Harbour in Sydney but all managed to have fun along the way. The Bendigo group were in town just before the opening of the newly completed Harbour Bridge. Those history scholars among you may think that Captain DeGroot was the first man to set off across the bridge before it was officially opened, but it was Billy who had sneaked past the barriers a week earlier to run across and take a photograph from the other side.
It was in April 1939 that Billy was married to Mary Hore and other great changes were about. In 1940 Billy won his first race. the lightweight pairs with Fred HilIman. He continued to row during the Second World War while he worked on essential industry and afterwards only pausing to move to Melbourne in 1947 to pursue work opportunities. In Melbourne he joined the Richmond Rowing Club.
Elected to Life Membership of Bendigo Rowing Club in 1948. he continued to row, coach, administer and act as mentor at Richmond. He was always available and keen to assist, so much so that one year a group of young rowers at the club made an award and presented it to Billy for being the "Most Helpful Person”.
His amazing memory of all the crews he raced in, and even the crews he raced against, often surprises people. He also has a great knowledge of the history of the Bendigo District, a number of the early rowing clubs, the gas company and even of the "Four & Twenty" pie company. When the "Four & Twenty" company published part of what they believed was their history, Billy was able to call them up and correct them for he had been the gas fitter who had prepared the ovens for the founder of "Four & Twenty" pies. Apparently the club received free pies for a number of years by way of thanks to Billy (perhaps this partly explains the enormous multi-drawer pie warmer that the club owns!).
In 1978 the club made Billy a Life Member for his services and duty to Richmond. It was this year too that he became an honorary Life Member of Yarra Yarra Rowing Club, where the plumbing owes a great deal to Billy's time and patience.
Although not often able to come down to the club and no longer coaching or even rowing, Billy still takes an active interest in the goings on down at the river. He is a regular at all the major functions, including the Annual General Meetings and the President's Races and Bill makes a contribution to many aspects of the club. It was a wonderful tribute to Billy to have so many people present at his birthday. Not only was there a large contingent from the Bendigo Rowing Club, but also many old friends from all parts of the rowing world who had made the special trip to celebrate with him.
(Compiled with the use of Alan Parkinson's notes from the day.)
Andrew Guerin
2019 (updated in 2025 with the article from the Richmond Rowing Club newsletter.)
Sources:
Celebrating 150 years: Richmond Rowing Club 2014
Photo of Bill as a coxswain is from Bendigo Rowing Club
Richmond Repoart, June 1999 edition