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J Murray Simson

Barwon Rowing Club & Melbourne Rowing Club (VIC)

1852 - 1889

James Murray Simson was the first born of James and Agnes H Simson. James immigrated to Australia in 1842.

Known rowing record

1875 - Geelong and Barwon Regatta, maiden gig, two seat - First (Barwon)

1876 - Melbourne Regatta, junior four, two seat - First (Barwon)

1876 - Geelong and Barwon Regatta, junior four, stroke - First (Barwon)

1877 - Melbourne Regatta, junior eight, stroke - First (Barwon)

1877 - Geelong and Barwon Regatta, junior eight, stroke - First (Barwon)

1878 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship six seat – First (noted as coming from Melbourne Rowing Club at this stage.)

1878 Intercolonial Eights Championship

Murray Simson was a bank clerk at the Bank of Australasia in 1877 and achieved celebrity status in Geelong waters. He was one of the eight oared crew who won the “Leader Challenge Cup” for junior eights in Melbourne in 1877 and prior to the Intercolonial race had won nearly every race for which he started in Geelong.

Following his banking days he was a partner in the "Cassilis" station in Western Queensland. He died young.

Andrew Guerin
January 2021

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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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