Brian M Smith
ANA Rowing Club (WA)
Brian Matthew Smith - born on 20 January 1927, and passed away at the age of 94 years and 6 months in 2021.
Brian was schooled during WWII and upon reaching the age of 18 in 1944, joined the air force. He did not see service in WWII. Following discharge, his rowing career started in earnest and continued until at least 1954 when marriage and children took priority. Brian then became a senior WA public servant, leading key government departments during a distinguished career.
Brian was a member of ANA Rowing Club and an avid rower. He was fortunate to row at a time when that club had a good senior squad that included fellow WA representative members such as Don O'Brien, Alan Hall and Jack Messer. He and these fellow clubmen won senior races for ANA including a championship four win in 1953 coxed by D Webster. Whilst we do not have a record of the win, we can safely assume Brian was also in the winning 1954 championship four crew. ANA won this championship every year until 1957 when a Wests crew broke their winning streak.
Brian Smith is at the end of the table on the left, seated in front of the man standing 4th from the left, his face is 50% obscured
Images from the Michael Smith collection
A highlight of his career was selection in the bow seat of the 1954 WA King's Cup crew which finished fifth in Hobart in very rough conditions. The Fremantle coach Eddie Edwards who took on the 1954 WA crew, demonstrated his belief that it was skill and spirit rather than size which won King's Cup races. The crew really only had one big man and had an average weight of only 70 kilograms.
1954 WA Interstate Eight with Brian Smith on the far left
Image from the Terry Davies collection
Andrew Guerin
April 2025
Sources
- Discussions with Michael Smith, son of Brian Smith in April 2025
- Home and Dry - A history of rowing in WA by Bill Cooper published by Rowing WA in 2008, pages 134 and 144