1932 NSW AAGPS Head of the River
The Eights. St. Joseph’s Win. Magnificent race. (Sydney Morning Herald, 09 May 1932).
The final of the Great Public Schools’ Championship Eights was won on the Parramatta river on Saturday afternoon by St. Joseph’s College by three-quarters of a length from the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, The Sydney Grammar School was third. St. Joseph’s also won the final of the Yaralla Cup.
Memorable scenes marker one of the most magnificent finishes in the history of the championship eights. From the crowded river itself, and from its banks and slopes, swarming with the schools’ supporters, and splashed with a riot of colours in the bright sunlight, every note in the gamut of noise rose up and crashed about the ears of the four youthful crews battling desperately, and with long, rhythmic sweeps, over the severe mile and a half course.
It was pandemonium.
From the air the colourful scene must have suggested a giant crazy quilt; it must have sounded like bedlam. The ten thousand weird vocal and instrumental notes that constitutive the unique orchestration of the G.P.S. regatta, pierced the air, collided, and swept the scene like a shattering cannonade as the crews, with the magnificent rhythm and grace of perfect teamwork, struggled for the honour of their schools.
Senior 1st Eight
Major Rennie Trophy
8:34.50
¾ length
8 lengths
2 lengths
1st St. Joseph’s College – Bow: J. Harley, 2: L. Hopkins, 3: W. Monti, 4: A. Copper, 5: W. Kelly, 6: J. Dickle, 7: J. Glynn, Str: G. Elias, Cox: J. McHugh, Cch: Bernard S. Williams
2nd Sydney Church of England Grammar School – Bow: J.R. Burrell, 2: R.R. Hannah, 3: W.L. Buckham, 4: B.T. Coulson, 5: C.R. Sinclair, 6: F.A. Page, 7: D.M. Cowlishaw, Str: I.G. Kaplin, Cox: J.H. Cooper, Cch: L.C. Robson
3rd Sydney Grammar School – Bow: N.J. Blue, 2: J.J. Barcham, 3: A.L. Gay, 4: C.R. Warne, 5: L.A. Moxham, 6: R.G.O. Burrows, 7: T.N. Peters, Str: R.R. Thomson, Cox: S.F. Ashburner, Cch: A.N. Finlay
4th The King’s School – Bow: S. Murray-Prior, 2: J.S. Lewis, 3: G.S. Everingham, 4: C.G. McDonald, 5: R. Hambridge, 6: H. Brown-Craig, 7: C.M. Hall, Str: L.S. Dalrymple, Cch: D.S. Bligh
Second Heat: 1st SCEGS, 2nd SGS, 3rd SHS, 4th SIC, Time: 9 mins 20 secs
Other crews included:
St Ignatius College
Newington College
Sydney High School - Bow: M D Watson, 2: C K Paton, 3: C B Ebsworth, 4: H V D Baret, 5: H N Clay, 6: G Pauling, 7: R V Clark, Str: J Hanney, Cox: J S Hill
Sydney High School Crew
Senior 1st Four
Yaralla Cup
6:39.00
1 ¼ lengths
½ length
1 length
1st St. Joseph’s College – Bow: A. Frew, 2: V. Page, 3: K. Cowan, Str: R. Seears, Cox: C. Cook, Cch: F.M. Cronin
2nd Sydney Grammar School – Bow: J. Jones, 2: J.F.C. Close, 3: G.C. Sharp, Str: J.H. Watson, Cox: A. Murchison, Cch: C.E. Rich
3rd Sydney Church of England Grammar School – Bow: W.G. Thomas, 2: C.A. Giles, 3: E.F. MacDougall, Str: D.I. Baggett, Cox: R. Croft, Cch: J.B. Burrell
4th Sydney High School – Bow: C.A. Nichol, 2: R.L. McKinnon, 3: D.R. Jackson, Str: R.N. Dinsdale, Cox: N. Dunnett, Cch: W.E. Pivingstone
Sydney High School First Four
Senior 2nd Four
6:27.50
2 ¼ lengths
6 lengths
3 lengths
1st Sydney High School – Bow: W.F. King, 2: A.G. Hunter, 3: R.E. Ashbrook, Str: F.J. Gray, Cox: F.Madden, Cch: F.M. Nicholls
2nd St. Ignatius’ College – Bow: B. O’Sullivan, 2: J. Farrell, 3: J. Sheahan, Str: D. Hughes, Cox: J. Chapman, Cch: J.T. Vindin
3rd Sydney Church of England Grammar School – Bow: H.F. Weston, 2: J.W. Shaw, 3: H.T. Thompson, Str: K. Swift, Cox: R.S. Cooper, Cch: J.H. Burrell
4th The Scots College – Bow: L. Greenberg, 2: J.R. Hood, 3: C.R. McKinnon, Str: R.B. Sevil, Cox: C. Morrell, Cch: W. Purton
Sydney High School Second Four
Sources
- Sydney Morning Herald, 09 May 1932
- The Record, Sydney High School Vol XXIV, No 1