1971 QLD GPS Head of the River
The 1971 GPS Head of the River was conducted on Saturday April 3rd 1971 on the Milton Reach of the Brisbane River.
Below is an excerpt from the Courier-Mail written in the lead up to the regatta.
“Can Southport do it again: win tomorrow’s Head of the River on Milton Reach of the Brisbane River? They did it last year and the proof is in our picture of the race finish. But it looks a little harder this year because the oppositions may be a shade tougher. Churchie are firm favourites after a string of wins in recent regattas. Southport eight are being treated with respect by they don’t have the recent form to match schools like Churchie or Grammar. The Head, to be rowed over 2000 metres finishing opposite the Regatta Hotel will start at 5 p.m.
Injury upsets B.B.C. training
B.B.C. Head of the River rowing eight have been split into pairs for training following an injury to No. 2. Man Jeff Ferrier earlier this week.
Ferrier injured a back muscle in training on Tuesday but the injury appeared slight at the time. He trained on Wednesday afternoon with the crew but aggravated the injury and immediately was taken off the water by coach Dave Magoffin. Yesterday morning the disjointed crew resumed training… this time in lightweight pairs in order of their positions in the eight. Ferrier is under treatment and will not sit in a racing shell again until tomorrow morning when the crew has its final workout for the Head of the River which will start on the Milton Reach at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
B.B.C. rowing master (John Murphy) said yesterday that the inconvenience of the injury and disruption to training was not as serious as it sounded. “The crew had finished its serious work on the water and was tapering off when the injury happened,” he said. “Ferrier is under treatment and we have been assured he will be perfectly fit by Saturday.”
B.B.C., in the pick position of No. 3 in the 2000 metres race, is regarded as a surprise crew which could cause an upset. The race will be rowed upstream of the William Jolly Bridge, finishing opposite the Regatta Hotel. The late start, one of the latest in recent years, is due to the late high tide. The race must be rowed with a slight following tide and 5 p.m. is expected to be about 20 minutes before slack water at the top of the tide.
The draw for the Head, from the north bank, is: 1. Gregory Terrace, 2: Churchie, 3: B.B.C., 4: State High, 5: Southport, 6: Grammar.”
Page 14, The Courier-Mail, Friday April 3rd 1971
Organising Committee
Great Public Schools Association
All Schools' Championship First Eight
The O'Connor Cup
Distance: 2000 Metres
Winning Time: 6:28.50
Margins:
4s (1-2)0.5s (2-3)
1st Church of England Grammar School - Bow: David N. Stewart-Moore, 2: David A. Buckham, 3: Charles P. O. Wilson, 4: Stephan W. Sheehan, 5: James D. Miller, 6: Gordon J. Brand, 7: John S. Armstrong, Str: John M. Sheehan, Cox: John E. Nalder, Coach: Graham Jones
2nd Brisbane Grammar School
3rd Brisbane State High School
4th The Southport School
5th Brisbane Boys’ College
6th Gregory Terrace - Bow: P. McGruther, 2: D. Taylor, 3: W. Webb, 4: P. Dixon, 5: C. Drewnicki, 6: D. Darnworth, 7: V. Hall, Str: P. French, Cox: S. Curran
1971 Church of England Grammar School First VIII
Finish of the Head of the River
1971 Gregory Terrace First VIII
All Schools' Championship First Eight The Race Described
The O'Connor Cup
“Can Southport do it again: win tomorrow’s Head of the River on Milton Reach of the Brisbane River? They did it last year and the proof is in our picture of the race finish. But it looks a little harder this year because the oppositions may be a shade tougher. Churchie are firm favourites after a string of wins in recent regattas. Southport eight are being treated with respect by they don’t have the recent form to match schools like Churchie or Grammar. The Head, to be rowed over 2000 metres finishing opposite the Regatta Hotel will start at 5 p.m.
Injury upsets B.B.C. training
B.B.C. Head of the River rowing eight have been split into pairs for training following an injury to No. 2. Man Jeff Ferrier earlier this week.
Ferrier injured a back muscle in training on Tuesday but the injury appeared slight at the time. He trained on Wednesday afternoon with the crew but aggravated the injury and immediately was taken off the water by coach Dave Magoffin. Yesterday morning the disjointed crew resumed training… this time in lightweight pairs in order of their positions in the eight. Ferrier is under treatment and will not sit in a racing shell again until tomorrow morning when the crew has its final workout for the Head of the River which will start on the Milton Reach at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
B.B.C. rowing master (John Murphy) said yesterday that the inconvenience of the injury and disruption to training was not as serious as it sounded. “The crew had finished its serious work on the water and was tapering off when the injury happened,” he said. “Ferrier is under treatment and we have been assured he will be perfectly fit by Saturday.”
B.B.C., in the pick position of No. 3 in the 2000 metres race, is regarded as a surprise crew which could cause an upset. The race will be rowed upstream of the William Jolly Bridge, finishing opposite the Regatta Hotel. The late start, one of the latest in recent years, is due to the late high tide. The race must be rowed with a slight following tide and 5 p.m. is expected to be about 20 minutes before slack water at the top of the tide.
The draw for the Head, from the north bank, is: 1. Gregory Terrace, 2: Churchie, 3: B.B.C., 4: State High, 5: Southport, 6: Grammar.”
Page 14, The Courier-Mail, Friday April 3rd 1971
"The [Churchie] VIII, especially, had something to prove as the crew had recorded eight wins out of nine starts throughout the season and there was every indication that victory could be within reach... In the Eight's race which was timed to start at 5 p.m. the School's VIII did not lose the small margin that was gained at the start and after shaking off strong challenges from BGS and BSHS near the 500m mark, rated a steady 34 strokes to the minute to got to the finish line a solid 4 secs ahead of BGS, who were 0.5 secs in front of BSHS."
Page 216, Churchie Rowing by Peter Jell, Published by Anglican Church Grammar School
All Schools' First Four
Distance: 1500 Metres
Winning Time: 4:52.00
1st Brisbane Boys' College
2nd Gregory Terrace - Bow: C. Green, 2: R. Sivyer, 3: P. George, Str: J. Bliss, Cox: D. McCrossin
3rd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: R. M. Chandler, 2: G. J. Donovan, 3: D. E. Given, Str: W. G. Chatterton, Cox: G. A. Saunders, Coach: G. Petelin
All Schools' Second Four
Distance: 1500 Metres
Winning Time: 5:05.00
1st Brisbane Grammar School
2nd Gregory Terrace - Bow: M. Meaney, 2: D. Muprhy, 3: H. Henley, Str: D. Evans, Cox: R. Redshaw
3rd The Southport School
Other Competing Crews:
Church of England Grammar School - Bow: R. C. McDougall, 2: N. D. Langton, 3: A. P. Poulsen, Str: M. L. Stephens, Cox: S. J. Ford, Coach: G. Petelin
All Schools' Third Four
Distance: 1000 Metres
Winning Time: 3:16.00
1st Brisbane Grammar School
2nd Brisbane Boys' College
3rd The Southport School
Other Competing Crews:
Gregory Terrace - Bow: n/a, 2: M. Rynee, 3: M. Smith, Str: I. Ogilvy, Cox: J. Carew
Church of England Grammar School - Bow: T. N. Burt, 2: K. R. Ferrier, 3: G. M. Keatinge, Str: A. B. Manning, Cox: T. L. Maddern, Coach: D. Jull
All Schools' Fourth Four
Distance: 1000 Metres
Winning Time: 3:19.40
Church of England Grammar School - Bow: H. G. Nalder, 2: A. P. Struss, 3: H. I. Peterson, Str: P. R. Zahnleiter, Cox: R. Lovf
The Southport School
Brisbane Grammar School
Other Competing Crews:
Gregory Terrace - Bow: D. Usasz, 2: M. Foley, 3: C. Smith, Str: J. Starr-Nolan, Cox: P. ArthurAll Schools' Fifth Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:31.50
1st The Southport School
2nd Brisbane Grammar School
3rd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: D. E. Appleton, 2: R. S. Brown, 3: P. K. Greenwood, Str: P. Paxton-Hall, Cox: D. C. Milne, Coach: K. A. Taylor
Other Competing Crews:
Gregory Terrace - Bow: n/a, 2: n/a, 3: R. Mewing, Str: C. Taylor, Cox: R. GauldAll Schools' Sixth Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:28.30
1st The Southport School
2nd Gregory Terrace - Bow: J. Hall, 2: R. Anderson, 3: A. Graham, Str: P. Toon, Cox: N. Sargent
3rd Brisbane Boys’ College
Other Competing Crews:
Church of England Grammar School - Bow: T. R. Gibbons, 2: R. V. Ford, 3: N. R. Wetzig, Str: I. R. Ketchion, Cox: G. D. Overton, Coach: K. A. Taylor
All Schools' Seventh Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:29.50
1st Brisbane State High School
2nd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: P. Cowen, 2: C. K. Hornick, 3: D. R. Russell, Str: R. W. Pixley, Cox: R. W. Bucknall, Coach: J. Barrett
3rd The Southport School
Other Competing Crews:
Gregory Terrace - Bow: n/a, 2: W. Reid, 3: M. Sexton, Str: D. Kundy, Cox: J. O’SheaAll Schools' Eighth Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:30.10
1st Brisbane State High School
2nd Brisbane Boys’ College
3rd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: G. A. Neilson, 2: M. W. Lucas, 3: G. L. Thompson, Str: P. C. Hopton, Cox: A. MacDonald, Coach: J. Barrett
Other Competing Crews:
Gregory Terrace - Bow: n/a, 2: A. Conte, 3: B. Josephson, Str: A. Conte
All Schools' Ninth Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:28.40
1st Brisbane Boys' College
2nd Gregory Terrace - Bow: n/a, 2: S. Pradella, 3: N. McCann, Str: D. Ledwich
3rd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: M. H. Calcino, 2: A. C. Harding, 3: I. F. Wallace, Str: M. C. Stalley, Cox: D. C. Wilkinson
All Schools' Tenth Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:38.00
1st Gregory Terrace - Bow: C. Jensen, 2: J. Roberts, 3: B. Winter, Str: M. Corcoran
2nd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: J. T. Townson, 2: R. B. Hawker, 3: C. J. Wolley, Str: P. G. Hill, Cox: P. Copeman
3rd Brisbane Boys’ College
All Schools' Eleventh Four
Distance: 750 Metres
Winning Time: 2:32.50
1st Brisbane Boys’ College
2nd Gregory Terrace - Bow: M. McLoughlin, 2: R. Landy, 3: P. Schodel, Str: B. Gassman
3rd Church of England Grammar School - Bow: P. J. Rayner, 2: G. R. Winks, 3: S. F. Wynne, Str: P. F. Budd, Cox: T. E. Dickson
Sources
Head of the River Article, The Sunday Mail, Sunday April 4th 1971 Edition https://archive.org/details/1971-photos
Head of the River Results, The Sunday Mail, Sunday April 4th 1971 Edition https://archive.org/details/1971_20210509
Page 14, The Courier-Mail, Friday April 3rd 1971 Edition https://archive.org/details/020471a
Page 68-71, St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace School Newsletter, 1971 Edition https://media.digistormhosting.com.au/sjgt-au-qld-91-oldboys/documents/1971-St-Joseph-College-Terrace.pdf?mtime=20180403145604
Churchie Rowing by Peter Jell, Published by Anglican Church Grammar School