1953 South Australian Schools' Head of the River
Saturday, 18 April & Tuesday, 21 April – Torrens Lake:
The 1953 SA Head of the River featured the following events on the Torrens Lake:
- First Eight
- Clinker Fours (Seconds)
- Open Tub Fours (Slides)
- Under 16 Tub Fours (Slides)
- Under 15 Tub Fours (Slides)
In incredible circumstances, the First Eight heat between St. Peter's College and Scotch College resulted in two dead-heats. The decision was to race St. Peter's and Scotch a third time on the following Tuesday, with the winner to race the final against Prince Alfred College also on the Tuesday.
On the Tuesday, St. Peter's College were successful with their heat and remarkably went on to win the final by ⅓ of a length over Prince Alfred College. It was St. Peter's seventh-straight victory of the Gosse Shield. St. Peter's also won the Open Tub Four, whilst Prince Alfred won the remaining events.
First Eight
The Advertiser wrote of the remarkable situation of the First Eight in 1953.
"The sensational dead heats were unprecedented in the history of the eights event, which has been rowed at public schools' rowing carnivals since 1922. It was officially pointed out yesterday that Scotch actually won the first race by one foot and St. Peter's the re-row by the same margin. Under the rules of the Public Schools' Regatta a winning margin of less than two feet is counted as a draw. Notwithstanding the fact that the second dead-heat was a re-row, the regatta committee decided a further re-row was necessary."
"The general feeling slightly favored PAC, but after fighting an even battle to the willows, SPSC is inched its way to the front. After passing Morphett Street Bridge, it was more than a canvas in front, and it rowed on brilliantly to win by one third of a length in 3.00 minutes."
The two strokes (A. S. Matthews, SPSC and R. M. Chinner, Scotch) after racing two-dead heats
(Source: The Advertsier, 20 April 1953)
Winners of the 1953 SA Head of the River – St. Peter's College
(Source: The Advertiser, 22 April 1953)
Organising Committee:
South Australian Rowing Association
Officials:
(unknown)
First Eight
Gosse Shield
½ mile
Time: 3 min 0 sec
Margin: ⅓ length
1st St. Peter's College – Bow: M. J. Pennington, 2: G. Northcote, 3: P. Wurm, 4: R. Burnell, 5: J. B. Forwood, 6: R. J. Nairn, 7: J. R. Bryan, Stroke: A. S. Matthews, Cox: W. Wainwright
2nd Prince Alfred College – Bow: N. S. C. Thomas, 2: M. J. Rollond, 3: G. P. Fisher, 4: T. M. Siegele, 5: D. R. Sheppard, 6: W. H. Richardson, 7: R. C. Gill, Stroke: D. J. Prider, Cox: P. A. Humble
(Knocked out in heat by St. Peter's College):
Scotch College – Bow: I. D. Potter, 2: D. J. Upton, 3: S. K. Margilitch, 4: A. G. Basson, 5: J. Fotheringham, 6: B. J. Kraehe, 7: B. J. Blaby, Stroke: M. J Buchanan, Cox: D. C. Radford
(Knocked out in heat by Prince Alfred College):
Adelaide High School – Bow: I. R. A. Short, 2: A. V. Wallace, 3: D. J. Harvey, 4: A. J. Fletcher, 5: D. Wiles, 6: B. J. Kraehe, 7: R. A. Duncan, Stroke: R. M. Chinner, Cox: B. E. Cornish
Clinker Four (Seconds)
Wallman Trophy
½ mile
Time: 3 min 24 ⅖ sec
Margin: 2½ lengths
1st Prince Alfred College – Bow: J. Simpson, 2: W. Brown, 3: B. Cox, Stroke: J. Buckland, Cox: D. E. Cameron
2nd St. Peter's College – Bow: G. Hole, 2: R. Watts, 3: G. Longbottom, Stroke: A. J. Seaton, Cox: N. Samuel
(Knocked out in heat by Prince Alfred College):
Scotch College –
(Knocked out in heat by St. Peter's College):
Adelaide High School –
Open Tub Four (Slides)
¼ mile
Time: (unknown)
Margin: 4 lengths
1st St. Peter's College – Bow: R. Pennington, 2: I. Giles, 3: D. Rivaz, Stroke: A. R. Russell, Cox: G. W. Harris
2nd Adelaide High School –
(Knocked out in heat by St. Peter's College):
Prince Alfred College –
(Adelaide High School had a bye)
Under 16 Tub Four (Slides)
¼ mile
Time: (unknown)
Margin: ½ length
1st Prince Alfred College – Bow: F. Chapman, 2: L. H. Marshman, 3: P. Gallasch, Stroke: R. A. Clark, Cox: B. Jefferson
2nd St. Peter's College – Bow: J. Purvis, 2: F. R. Forwood, 3: C. Shearer, Stroke: A. L. Taylor, Cox: M. Arnold
(Knocked out in heat by Prince Alfred College):
Scotch College –
(Knocked out in heat by St. Peter's College):
Adelaide High School –
Under 15 Tub Four (Slides)
¼ mile
Time: (unknown)
Margin: ½ length
1st Prince Alfred College – Bow: R. Fee, 2: R. Catchpole, 3: D. Haeusler, Stroke: F. D. Crawford, Cox:D. M. Matthews
2nd Scotch College – Bow: J. Stephenson, 2: J. Wheal, 3: T. R. Martin, Stroke: J. Eglington, Cox: B. Kane
(Knocked out in heat by Prince Alfred College):
St. Peter's College –
(Knocked out in heat by Scotch College):
Adelaide High School –
Sources
Head-Of-River Crews Dead-Heat Twice (1953, 20 April), The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 – 1954), p. 10, Retrieved February 23 2024, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48281366
SEVENTH SUCCESSIVE HEAD OF RIVER WIN FOR SPSC (1953, 22 April), The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 – 1954), p. 12, Retrieved February 23 2024, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48281601