World Professional Sculling Championships

1887 Bill Beach (AUS) retires and, as a formality, forfeits a challenge from Peter Kemp (AUS)

Peter Kemp

This action caused much alarm in the professional sculling community as Kemp was not highly regarded despite having beaten Hanlan on two occasions on the Parramatta River in 1888.

Kemp had been beaten by Searle in the same year and in 1886 had travelled with Beach to England and had been beaten in the curtain raiser events on three occasions.

Hanlan was one of the critics of Kemp's title and Hanlan got on the first ship to Australia to challenge him with a £500 side bet.

1888 Peter Kemp (AUS) defeats Edward Hanlan (CAN) on the Parramatta River—twice

Peter Kemp

5 May 1888

With Beach out of the way, Hanlan challenged Kemp for the title and a £500 side bet. The race was won by Kemp by four lengths.

28 September 1888

After the earlier defeat, Hanlan challenged again for the title and another £500 side bet. This time the margin was 12 lengths. Kemp was at last the undisputed World Champion.

1888 Henry Ernest Searle (AUS) defeats Peter Kemp (AUS)—£1,000 cash purse

Henry Searle

So sure were local backers of Searle, they sought to challenge Kemp for £5,000. The champion was content to make the bet £500.

The race was a walkover with Searle winning by 150 yards.

Harry Searle

Henry Searle

< previous 1886 Beach (AUS) def Ross (UK)

> next 1889 Searle (AUS) def O'Connor (CAN)

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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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