World Professional Sculling Championships
1890 John McLean (AUS) defeats Peter Kemp (AUS)
Jack McLean
McLean from Shoalhaven was a tough axeman. Henry "Banjo" Paterson is quoted to say:
"Maclean, an axeman, who could fell any tree, using an axe in either hand, and never resting till the tree came down,.."
1891 Jim Stanbury (AUS) defeats John McLean (AUS) on the Parramatta River in Sydney
Jim Stanbury
The Grafton Rowing Club history reports:
"James (Jim) Stanbury was born February 25, 1868, at Peat's Ferry, Hawkesbury River. His first public competition at heavy boat sculling was at Lake Bathurst, NSW aged 19. Stanbury's main rivals at this time were Searle, Matterson & Neilson. On July 13, 1888 he rowed against Henry Searle at Parramatta for 200 pounds prize money but lost."
A rematch later in the same year between these two scullers produced the same result.
1891 was a great year for professional scullinh in NSW with Alan May in Sydney Rows reporting that 26 professional matches took place.
1896 Jim Stanbury (AUS) defeats Wag Harding (GBR) on the Thames in London
The Grafton Rowing Club history records that the championship purse was 200 pounds.
1896 James Stanbury In England
Scarf commemorating Stanbury's 1896 win