THE INTERCOLONIAL CHAMPION GIG RACE OF 1872

It is said that those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it. With that in mind, this is the story of a Barwon crew who rowed in Hobart in 1872.

Described in The Australasian as the most exciting race ever to take place in the Southern Hemisphere, the Intercolonial Amateur Gig Race, for bona fide amateurs, was rowed over a five mile course [8000m], before 20,000 spectators on the 30th January 1872, for a cash prize of £100 and the title of Champion Crew of Australia.

Initially there was little interest in competing at the regatta by Victorian rowing clubs, despite an offer by Edwards, a Yarra River based boat builder, to make at his own cost a boat, to train any crew and to accompany them to Hobart. Then, at a special meeting held in the middle of December 1871, the Barwon Rowing Club decided to accept the challenge and to send a crew of their own. Costs were expected to exceed £70, to be raised by the club members and public subscription. The crew chosen was Edward Nicholls, 30 years, bow, 11st. 2lb. [70kg], Charles Shannon, 31 years, 11st. 6lb. [72.5kg], and Captain of Barwon, James Strachan, 23 years, 12st. 4lb. [78kg], the crack oar from the winning Cambridge crew of 1870 and James Cullin, stroke, 11st. 6lb. [72.5kg], a pocket Hercules who pulled a splendid oar with extraordinary force and precision. Training commenced immediately with outings from the boatshed to Lake Connewarre and back, 15 miles at a smart 34 to the minute all the way and the men returning as if they could do it all over again! They would be up against two crews from Sydney - Sydney Rowing Club and a Parramatta River crew - and two crews from Hobart.

Early in January, the crew travelled to Melbourne for their first trial in Edwards' boat. Named the "Victoria", she was built of varnished cedar with brass fittings, and fitted with watertight compartments fore and aft and the option to fit a false bow and washboards should the weather prove rough. The Sydney boat was 42 ft [12.8m] long with a beam of 3ft. 6ins. [1m] deep, cedar planking and decking, with a keel and gunwhale of kauri pine, and weighed about 120lbs [54.5kg]. The Victoria was said to be about the same weight. She was then loaded onto a steamer bound for Hobart, accompanied by one of Edwards' men.

The four Barwon rowers, with member John Arthur as emergency and J. Ogilivie, the club's coxswain, departed Geelong on Friday 19 January by steamer for Launceston and then travelled overland by coach, arriving in Hobart on 28 January. The papers described them as a fine looking lot in tip top condition. They row a short, quick but powerful stroke, their time and swing are particularly good. They are as fine a lot of men as one would want to see step into a boat. Their rowing is unequalled by any four in Australia. At their first training row in local conditions, the Hobart Mercury declared them overall favourites: their swing is perfect; there are no bent arms, no meeting of the oar with the body before the stroke is finished; the hands are thrown well up, and ease and grace in the backward swing are thereby obtained.. Unfortunately the boat half filled with water, necessitating the fitting of the washboards and adding to the weight of an already heavy boat and crew. All the betting was on Barwon and many pounds changed hands in the hosteleries of Hobart.

On a fine Tuesday with a slight breeze, the five crews rowed to the start, with Barwon in the centre station. A good start was effected at 38 to 42: the boats took the water well together and all dashed off in a splendid style, the Victoria's crew rowing a magnificent spurt to obtain a lead. But passing the first of four buoys the Sydney Rowing Club was in the lead and never lost it. At about the halfway point Barwon was in third place and their stroke called upon his men, making a desperate effort they gained ground. For a time a neck and neck struggle ensued, the Victorians not feeling disposed to take the last place without a struggle for the honour of the go-ahead colony.

To the general astonishment of the crowd, they passed the finish line in the following order: Sydney Rowing Club 36mins. 20secs., Parramatta 37mins. 10secs., Hobart light crew 37mins. 30secs., Hobart heavy crew 37mins. 45secs. and Barwon 39mins. 30secs. Many were the cheers for the winners, and also for Barwon, although the Mercury noted that these were of an ironical character, by heavy losers who had backed them too confidently. James Strachan later commented that the papers had expressed opinions which were not those of the crew, and that they had rowed their best.

Back in Geelong the mood was one of disbelief. The results were slow to come in by electric telegraph, announcing merely that the race had been won by the Sydney crew. Charles Shannon and Edward Nicholls had left Hobart on the following Saturday and successfully evaded the press waiting at the Geelong railway station by catching a steamer and disembarking at Queenscliff. However they could not avoid the media speculation for long. Rumours abounded that the crew had shown the white feather once they lost the lead, even that the stroke had shown his well known propensity for "caving in". The captain's only comment was that the boat had proved to be unsuitable; after going a mile it lay like a log.

Another rumour surfaced some weeks later in the papers; that the Barwon crew, elated at their prestige and reception in Hobart, were anything but asleep during the witching hours of the night and morning before, and that they had paid more devoirs to Bacchus than to the muscular deity.

Hence history's warning - make sure you pay your devotions to Bacchus after the race, not before!