HEAD OF THE RIVER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 22

HEAD OF THE RIVER

On an autumn' afternoon in 186S a small company of cheering schoolboys raced along the banks of the Biver Yarra, then a narrow stream lined with low-hanging willows. From the footbridge crossing the river, where the Anderson street bridge now stands, they ran from one gap between the willows to another to catch a glimpse of the crews of two four-oared gigs which were fighting for supremacy on the .narrow stream, writes D. M. Gillison in the Melbourne '' Argus. "In the crowd which watched the heats of the Head of the Eiver race a little more than a week ago was ono who took part in that race of more than 63 years ago. He was Mr. Jt. M. Strachan, the only survivor of the Grammar School crew which accepted the challenge issued from Scotch College in 1868 to "a race for four-oarvd gigs from the Botanical Bridge to Edwards's boathouse." In that race Mr. Strachan was the Grammar School coxswain, and in the following year he rowed in the bow seat for his school. In the decisive victory which his old school attained over their rivals last week there must have been compensation for the fact that neither' of the first two crews composed of "Dr. Bromby's boys" was strong enough to overcome the Scotch Collegians. In a report of the race in "The Argus" of 19th June, 1868, it was stated that "the dash of the Scotch College lads secured them a position from the start which their more weighty antagonists could not make good, not-

A. HISTORIC BOAT RACE

withstanding the resolute manner in which they settled down to their work— a strong wind and a heavy boat besides proving too much for the untrained muscles of these young athletes. A pleasing feature in the contest was the gentlemanly feeling exhibited by both crews and the unbounded enthusiasm of their friends. 1' A critic referred to the advent of the public school oarsmen' by saying, "New crews, chiefly from two wellknown collegiate institutions, appear on the river. They are principally of the juvenile class, and their style of rowing waa of the crudest and most primitive description. They did not seem to have anyone either to teach them1 the rudiments of rowing or to point out the defects inseparable from such a state of things. At last, however, two members ..of the University Club, connected with them in another capacity, took them in hand, the result of which was that Mr. Morrison's pupils sent a challenge to Dr. Bromby's. Bo it remembered that all our combatants were not of the 'whining schoolboy' class. Some of them were adorned with hirsu'tfl appendages which would not have disgraced mortals of more mature age." In his final review of the1 race this critic adds, "It is to bo hoped that the losers on this occasion will not .despair at their first defeat, but that they will, on the contrary, perscverp with the oar until victory cmwus their efforts. Now that the ice is broken we may expect to see many such races between our public schools."