ROWING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 June 1924, Page 13 (Supplement)

ROWING.

FIRST BOAT SHED AT WASHDuuiI

Though the pioneers turned their attention to jrk, whole-heartedly, and were not afraid of they realised that all work and no play was not a good mode of life, and there were those in tne town of Timaru who, not being engaged in heavy manual work, turned their attention, on long summer evenings, to rowing. Chief among those who inaugurated the first Rowing Club here was the late Ven. Archdeacon Harper, Vicar of St. Mary’s, who had been a noted oarsman at Oxford, prior to coming out to the

Dominion. Among others were associated v. an ium in the early rowing days here were Messrs. 11. J. and H. A. LeCren, A. E. Hawkins, G. Shirtcliff, G. Wood, and C. G. Vogeler. The irst boat shed was built at Washdyke, close to the railway bridge there, and the oarsmen used to row their boats down the creek and into the Washdyke lagoon, which then was very much larger than it is now. Races were held on the lagoon, the course running parallel with, and close to the beach, the water being deeper there than elsewhere. The boats used then were much the same as those in use now, except that the first ones had fixed seats and stump outriggers, the "Wapa and the Waihao being the first two to be imported. One of the boats in use before these two were obtained had an uncomfortable habit of turning over when it was used for racing purposes, and as the bottom of the lagoon consisted then, as now, of deep and very soft mud, the plignt of those who were cap-

sized, was not an enviable place on the lagoon in those days became there was no smooth water in the sea, the breakwater not having been started at. that time. And as bicycles and motor,.cars had not been thought of the members oi the Rowing Club used to walk out to Washdyke, following the railway line, as a snort cut. As soon as the harbour at Timaru afforded sufficient protection the boat-shed was shifted from Washdyke to Timaru, its first location being about a hundred yards west of the present rowing shed.