GISBORNE ROWING CLUB GYMNASIUM.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 49, 5 December 1891, Page 649

GISBORNE ROWING CLUB GYMNASIUM.

The Gisborne Rowing Club Gymnasium first saw the light in 1889, when at the request of the members of the Gisborne Rowing Club Mr William Miller (then Treasurer, now Captain of the Club), called a meeting, which resulted in the formation of the present Gymnasium. Since opening the members have held two athletic carnivals, which have met with very great success. The last one was held in honour of the visit of the representatives from Auckland, Napier, and Union Rowing Clubs on Ist April, 1891, and on the first night fully three hundred persons were refused admission, as the City Rink was taxed to its utmost capacity, and in consequence the Committee repeated the show two nights, and also at a matinee peformance for children, and on both occasions crowded houses greeted the performers. The programme included running, jumping, semi-circus, horizontal and parallel bars, Roman rings, Roman statuary ■with limelight effects, trapeze act with double leap for life through fire balloon (a feat that has never before been attempted by amateurs). The local paper says : ‘ The trapeze act has not been surpassed by any professionals that have visited Gisborne. Many people went there prepared to forgive shortcomings that might be expected at an amateur performance, but left finding they had nothing to forgive, and declaring the show to be far superior to any professional company’s they had seen in Gisborne. The club is exceedingly fortunate in securing the services of Mr Fred Wilkinson as trapeze instructor, he having travelled as a professional for many years, and was considered oneof the best aerial performeis in the Australian colonies. The way he brought his pupils on in such a short space of time is really wonderful, as trapeze work is by far the most difficult of all gymnastic work for a new man to learn.

‘ Mr Alf. Skipworth, the horizontal and parallel bar instructor, is a Gisborne lad bred and born, and has been performing off and on ever since he was five years old. One of his great feats is to turn a complete somersault when on skates.

‘ Mr William Miller, the manager and conductor of the gymnasium, who has sole control during practice, is also a well-known athlete, having represented this town in the annual rowing contest with Napier, besides being a prominent member of all our local athletic institutions.’