“… the first man not bred in England to win the great prize of the championship of the world who had won honour for the people of the whole of these colonies”. Words of praise from the then Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Sir John Robertson…
In 1876, Australia didn’t exist as a nation; we were an unfederated collection of ‘colonies’, not the cohesive modern nation of today with our own history, traditions, institutions and distinctive culture. Those developments were in their infancy; with the first stirrings of nationhood being stoked by people such as the politician William Charles Wentworth, the novelist Marcus Clarke and the extraordinary feats of Trickett. In 1876, Gallipoli and the ANZAC legend were an unimagined (and unimaginable!) horror – a trial-by-fire yet to come.
Trickett’s convincing win was reported in London with a combination of shock and grudging admiration. As it turned out, his victory was the start of a Golden Age for professional sculling in Australia: the world title was held by seven Australians for 22 of the 31 years between 1876 and 1907. When Trickett returned home to Sydney it was reported that more than 25,000 people turned out at Circular Quay to welcome him home.
Trickett, wasn’t just from the ‘colonies’, he was of the ‘colonies’: a Currency Lad, born in Woolwich on the Lane Cove River in Sydney. His father was a former convict and a bootmaker and his mother was Irish. After a remarkable early rowing career in New South Wales a Sydney publican, James Punch, organised a public subscription enabling Trickett to travel to London to challenge for the World Sculling Championship title.
Trickett’s achievement was arguably an important early contribution to a separate and proud Australian identity – including the good-humoured and keenly-expressed battles against the ‘old enemy’.
To learn more about Australia’s First World Champion in any sport, visit the City of Canada Bay Museum at 1 Bent Street, Concord on Saturday, 6th July, where Lyndon Lockrey, Ned Trickett’s Great Great Grandson, will tell us more about the Life and Times of Edward Trickett. We will also be unveiling the latest acquisition to our collection. Everyone is invited. Entry Free. See Poster under coming events for more details.
About the Pavilion As many who come to the Parklands may know, the Federation Pavilion sits on one of the most important historical locations in Australia – the birthplace of our nation! What visitors may not know however, is that the Pavilion contains many clues to the site’s glorious past that can help you understand…
While browsing the internet recently, researching our August speaker, I came across an article by Cleo Braithwaite, who said: There is a floating forest growing out of a shipwreck in Homebush Bay. That was what the internet told me the other day. I was perusing pictures of the Most Amazing Shipwrecks in the World, looking…
The following is part of a letter printed in The Western Australian, 11 February 1919. It was written by a patient telling exactly what it was like to have Spanish Influenza and survive. It really brings home the pain and suffering of so many in that troubling time. I have been ill with the horrible…
The Legend of the Patrol In 1920 the horse and cart were still a predominant means of transport. Many roads were not fit for cars, and ferries were often a preferred means of transport where available. Back then the roads were a disaster. When it rained a car could almost disappear into a pothole, and…
Arnott’s always had a good eye for advertising. There were colourful posters that shops could put in their window, but it was for its tins that Arnott’s was always justly famous. The brightly decorated biscuit containers became synonymous with the company – like the red trucks, they were the public face of the company, they…
Year 2021 has gone – and best forgotten. No visitors, no speakers, no gatherings. We just need to put it all behind us and look forward to a brand new 2022. Guest speakers are back on the first Saturday of each month and special events are being planned. Follow us on Facebook or check our…
