“… 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.
Times were hard, but we survived, just as we will survive the current crisis. By 1931 30% of NSW unionists were unemployed. By 1933 one in three Australian breadwinners was unemployed. Most public works came to a standstill during the Depression, forcing many men onto the unemployment pile. Those who received the dole could be…
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…
The Barrier Miner (Broken Hill) published the following article on Wednesday, 7th January, 1953. Sydney-Early on Christmas morning an intruder entered the kitchen of the Dame Eadith Walker Hospital, Concord. The intruder put into a hospital patients’ Christmas sack: a dressed turkey, a dressed fowl, two dressed rabbits, a leg of mutton, thirty-two mutton chops,…
The Legend of Bill Fisher Bill Fisher earned the sobriquet “Ol’ Man” as a mark of respect for his years of service to Drummoyne Sailing Club as well as his amazing feats of endurance and athleticism. For sailors, the term “old man” refers to a ship’s captain- used in deference to the Master’s experience and…
Jean’s story continues abouther experiencs as a Voluntary Aide at the Walker Hospital in 1919 Mummy, if you really ever wanted to see me, you could come for a three-hour picnic with me, if you liked. Not the other two. Seems so much more risky for men. There would be practically no risk, so if…
In the early days of Australia convicts provided free labour, standards of living were generally poor and the small affluent society managed to live very well with a minimum of conveniences. Gradually the lower classes came to resent being servants. There were two alternatives to the problem. One was to advertise overseas, mainly in Britain,…
