BALMAIN ROWING CLUB - Key Persons
Edward W Martin, of the Balmain Club, is a young trim built fellow, 6ft high, and 12st weight. As he is only 22 years of age, his record is not a lengthy one. His style is good, and he has not disappointed expectations. His performances are creditable to the young oarsman; and his victories are as follows; maiden fours, Association Regatta, 1885; junior eights, Balmain Regatta, 1885; senior fours, Balmain Regatta, 1885; senior fours, Balmain Regatta, 1886; senior fours, Balmain Regatta, 1887, and rowed No 4 intercolonial eight 1887.
James Fraser, captain of the Balmain Rowing Club, is a powerful, clean rowing oarsman, 6ft in height. In 1884 he was in the winning crew for the maiden fours at the Balmain Regatta; he was stroke of the winning junior eight in the same regatta for 1885; and rowed at No 8 in the senior fours in the Balmain Regattas from 1885, 1886, and 1887; his crew in every instance being victorious.
Private Jack Goodsir has written the following letter to Mr Neil MacNamara, captain of the Balmain Rowing club :-
Mr Frank J Smith was a gentleman well known to all members of the Balmain Rowing Club; a gentleman, who, if they elected him captain, would fill the position in the manner creditable. Mr McClemens seconded the motion, which was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. MR F J Smith said that he was quite unable to express the feelings which the occasion called forth. As their Captain he feared that he might have short comings, (no no!) but they might be assured that in every way he should put forth his most strenuous efforts to promote the interest and welfare of the club. All he asked for was the support of the members, which he felt sure they would accord to him, and the co-operation of the committee, on whose advice he should always rely. He thanked them for electing him their Captain.
Frank J Smith is a native of Sheerness, England, and was born in 1852. He has been for twelve years resident in Balmain, and has represented the place in the Legislative Assembly since February, 1887 as a Free-trade member. He is well known in the legal circles as a compiler of the work entitled ‘Pilcher's Supreme Court Practice'. Mr Smith has made his way in the world principally by his own unaided efforts. He was apprentice when a youth to the printing trade, but subsequently took up the study of law. He is President of the Balmain Rowing club, Elvira Football Club, and other Balmain athletic clubs, in which he has always taken an active interest.
Mr Norman Lethbridge has a manner which makes him popular with his fellow oarsmen. He joined the Balmain Rowing Cub some eight years ago and has been with the club in its days of misfortune. Popular as a committeeman and hon treasure, his fellow-members elected him to the position of captain in July last. Besides winning maiden and junior events, Mr Lethbridge has been hon treasurer for three years, and coached crews with success. On accepting the junior pennant for his club at the end of last season, the present captain assured the President of the Association that the B.R.C. would strive hard for the premiership this year, and they are striving with a good margin of points to their credit.
Mr Neil MacNamara, captain of the Balmain rowing club has received the following letter from his brother Quartermaster Sergeant Marshall MacNamara
"I wrote twice - once from last port of call and once from sea. You know we are not allowed to mention names of ports nor to mention probable destination, although nothing is know for certain. The first day out proved a little heavy as a result mal de mer got me badly, but I had plenty of company, and have quite recovered now. It is wonderful the large number of fellows aboard known to me amongst them are Les Thompson, Stan Smith, Kenington, George Horsey, Alan Little, Stopford, Cartwright, Eric Steel and about ten Manly Life-Saving club boys. At the present time we are organising a sports afternoon, and I am assisting the running of boxing tournament. Soldier Garland is now a sergeant in the artillery, and he is to be referee, while Bert Althorn is one of the committee. Our company have a few good featherweights, and one heavy, and look like catching a prize. The food in the sergeants' mess is quite all right, but I don't relish it too much; still, you can put that down to my fastidiousness. Don't forget to dish a line from time to time, and remember me to all the boys"
QMS MacNamara was an ex-member of the Balmain Rowing club, and played for a couple of seasons with the Holwood Football club, he is also fairly good amateur boxer. His many friends hope that he will have the good fortune.
Thomas C Parker - Balmain Rowing Club, is a powerful oarsman, he scales 13st 7lb and rows every ounce of it over the whole distance. He rowed in interstate last year for the first time. His wins include champion and senior fours in 1910, and two senior eights (1911), besides a number of club races. T C Parker is a comparatively young oar, but he pushes away a lot of water. Like some of the other big oarsmen, his work is not perfection, and is not characterised by the mastery of the finer points of oarsmanship, but nevertheless he is well worthy of his seat in the boat.
Thomas C Parker of the Balmain Rowing Club who rowed with the Australian eight-oar crew on the Thames and at the Olympic Games at Stockholm, has definitely decided to join the professionals. Speaking to the Herald representative yesterday Parker said that he was turning professional not because he had any fault to find with the amateur form of the sport but because he thought a change would be beneficial. "While I was an amateur oarsman," said Parker, I endeavour to forward the interests of the pastime, and now that I have reached the highest plane in amateur rowing, I want to try the professional ranks, not for what I can make out of it - far from it - but because I think some impetus is needed to give professional four-oared rowing a start. If I enter into a thing it is my earnest endeavour to advance it throughly - witness the progress of the Balmain Club through my efforts - and, although I may fall foul of the officers of the New South Wales Rowing Association, who will doubtless think me ungrateful after the way I have been treated, yet I cannot be blamed for following my own inclination. So far as my trip to the old country and to Sweden is concerned, I did what was wanted of me there; but since my return I consider that they have no claim whatever on my allegiance. No, I am not taking this step as the outcome of anything that has occurred here, or in England, for I have nothing to complain about.'Parker said that now the move had been made he felt that there would be many more defections among the amateur oarsmen; but he would not commit himself by mentioning the names of any probable recruits to professionalism.