Here is a wonderful report on the third regatta of the Ballaarat Yacht Club 1889
Astory of Captain Voss A British Columbian mariner who sailed the world in a dug out ( TILIKUM) canoe...
A news piece in the Star re TILIKUM and Ballarat Yacht club
See another link with a MR W DAVIS from Ballarat being a crew man on the next step of the voyage
Well another old trophy MAY be coming home.
A trophy by Owen E Edwards
first commodore of the Ballarat Yacht club who sailed VAGA BOND and again was a gold Boke and member of the first stock exchange.
I met his great great granddaughter in the club on Friday 18th May and we had a long discussion. The cup is in the hands of her son but here's hoping we might get it donated.
He also sailed a boat named Victoria. He was also involved with starting Colac Yacht club and the Ballarat Rowing Club a busy man and a member of the Old Colonist club.
Lived in Lydiard street in a house named VIDETTE if anyone knows of it
Quinton Wilkinson
ANZAC CENTENARY - LEST WE FORGET
Edward Spencer Holgate was born in Ballarat, the son of Stephen Holgate of 12 Errard Street South, Ballarat. Educated at Ballarat College Edward Holgate (3193) was a 26 year old, single auctioneer when he enlisted for service during World War One at Ballarat on 22 March 1915.
Serving in the 6th Field Ambulance Edward Holgate was admitted to hospital with a hernia in early 1916, and was transferred to the 15th Field Ambulance on 06 May 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 08 March 1918, and attended the 1st ANZAC Corps Gas School on 04 January 1918. On 27 April 1918 at Villers Breteneaux, France Edward Spencer Holgate was killed in action, and was buried on the same day. On 18 May 1918 headquarters congratulated his gallant conduct and devotion to duty during a counter attack at Villers Bretoneaux on the night of 24 and 25 April 1918. He was killed during this attack.
Edward Holgate left the following will which was witnessed by Sergeant D. Lydon and Lieutenant J.H. Anderson both of the 60th Battalion:
:In the event of my death I give the whole of my property & effects to Mary Hare of 15 Mair Street Ballarat East Victoria.
:E.S. Holgate
:Driver No. 3193
:1.2.16
Francis G Davis
https://bih.federation.edu.au/index.php/Francis_G._Davis
Alexander Henry White (1882-1915)
Alexander Henry White (1882-1915), army officer and maltster, was born on 9 May 1882 at Ballarat, Victoria, fifth child of Alexander White, a maltster from Scotland, and his English wife Eliza, née Collison. Educated by a private tutor and at Grenville College, Ballarat, Alexander followed his father and brother into the malting business, joining Wendouree Malt House. He became a citizen-soldier in 1899: his 'whole heart and soul was in his military work from the time he joined the old (Victorian) Mounted Rifles in Ballarat after leaving school'. Commissioned in March 1904, he gained steady promotion and by 1914 was brigade major in the 5th Light Horse Brigade. On 22 October 1913 he had married Myrtle Louise Glasson at St Peter's Anglican Church, Ballarat.
Transferring to the Australian Imperial Force on 21 September 1914, White was given command of the 8th Light Horse Regiment. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel on 1 January 1915, eight weeks before the regiment embarked for Egypt as part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The unit landed at Gallipoli on 21 May to be employed as infantry. White was wounded in action on 27 June, but resumed command on 4 July.
At 4.30 a.m. on 7 August 1915 the 3rd Light Horse Brigade mounted a bayonet assault on the Turkish trenches at The Nek. Seven minutes earlier, due to an error, the preliminary bombardment had ceased, allowing the enemy to prepare for the attack. White led the first of his regiment's two waves, but was shot down a short distance from his trench. Of the 300 officers and soldiers under his command, 153 died with him and 80 were wounded within minutes. The charge has endured as one of the best-known episodes of the Gallipoli Peninsula campaign: it was the subject of a painting by George Lambert and the setting for the finale in the 1981 Australian film, Gallipoli.
The Soldiers' Chapel of St. Peter's Church
The Soldiers' Chapel of St. Peter's Church of England in Ballarat sits just to the left of the main nave and church altar. It was built after the Great War (1914 - 1918) in honour of those in the St. Peters congregation who fought for, and sometimes made the supreme sacrifice, for King and country during the bloody conflict, and offers a quiet place separate from the main church for reflection and prayer.
The Soldiers' Chapel houses the William Hill and Son, Norman and Beard Ltd. organ, and also features several beautiful stained glass windows.Although the Soldier's Chapel contains memorials to soldiers lost during the Great War, there is one which is for one son of Ballarat who came home; Daryl Ballantyne Tunbridge. The Daryl Ballantyne Tunbridge Memorial Window features the Transfiguration of Jesus as its theme.
It depicts Jesus in red robes atop a green mountaintop at the point when he is transfigures and becomes radiant. This is especially apparent when the sun pours through the stained glass, illuminating it and highlighting the yellow and golden yellow panes of glass. The Daryl Ballantyne Tunbridge Memorial Window contained the unmistakable elongated design characteristics of Australian stained glass artist and fellow Great War veteran, Napier Waller.
Daryl Ballantyne Tunbridge was a driver of Eighteenth Company of the Australian Army Service Corps. He died on the 18th of August 1963 and is buried not too far from St. Peter’s Church of England in the Ballarat Old Cemetery in the family plot, alongside his father Walter Edward, mother Jane and his two sisters Hettie and Mary Lilian. He outlived all of them, as well as his brother Geoffrey Ballantyne Tunbridge, who was a gunner of the Second Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Army who was killed in action, at the tender age of just 21, on the 14th of March 1918 in Belgium.
There is a separate stained glass memorial window featuring the allegorical figure of Faith dedicated to Geoffrey Ballantyne Tunbridge just a few feet from Daryl Ballantyne Tunbridge’s memorial. Mervyn Napier Waller (1893 – 1972) was an Australian artist. Born in Penshurst, Victoria, Napier was the son of William Waller, contractor, and his wife Sarah, née Napier. Educated locally until aged 14, he then worked on his father's farm. In 1913 he began studies at the National Gallery schools, Melbourne, and first exhibited water-colours and drawings at the Victorian Artists' Society in 1915. On 31 August of that year he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, and on 21 October at the manse.
Rare trophy returns
A rare trophy with a history dating back to the late 1870s has been returned to its rightful home at the Ballarat Yacht Club. Click on the link below for the full story published in The Courier.
Ballarat Regatta and the Mayors Trophy of 24th October 1878 awarded to W. Bailey who Sailed Vagabond a 31/2 ton Cutter
WILLIAM Bailey was born in 1827 in Wellington, Somersetshire, and came to Australia in 1848.
He landed at Melbourne and was employed at a wine and spirit merchants however he remained only a short time, and he also had a short stay of eight months at the Ampitheatre Station, Lexton, when he was made manager at the Mt Cook Station, Werribee. He left Mt Cook Station in 1851, having been bitten, like so many others, by gold fever. After initially being involved in mining he entered into partnership with Wilson Brothers in the operation of general stores.
Bailey returned to mining with the Staffordshire Reef Company near Smythesdale where he remained for three years as manager before accepting a similar managerial position with the Egerton Mining Company where he was occupied for the next 12 years. He also purchased western District properties and other Mines .
Bailey and his wife Emily had eight children between 1861 and 1876. According to " Ballarat and Vicinity'' (1894) at that time there were five sons and one daughter still living, and Bailey was considered one of the wealthiest gentleman of the county. He built his mansion, ( Bailey’s Mansion) complete with tower, at the corner of Drummond and Mair streets. It was designed by architects Caselli and Figgis and printed information states that it was completed in 1883. Now part of St John’s Hospital.
W. Baily Yachting History
Much is written about the cutter VAGABOND a 31/2 ton cutter in the 1870,s . Originally an Albert Park boat it was raced on Lake Wendouree and after one race reported on 8th December 1877 William Bailey was so impressed he purchased the cutter immediately after the race from the owner Mr Edwards of Princess Ridge for 80 Guineas.
The Mayors Trophy ( Mayor H Leggo) was awarded to W. Bailey on the 24th October 1878 for winning the major regatta on Lake Wendouree in Vagabond , over a reported 3500 people watched the race .He W. Bailey went on to sail regularly and also at times owned other cutters namely VIOLA and CATHERINE.
The present trophy was located in an antique shop in Hampton Melbourne back in 2004 buy a Ballarat local.
Our Sincere thanks must go to Brian and Anna Canny for their perseverance in locating purchasing this very important early trophy and donating it to the club. It will now be cleaned and take prominent position in the clubs cabinet
We are still searching for further trophies below which using trove were awarded from 1878 when the club was first chartered to 1925
Trawling through the newspaper reports on Trove I have a list of trophies awarded but which are not in our collection and are missing hoping to get this list on Voice FM website our own and maybe help from the newspapers.
The Beaurepair Cup, H.B Berry Trophy, The Flemming Trophy, Istra cup, by D Tunbridge, The Davies Trophy, Mr S.E. Seward Trophy, The Roy Creer Memorial cup, The McPherson Trophy, N Whiteside Trophy, Thomas Bath Trophy, The B.A. John Trophy, The TG Faull Trophy, The Bob Taylor Cup , The Carters and Warners trophy.
Hopefully Ballarat’ population can search old cupboards and draws for trophy’s and other memorabilia with 140 years of sailing who knows what’s around please contact Quinton Wilkinson on 0417011821 or any member of the yacht club
Two trophies presented for the club collection and archives
On Sunday father’s day 2017 Commodore Colin and myself met Henry and John Berry for coffee at the yacht club where two trophies were presented for the club collection and archives.
Henry (on the left) is a long-time member of Ballarat Yacht Club and John his younger brother (on the right) lives and works in Hong Kong and sails with the Aberdeen Sailing Club.
The cup that Colin is holding is the TUNBRIDGE TROPHY for the C class Pennant won in 1963 by John Berry sailing a MOTH and the Trophy that Henry is holding was presented to him by the skipper of GRETLE Jock Shorruck the Americas cup challenger.
Henry sailed a SABOT but more on the history of these two trophies in the archives columns to come. Our sincere thanks to Henry and John for the donation of historic trophies.
Good response to our call out for BYC historical information.
Recently I received a call from a Mr Barry Jeffs of Mount Clear who on clearing out his father’s personal belongs came across a great collection of photographs (40 in total) showing the Ballarat Yacht Club fleet of SNIPES (late 1940”s and early 1950’s) sailing on Lake Wendouree .
Also, found in the same box of photographs, a crumpled piece of paper showing two baseball teams of the Ballarat Yacht Club, the red and the white teams.
Apparently the yacht club also had a ladies softball team documented in a book offered by Mrs Mollie Troon, which contains photos and paper clippings of the ladies softball teams.
Further information was also received by way of a large envelope from a Mr I WILD of Oxenford Queensland, inside this envelope are pictures of the 8 foot dinghies sailing from or around 1925 onwards and included in these images are some of the Alfred Park Yacht Club yachts and crews, who came up to the lake for a major regatta.
These collections of memorabilia, have been kindly donated to the club and will be placed into specific albums for safe storage and future display.
The BYC Commodore, Committee and Members acknowledge with sincere gratitude, this significant donation to our historical archives.
See photos and stories below.
Quinton Wilkinson
BYC Archivist
Trip to Ballarat (as published in the Record January 26 1929)
Albert Park Dinghy Club.
The club spent its Christmas vacation at Ballarat as the guests of the Ballarat Yacht Club, and resulted in a joyous holiday, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of the people up there.
The whole fleet of dinghies was taken up and numerous races were held, one being for a gold medal pre sented by the Ballarat Yacht Club, which was won by F. Clack sailing The Native.
The first of the championship races for the new year was held over the week-end. The event was a handicap race sailed over the yacht club course for the Edward's trophy. The wind was a fair southerly with a calm lake, making conditions ideal.
Starters and handicaps were: Swastika and Unknown Sis; Secret, 1 min.;. Thistle and Tassie, 3 min; Archer and Kookaburra, 4 min.; Bommerang, 5 min.; Zepher, 7 min.; John .Nimmo, 12 min.
Swastika was the first boat away, and rounding the first buoy held a good twelve lengths' lead, followed by the rest well bunched up. The Swastika crosscd the line3 first with a good lead, which it kept throughout the race.
The result on corrected times was: Archer 1, Kookaburra 2. Winning boat sailed by Don Archer.
Gift from Mr Hitchcock (Geelong Advertsier July 22, 1905)
The silver shield presented by Mr. W. M. Hitchcock, of London, and a former resident of Ballarat and Geelong, for: competition amongst the members of the Ballarat / Yacht Club, arrived here yesterday, and is at present on view at the hat establishment of Mr. J.T. Marsh. The shield was'addressed to Mr.J. Oddie, and it was unpacked yesterday- in the presence of that gentleman and Messrs.E. Shew, H. Adair, and D: M'M. JPaterson, of the Yacht Club, at Mr. Marsh's premises.
When the trophy was displayed those present waxed enthusiastic' over its beauties, and three cheers were'given for Mr. Hitchcock at the call of Mr. Oddie,-while a cheer was ac corded the latter gentleman. The shield, depicts a yachting scene on the Lake, surrounded by an artistic design of fancy work, two silver knobs bearing the inscription "Yullle Swamp 1852," and "Lake Wendouree 1905." suggest the evolution of the once -'reedy marsh of : 1852 to the beautiful expanse of water now known as Lake Wendouree. A third- knob is inscribed "Won' at Ballarat, 1905," and sufficient space is left for the name of the winner to be added.
The silver is mounted on a walnut stand, and the whole forms a very handsome trophy that is certain to be keenly competed for during the coming yachting season. Mr. Hitchcock's generosity is largely the outcome of the fact that he was on the 'Ballarat diggings' in the early days.
Quinton (9/6/2016)
Barry Coltman a good friend of mine was in Wodonga recently and catching up with old friends from the Mitre Ten days. A M/S Elaine Mann asked Barry toi take the Hitchcock Shield back with him and give it to the Ballarat Yacht club .Barry contacted me and heh presto we are off on a great story .
Elaine Manns is the daughter of Mr Gordon Milnes from Ballarat who worked for the Australasian Bank and sailed the boat OSTAR from about 1922 to 1927.
In the five year period he won the event three time and this enabled him to ( as the Age on the 27/February states) obtained absolute possession of the Shield and so it has remained in that family for the past 89 years until now, we are hopeful that she also has a photo of her father and the boat
Quinton
Baseball anyone?
Did you know that the Ballarat Yacht Club had a men's baseball and a women's softball team?
That's right, during the winter months members exchanged the tiller for the bat! Teamwork, fitness and competetive spirits were kept in tune with members sporting skills being put to good use in friendly rivalry against each other as the Reds or the Whites and in competion with other Ballarat baseball clubs.
Find out more by keeping your eye on the history and archive section, proudly presented by Quinton Wilkinson, as he looks back at this and other stories of 'the good ol' days at BYC.
Valdera just out of storage ready to be cleaned up and restored, watch this space!
One of the 'classics' of the era, A Charles Peel design. (Jubilee is the 'pup' of this boat)
Built in the late 20's by Mitch Laccos of Rosebud for R.H Hutchinson.
Sailed on Lake Wendouree and raced many times against other 25 footers of the day, including Acrospire (of Albert Park Lake).
Did you sail her?
Do you have any photos or mementos?
I would love to hear from crew members and receive bits of history etc.
Quinton Wilkinson
From the Age Melbourne 5th December 1932
Ballarat: Ballarat Yacht club officially opened its season at lake Wendouree today. Visitors were entertained aboard Mr H. Taylors Steamer by the president Mr. B.A. John. After the acting mayor Cr. J .Harrison had spoken, the yachts manoeuvred for the sailed past the Commodore, Mr K. K. Malyon who took the salute from the club Launch.
Mr R. Hutchinson’s yacht was christened by Mrs Hutchinson. It is of the latest design and took part in the occasional race over 4 miles but the breaking of a halyard caused a portion of the mast to break. The event was won by Parana ( 20 sec) H. Brayshaw Captain with Heather (1.20) J. McRea Captain second and Acrospire ( 1.20) W. Wheeler Captain third.
The Valdera which is the first new boat to be launched locally for several years was built at Rosebud. It is designed to race in the 25 ft class and unlike the clubs other boats it is fitted with a Marconi rig and carries about 1200 sq feet of sail on a 89 foot mast and it is expected that the boat will be the fastest of its class in the state , as recent rails seem to justify the claim to be.
Here is a great link to one of the classic boat builders on Port Phillip Bay
http://www.classicwoodenboat.com.au/boatbuilders-lacco/
Sailfish coming to BYC
Hi Quinton,
Please find attached some photos taken when Janita and I visited Ballaarat Yacht Club on the 2nd February 2017. Thank you so much for the kind reception we received.
I have also included a selection of newspaper clippings from my scrapbook of those National Titles. (I also have the real photographs, purchased from the Courier when the articles first appeared).
If you need any higher resolution copies, let me know.
Best Regards
Ian Milton
