Highlights

• Commercial Rowing Club (CRC) is formed.
• CRC works hard to secure rowing premises.
• CRC enjoys success in Champion 4s of Queensland, and later, the Champion 8s; and take seats in the Intercolonial 8+s.
• CRC advocates for a Queensland Rowing Association.

1877 – The XXXX brewery is newly established and there is a single wooden bridge (Victoria Bridge). The Finney Bros are men about town, and they have an idea to form a rowing club. The Commercial Rowing Club (CRC) is formed. They build a shed on the north bank downstream of the wooden bridge. Within 3 years, the CRC pontoon and staging are carried away — twice. Clubhouse 1.

1885 – With expanding membership, they build a 2nd clubhouse beside the first. Clubhouse 2.

1885 – 7 CRC oarsmen are selected in the 1st Intercolonial 8+ entered by Queensland.

1886 – The Brisbane City Council tries to evict them insisting they don’t own the land.

1887 – CRC pontoon and staging washes away again.

1889 – Tom Hughes is selected in Australian 8+ crew to go to England.

1890 – The entire clubhouse washes away.  A new clubhouse is built upstream. Clubhouse 3.

1891 – Dan Joyce coxes the first winning Queensland 8+ at the Intercolonial Championships.

1893 – The Great Flood! The entire clubhouse washes away again. They procure the barque Beatrice (an old hospital ship) and cut a hole in its side to launch their boats. The Queensland Government orders them to move the barque downstream. Clubhouse 4.

1893 – JH Williams and crew set a record for rowing 48 miles from Brisbane to Ipswich in 4:52 hours.

1896 – The barque Beatrice sinks.

1897 – A new clubhouse is built on the North Quay. Clubhouse 5.

1900 – 6 members serve in South Africa and 1 member dies a soldier’s death from wounds received.

1903 – JH Williams strokes the Queensland Interstate 8+, coming 2nd to Victoria.

1905 – CRC goes into significant debt to build a new, bigger and grander clubhouse. The famous O’Connor Boathouse is built. It is the largest in Australia, with its upper storey representing a great advance in boathouse construction. Photos of each of the 176 members are displayed on the new clubhouse walls. Clubhouse 6.

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