Edward "Ned" Trickett (12 September 1851 – 28 November 1916) was an Australian

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

. He was the first Australian to be recognised as a world champion in any sport, after winning the

World Sculling Championship The World Sculling Championship (1863–1957), evolved from the Championship of the Thames for professional scullers. Only the sport of boxing claims an older Championship of the World. It is notable that Jack Broughton, the "Father of Boxing", t ...

in 1876, a title he held until 1880, when he was beaten by Canadian

Ned Hanlan Edward "Ned" Hanlan (12 July 1855 – 4 January 1908) was a Canadian professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario. He was the world sculling champion from 1880 to 1884. According to Rowing Canada Aviron, Hanlan is "widel ...

. Trickett was born at

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

, on the

Lane Cove River The Lane Cove River, a northern tributary of the Parramatta River, is a tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary west of Sydney Harbour, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The river winds through a bushland valley and joins Parramatt ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. His father was a former

convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convicts ...

and a bootmaker and his mother was Irish. The young Ned learned to

scull Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, it ...

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. Records show that rowing matches between crews of visiting ships had been taking place on the harbour from as early as 1805. The ''Sydney Gazette'' newspaper recorded "The first Australian Regatta" in 1827 with a rowing race for 20

Spanish dollars The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (, , , or ), is a silver coin of approximately diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content fine silver. It wa ...

and both rowing and sailing were established sports by 1837 when the first Anniversary Regatta was held in Sydney.

Early rowing career

Trickett's took part in his first race at the age of ten. It was the Anniversary Day Regatta and he finished second in the under-16 maiden sculls. At the age of fourteen he won the 12-foot

dinghy A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or Towing, towed by a Watercraft, larger vessel for use as a Ship's tender, tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they diffe ...

title also at the Anniversary Day Regatta. He went on to defeat most of the State's professional scullers to become Australian Professional Sculling Champion. His occupation was noted as a

quarryman A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

and he met his wife, the daughter of a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

keeper, whilst delivering stone for the construction of a new lighthouse at South Head. He was an extremely tall person for his time, being tall and would have stood out in any crowd. By 1874 Trickett was gaining a reputation as a rower and in the Balmain Regatta of that year, he won the

outrigger An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts he ...

race and was in the winning

whaleboat A whaleboat is a type of open boat that was used for catching whales, or a boat of similar design that retained the name when used for a different purpose. Some whaleboats were used from whaling ships. Other whaleboats would operate from the s ...

crew. Later that same year he placed second to Michael Rush in the Clarence River Champion Outrigger Race. At the Anniversary Regatta of 1875 he won the light

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats, usually propelled by sails or oars. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for work, leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-pers ...

s race and was now the best sculler in the colony of NSW.

Champion of the World

In May 1876 the Sydney innkeeper, James Punch, who was a former sculler, took Trickett to England. He went on to win Australia's first world sporting title on 27 June 1876 by defeating the two-times champion,

Englishman The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common ancestry, history, and culture. The English identity began with the Anglo-Saxons, when they we ...

Joseph Sadler Joseph Henry Sadler () was a British professional rower who twice won the World Sculling Championship. Before 1876, the English Sculling Championship was considered to be the premier event in professional sculling. In 1876, the English Title g ...

, for the

, starting a Golden Age for Australian professional sculling. The world title was held by seven Australians for 22 of the 31 years between 1876 and 1907. Sculling Championship of the World

The course for the race was the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for sport rowing, rowing races, particularly the The Boat Race, Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course ...

from

Putney Putney () is an affluent district in southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ...

Mortlake Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes, London, Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes ...

on the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

, a distance of nearly four and a quarter miles. A very large crowd was on hand, both on the banks and in boats, to witness the race. Trickett used a boat named "Young Australia" and his weight was given as 11 st 4 lbs. The race commenced just after 5:30 pm and Sadler dipped his oars first to gain a slight advantage. This advantage was soon lost as Trickett came up and passed Sadler. At Craven Point the challenger was a good length ahead and at the Crab Tree he had increased this to two lengths.

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, with Barnes in the London Boroug ...

was reached in 9 minutes 35 seconds and his lead was up to three and a half lengths. Shortly afterwards Sadler quickened and reduced the deficit to only about one length but could not make sufficient gain to pass Trickett who sculled strongly to cross the finish line some four lengths to the good. The time was 24 minutes 36 seconds. Trickett thus became the first Australian World Champion in any sport. Additionally, he collected £400 in stake money. Upon his return to Sydney, 25,000 people greeted him and he was wined and dined all around the state.

First defence

In June the following year fellow Australian Michael Rush challenged Trickett for the World Championship. The scullers had raced before for the New South Wales Championship but the race was unequal because Trickett used the new sliding seat and Rush continued to use a fixed seat. The stake for the World Title was £400 a side. Rush had not learned his lesson and again used the fixed seat while Trickett used a sliding seat which gave him a huge advantage notwithstanding claims to the contrary by Rush's backers. The course was on the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...

, Sydney, over a distance of about three and a half miles. After an even start Rush went ahead and by Uhr's Point was a clear length ahead. However, by the mile and a half point Trickett had overtaken the leader and from then on the race was a procession and he crossed the line twenty-two seconds ahead. The total time was 23m.26.3s. Alan May wrote in Sydney Rows magazine that it was "a race that was said to have excited more interest than any other event that has ever happened in the sporting world of Australia." Some fifty thousand people were said to have witnessed the race. Trickett won several non-title races over the next couple of years and earned enough money to buy a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

. He became

licensee A licensee can mean the holder of a license or, in U.S. tort law, is a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to en ...

of Trickett's Hotel and later became the proprietor of the International Hotel which was located on the corner of Pitt and King Streets in Sydney. However, in June 1878, he was involved in an accident when a rolling keg of beer crushed his hand and several fingers had to be amputated. This was to affect the balance of his stroke in future races and was possibly the cause of the downturn in Edward Trickett's rowing.

Second defence

Trickett's next came from Elias C. Laycock, also of Australia, on 29 August 1879. Laycock was without doubt one of Australia's finest scullers but he never managed to become World Champion. The esteem in which he was held can be estimated by the fact that he was still asked to pose in a photograph of key Australian scullers at a

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

al reception in 1903 with the likes of Stanbury, Pearce, Peter Kemp (rower), Bill Beach, Rush, Trickett and the Towns brothers. The Title Race had an unusual extra dimension in that the winner was to be chosen to represent

against

who was champion of Great Britain and the United States. The course was again on the Parramatta River but this time the distance was about three and three-quarter miles. Laycock had previously beaten Trickett so his backers had high hopes of taking the Championship which was for £200 a side. The water was smooth and the weather splendid and the tide was just on the turn as the men started. Laycock took an early lead but by four hundred yards Trickett had passed him and was never tested for the rest of the race, winning "as he liked" by some fifteen to eighteen lengths. The time was 22m.38s which was the second best time ever recorded in Australia. Trickett had used the then new invention of swivel rowlocks.

Third defence

On 15 November 1880 on a decidedly raw and cold day with a drizzling rain that fell at intervals; Trickett, weighing and tall, aged 29 years rowed against the tall Edward ‘Ned’ Hanlan weighing aged 25 years of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Canada over the Thames

which ran between Putney and Mortlake. Both men and their supporters had travelled to England for the match. There was heavy betting on the race. Harry Kelley piloted the Australian, and Bright performed the same office for Hanlan, but the race seemed to be over before they reached

. Trickett lost the race to the Canadian in a time of 26 minutes-12 seconds and three lengths behind, and thus he lost his World Title. The Stake was £400.

Final title race

Hanlan disposed of two more challengers before accepting a further challenge from Trickett. This race took place on 1 May 1882, again on the Championship Course on the Thames. Trickett used a new boat weighing only twenty-nine pounds. The stake was £500 a side. However, the race was very one sided and Hanlan won so far ahead that he then turned around and rowed back to Trickett, turned around again and beat him a second time to the finish line. Hanlan was well known for these sorts of pranks which often humiliated his opponents, although he was one of the greatest rowers of his age. Trickett returned to Australia and in 1884 he moved to the Oxford Arms Hotel in

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. It is rumoured an admirer had apparently given him the hotel. In 1888 he raced his old foe Edward Hanlan on the Fitzroy River. Some 10,000 spectators watched Ned Trickett, then aged 36–37, be beaten and lose his money on this race.

Life after rowing

The economic downturn in the early 1890s caused Ned to lose his hotel. He returned to Sydney to find employment but was deeply depressed - to the point of being suicidal. In September 1893 he began work as a tide waiter with the New South Wales Customs Department. Trickett seemingly found religion after having been duck shooting on the

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...

. It is reputed that he changed his ways and became a

teetotaller Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to be ...

. Or he found religion whilst wandering the streets of Sydney which gave him the strength to continue and then, through

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

contacts, he obtained employment in the

Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

Services. He lived and worked at

Moama Moama ( or ) is a town in the Murray region of southern New South Wales, Australia, in the Murray River Council local government area. The town is directly across the Murray River from the larger town of Echuca in the neighbouring state of Vic ...

on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...

in New South Wales for some time and his family remained in Sydney. His work then reverted to Sydney. He remained a committed Salvation Army envoy throughout the rest of his life and became a good speaker for their cause. Nearing his retirement, Ned visited his son Fred at

Uralla Uralla is a town on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way, north of Sydney and about south-west of the city of Armidale. At the , the township of ...

in New South Wales. Fred ran the General Store and was mining gold as a hobby. Trickett helped Fred work the shaft until tragedy struck on 27 November 1916 when the walls of the gold mine shaft collapsed. Trickett died of the injuries. He is buried in the Uralla cemetery. A memorial to him was erected by the public subscription at Uralla in 1918. At Surfers Paradise, Qld, is a street named after Trickett. Trickett Street is nearby those named after other rowers, vis Beach Road, Hanlan Street, and Laycock Street.

References

* Trickett, Gordon; ''Ned Trickett Champion Sculler of the World'' * ''Seven Australian World Champion Scullers'', , published 2010. * * The New York Times 10 July 1876, 16 November 1880, 2 May 1882 * The Evening Post newspaper, 9 July 1877 * Bloomfield, John, Australia's Sporting Success - The Inside Story, 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Trickett, Edward Australian male sailors (sport) Australian male rowers 1851 births 1916 deaths Australian Salvationists Australian waterside workers 19th-century Methodists Professional rowers Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Rowers from Sydney