Herb Turner (rower)
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Herbert James Turner (6 August 1910 – 5 May 1998) was an Australian representative rower. He was a four-time single sculls national champion who won the
single scull A single scull (or a scull), abbreviated as a 1x, is a racing shell designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-se ...
s event at the
1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games were the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...
. He competed in the
double scull A double scull, also abbreviated as a 2x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") ar ...
s at the 1936 Olympics, together with
Bill Dixon William Robert Dixon (October 5, 1925 – June 16, 2010) was an American composer and educator. Dixon was one of the seminal figures in free jazz and late twentieth-century contemporary music. He was also a prominent activist for artist's right ...
, and finished sixth.


State and club rowing

Turner's senior rowing was from
Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford, New South Wales, Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on it ...
. He was first selected as the New South Wales state entrant to contest the President's Cup - the interstate single sculls championship - at the 1932 Interstate Regatta. He won that title in 1932 and then won the event in 1933, 1934 (with a winning margin of 15 lengths) and 1935 (by 48 secs).


International representative rowing

Although he was the 1935 Australian single-sculls champion, Turner was beaten in selection trials for the
1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...
by Cecil Pearce. Pearce was chosen as the single sculler and Turner was selected to row the double scull with Pearce. The rowing selectors also nominated Pearce and Turner in a double scull. However the AOF selection committee preferred to see Pearce focus on the single and Turner rowed the double with the
Bill Dixon William Robert Dixon (October 5, 1925 – June 16, 2010) was an American composer and educator. Dixon was one of the seminal figures in free jazz and late twentieth-century contemporary music. He was also a prominent activist for artist's right ...
the reserve for the men's eight. Though Dixon had not sculled before selection, he and Turner were the best performers of the three Australian boats in Berlin. They made the Olympic final and placed sixth. In 1938 Turner was Australia's single sculls entrant for the
1938 Commonwealth Games The 1938 British Empire Games were the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...
where he won the gold medal beating the British sculler Peter H. Jackson by five lengths in the final.


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* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Herb 1910 births 1998 deaths Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games gold medallists in rowing Commonwealth Games rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1938 British Empire Games Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games Place of birth missing 20th-century Australian sportsmen