Neil Matterson was an Australian professional sculler who attempted to win 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", ...

, and although he was unsuccessful in that, he went on to coach

Henry Ernest Searle Henry Ernest Searle (1866–1889), was a professional Australian sculler, who also was the World Sculling Champion from 1888 until his premature death from typhoid in 1889. Born on 14 July 1866 at Grafton, New South Wales to Henry Samuel Sea ...

who did become the World Champion.

Early life and sculling

Neil Matterson was born at Kempsey, Macleay River, New South Wales on 6 June 1864. As an adult, he was 5 ft, 11 in (1.80 m) tall, and his training weight was about 10 st 12 lb (68.9 kg). On 24 May 1882, he competed in the second-class All-comers' Light Skiff Race at the Grafton Regatta and finished last. On the same day, with G. Ashwood, he won the Double-sculling race; in July he beat J. Stuart over a course of two miles and a-half, in light skiffs, for £10 a side. He then defeated J. Parkinson for £50 a side, in July, over a course of three miles. On 26 January 1884, with featherweight, he won the All-comers' Light Skiff Race at Rocky Mouth Regatta. Acting on the advice of Michael Rush, Matterson came to Sydney, and in April beat Nichols, of Shoalhaven, for £20 a side, in light skiffs, over the Parramatta championship course. He was matched against Guilliford for £50 a side, and the latter forfeited. On 22 May, at the

Ned Hanlan Edward Hanlan (12 July 1855 – 4 January 1908) was a Canadian professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario. Early life Hanlan was born to Irish parents; one of two sons and two daughters. His mother was Mary Gibbs, his fath ...

Elias C. Laycock Elias Connell Laycock (8 May 1845 – 29 May 1938) was an Australian competitive rower who three times tried to become the World Sculling Champion. Early life Elias Laycock was born in Pitt Street in Sydney, New South Wales. He attended boa ...

exhibition match on the Nepean river, he won the All-comers' Light Skiff with 25 lb, defeating four others. On the same day he also won the Wager Boat Race (his maiden race in an outrigger) with 10sec start, defeating R. Edwards (of Victoria), H. Pearce (scratch),

Charles A. Messenger Charles Amos Messenger (1853 – 21 April 1905), a professional sculler and rower, was born in London where his family was well known in aquatic circles. He married Annie Frances Atkinson on 30 November 1875 in Gore Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, ...

(7sec), and Woods (20sec). He beat R. Edwards on 22 August in wager boats for £100 a side on the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. S ...

; on 18 October he beat

Peter Kemp (rower) Peter Kemp (1853-1921) was one of seven Australians who each won the World Sculling Championship (Professional) between 1876 and 1905. He was born on the banks of the Hawkesbury River near Windsor, New South Wales, on 15 November 1853. As a boy ...

for £200 a side on the Nepean river, but Kemp gave up after rowing about a mile. On 5 November he defeated R. Edwards in the All-comers' Race at Albert Park Regatta (Victoria); he competed in the All-comers' Race at the Balmain Regatta on 9 November. The race had to be rowed over again, and was then won by Pearce, Messenger being second, and Matterson third. On 29 May 1885 he beat

for £200 a side over the champion course was then matched to row Peter Kemp, but, being in ill health, forfeited his first deposit of £25.

World championship match

Matterson had challenged Bill Beach for a match for the latter's World Title. The stake was for £200 a side and the match was held on the Parramatta river on 18 December 1885. The challenger was severely overmatched, and the race turned out to be little more than a training run for the champion, who won easily in a time of 24 minutes. See also

Later events

In February 1886, Matterson left Sydney for England, arriving there in April. On 24 May, he was beaten by George Perkins over the Thames

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 rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of ...

for £400 and the Sportsman Cup, which included the

English Sculling Championship The English Sculling Championship developed out of informal competitions between working watermen on rivers such as the Thames and the Tyne. Various matches were made on a casual basis but in time these were more formalised. The first recognised Cha ...

. On 7 June, on the Thames, he defeated Dave Godwin for £100 a side. On 16 August, he beat George Perkins for £200 a side. In the first round of the Great International Sculling Sweepstakes, held on the Thames on 30 and 31 August, and 1 September 1886, he defeated

Wallace Ross Wallace Ross (20 February 1857 – 26 November 1895) was a professional rower who was considered to be the greatest sculler to come out of Saint John, Canada. He was a champion who nearly won the World Champion single sculls title. Early lif ...

, of Canada, but in the second round he was beaten by John Teemer (America); on 10 September, on the Thames, he was beaten by G. Lee for £200 a side. Matterson returned to Sydney on 3 December of the same year. He competed in the final heat of the Lake Bathurst Handicap Outrigger Race, won by

Jim Stanbury James Stanbury (25 February 1868 – 11 December 1945) was a world champion sculler. Stanbury was born on Mullet Island on the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales and was the successor of John McLean in the rowing championship of the world. I ...

, on 14 January 1887, but was not placed. On 4 July of the same year, he was beaten by Peter Kemp for £200 a side and the Tennyson Cup, over the championship course, Parramatta river. He did not again appear in a public contest until 26 September 1888, when he defeated Chris. Neilsen for £100 a side on the Parramatta river. On 29 October, he was beaten by Peter Kemp on the Parramatta river, the backers of the latter laying £1000 to £300. He was third in the final of the Brisbane Aquatic Carnival, rowed on 11 December, and won by

, with Peter Kemp second.

Champion coach

Matterson trained the latter champion sculler of the world,

, for all his engagements on the

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

river. Searle won the Championship off Peter Kemp in October 1888. Searle travelled to England and while there he defeated William Joseph O'Connor for the

, and Matterson defeated George Bubear (ex-champion of England) for £200 a side, over the Thames course, on 13 October 1889.

A second world title attempt

Henry Searle famously died shortly afterwards in December 1889, and the Championship Title reverted to Peter Kemp. Matterson had felt that the Title should have been competed for by a round robin series or an elimination series, with him as one of the contestants. However, this did not eventuate, but he did manage to get in the first challenge. As Searle's trainer, he must have had a good idea of Kemp's abilities and felt he could beat him. The race was arranged for 25 April 1890 on the Parramatta and the stake was £200 a side. Both men were in top condition and a good race was expected. From the start, Kemp went ahead and stayed ahead until the finish. Matterson became so exhausted that Kemp easily came home several hundred yards in front. The time was 21m. 13.5s. Matterson did not again ever attempt to win the Championship.

Later training success

Matterson also trained

Charles Stephenson (rower) Charles Stephenson (born 20 March 1865) was a New Zealand rower. He was born in Hobson Street, Auckland, Hobson Street, Auckland. He passed most of his boyhood at the Thames, and after leaving school went to the Northern Wairoa district, where ...

for the latter's race with

William Hearn William Hearn may refer to: * William Hearn (legal academic) (1826–1888), Australian university professor and politician * William Hearn (umpire) (1849–1904), English cricketer and Test umpire * William Hearn (rower) William Hearn (born 13 ...

, for the

New Zealand Sculling Championship The New Zealand Sculling Championship was the professional Single Sculls Championship of New Zealand held between 1881 and the 1930s. The Championship declined following the First World War and with the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s. ...

of, which Stephenson won at Wellington in February 1890 and at the Dunedin Exhibition, on 17 February, won Champion Scullers' Race for £50. Matterson died in April 1933.

References

Otago Witness newspaper 24 April 1890 {{DEFAULTSORT:Matterson, Neil 1864 births Australian male rowers Year of death missing Professional rowers People from the Mid North Coast Colony of New South Wales people