Michael Rush (rower)
Encyclopedia
Michael Rush was an Irish Australian
sculler
noted for his one-on-one competitions against champion
opponents, which drew vast crowds of spectators.
, County Tyrone
, in what is now Northern Ireland
. One of ten children, Michael and his brother John emigrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney per 'Hotspur' on 24 February 1861. Their emigration had been sponsored by one Michael McGrath, and the boys went to work for employers on the Clarence River
in the far north coast of New South Wales
.
Rush was first a farm labourer, then assistant to a butcher, and later became a store-keeper. Rush became adept at rowing the heavy boats (known as 'butcher boats') used for delivering goods to customers along the river. By 1869, Rush and his friend Prosper Coloun had often competed against each other in rowing races, and Rush had taken the title of 'Champion of the Clarence'. In 1865, the 'two raw farm boys' as Rush described himself and Coulon, boldly took part in the Anniversary Regatta in Sydney.
“Charon”, of the The Sydney Mail
, 1883 wrote:
The following year, at Grafton, he beat Edward Trickett
, Elias C. Laycock
, Hickey, Green, and others; but at the Grafton Regatta, 1874, was beaten by Laycock and Solomon. In 1875, no response was made to a challenge of Rush's, to row any man in the world, for £500 a side, on the Clarence. When Trickett returned from England, after beating Joseph Sadler
, Rush challenged Trickett for the World Sculling 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, 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. The event was witnessed by 50,000 people. This was Rush's only attemt at the World Title.
In 1879 he was beaten by Laycock, on the Parramatta
, in outrigger
s, but the finish was so close that the umpire's decision was questioned, Five months later Laycock beat him easily, over the same course. It was then said that Rush was not in good rowing form. After Laycock's return from England, Rush issued another challenge, and the pair met on the Parramatta in 1881, for £200 a side when the Clarence man won by 6 lengths, in 21 minutes the fastest time recorded over the champion course. It was immediately following this that his friends in Sydney presented him with plate to the value of £200, and entertained him at a banquet. He then rowed in the Walker Whiskey race, in which he was beaten by Pearce and Power his defeat being attributed to some defect in the boat used by him. Rush and Power again met, the former staking £200 to £100 with a similar result; but on the following Saturday Rush “turned the tables" on Power. Then on the following Monday, he also defeated Pearce; but two days later again succumbed to Laycock.
At the Grafton regatta in May 1882, he won the outrigger race very easily from Power, and his last appearance was in the Punch Trophy race in which he won both his divisions, beating Pearce, Laycock, and D. McDonald; and the final heat from Bill Beach
, Trickett, and Laycock.'
He later moved to Sydney, leasing and managing several hotels, finally retiring to a smallholding near Hurstville
owned by his son, where he died, on 17 December 1922. Michael Rush was buried in Waverly Cemetery
.
Rush Lane, 29°27′8.7"S 153°11′57.34"E in the town of Maclean NSW, is named in his memory.
Irish Australian
Irish Australians have played a long and enduring part in Australia's history. Many came to Australia in the eighteenth century as settlers or as convicts, and contributed to Australia's development in many different areas....
sculler
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
noted for his one-on-one competitions against champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
opponents, which drew vast crowds of spectators.
Youth and Early Times
Rush was born on 3 January 1844 in Dooish, near OmaghOmagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, in what is now Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. One of ten children, Michael and his brother John emigrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney per 'Hotspur' on 24 February 1861. Their emigration had been sponsored by one Michael McGrath, and the boys went to work for employers on the Clarence River
Clarence River (New South Wales)
The Clarence River is situated in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The river originates on the watershed that marks the Queensland border. After flowing south and northeast for 394 km it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Iluka/Yamba. On its journey it passes through the towns of...
in the far north coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Rush was first a farm labourer, then assistant to a butcher, and later became a store-keeper. Rush became adept at rowing the heavy boats (known as 'butcher boats') used for delivering goods to customers along the river. By 1869, Rush and his friend Prosper Coloun had often competed against each other in rowing races, and Rush had taken the title of 'Champion of the Clarence'. In 1865, the 'two raw farm boys' as Rush described himself and Coulon, boldly took part in the Anniversary Regatta in Sydney.
Sculling career
His rowing weight was about to (about ). His first match was against the late P. Colourn, whom he beat, but afterwards met with defeat several times from that sculler. He rowed for the first time in Sydney, at the regatta when he won two events; and the following month, he and Colourn defeated the brothers Trickett in a double sculling race, in skiffs. He was next beaten by the then champion, W. Hickey, in skiffs, who refused to row again in the same class of boats. But a match was rowed between Rush and R. Hickey, resulting in a victory for the first named. Rush then learned to row in outriggers, and on 19 November 1870, was beaten by 10 lengths, by W. Hickey, for £200 a side and the Australian championship. A month later, the same two rowed a match in skiffs, Rush winning. In 1873, they again met on the Parramatta, in outriggers, when Rush won by six lengths.“Charon”, of the The Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail was an Australian magazine published weekly in Sydney. The weekly edition of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, it ran from 1860 to 1938....
, 1883 wrote:
"Personally Rush is one of the best of good fellows. Possessing a fine, manly face, with cheery, pleasant expression, and being able to boast of just enough of his native brogue to swear by, he is a worthy specimen of a genial, good hearted Irishman. His height is 6 feet 1 inch, and as he will be only 38 next birthday, he may be considered comparatively a young man. His style of rowing is anything but taking to the eye, but, notwithstanding, he gets the pace out of his boat, What he lacks in skill is fully compensated for by the powerful frame and strong muscular development. He has not had the experience of his opponent, nor has he travelled the world wide in search of foemen, worthy of his steel, yet patiently and perseveringly he has entered the lists; and, lacking the skill and knowledge of his celebrated adversary with alternate success he has battled with him."
The following year, at Grafton, he beat Edward Trickett
Edward Trickett
Edward "Ned" Trickett was an Australian rower. He was the first Australian to be recognised as a world champion in any sport, after winning the World Sculling Championship in 1876, a title he held until 1880, when he was beaten by Canadian Ned Hanlan.Trickett was born at Greenwich, on the Lane...
, Elias C. Laycock
Elias C. Laycock
Elias Connell Laycock was an Australian competitive rower who three times tried to become the World Sculling Champion..-Early life:...
, Hickey, Green, and others; but at the Grafton Regatta, 1874, was beaten by Laycock and Solomon. In 1875, no response was made to a challenge of Rush's, to row any man in the world, for £500 a side, on the Clarence. When Trickett returned from England, after beating Joseph Sadler
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...
, Rush challenged Trickett for the World Sculling 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, 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. The event was witnessed by 50,000 people. This was Rush's only attemt at the World Title.
In 1879 he was beaten by Laycock, on the Parramatta
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
, in outrigger
Outrigger
An outrigger is a part of a boat's rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or gunwale of a boat.In an outrigger canoe and in sailboats such as the proa, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. The outrigger is positioned rigidly and...
s, but the finish was so close that the umpire's decision was questioned, Five months later Laycock beat him easily, over the same course. It was then said that Rush was not in good rowing form. After Laycock's return from England, Rush issued another challenge, and the pair met on the Parramatta in 1881, for £200 a side when the Clarence man won by 6 lengths, in 21 minutes the fastest time recorded over the champion course. It was immediately following this that his friends in Sydney presented him with plate to the value of £200, and entertained him at a banquet. He then rowed in the Walker Whiskey race, in which he was beaten by Pearce and Power his defeat being attributed to some defect in the boat used by him. Rush and Power again met, the former staking £200 to £100 with a similar result; but on the following Saturday Rush “turned the tables" on Power. Then on the following Monday, he also defeated Pearce; but two days later again succumbed to Laycock.
At the Grafton regatta in May 1882, he won the outrigger race very easily from Power, and his last appearance was in the Punch Trophy race in which he won both his divisions, beating Pearce, Laycock, and D. McDonald; and the final heat from Bill Beach
Bill Beach
William Beach was a professional Australian sculler. He was unbeaten as World Sculling Champion from 1884 to 1887.Born on 6 September 1850 at Chertsey, Surrey, England, to Alexander Beach, blacksmith, and his wife Mary, née Gibbons...
, Trickett, and Laycock.'
Founding of the Grafton Rowing Club
Business Enterprises and Later Life
In 1881, Rush sold his various businesses at 'Rocky Mouth' and moved to Grafton.He later moved to Sydney, leasing and managing several hotels, finally retiring to a smallholding near Hurstville
Hurstville, New South Wales
Hurstville is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurstville is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of...
owned by his son, where he died, on 17 December 1922. Michael Rush was buried in Waverly Cemetery
Waverley Cemetery
The Waverley Cemetery opened in 1877 and is a cemetery located on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson and...
.
Rush Lane, 29°27′8.7"S 153°11′57.34"E in the town of Maclean NSW, is named in his memory.
Books
- Bate, M. & Mackey, N. 1981. The City of Grafton : a contribution to the history of the City... Clarence River Historical Society. ISBN 09599954
- Bennett, Scott. 1973. The Clarence Comet : the career of Henry Searle, 1866-89 Sydney University Press. ISBN 0424066904
- Edward Hanlan, champion oarsman, with history and portrait : also, history and portraits of all the great oarsmen. 1884. Melbourne : Albert S. Manders & Co. for the proprietor.
- Gard, Stephen. 2011. Michael Rush : champion Australian sculler. Thirlmere, NSW : Bluedawe Books. ISBN 9780646559872
- Heaton, J. H. 1879. Australian dictionary of dates and men of the time : containing the history of Australasia from 1542 to date. 1879. London : S.W. Silver & Co. ; Sydney : G. Robertson. Part II: "Aquatics"
- Inglis, James ("Maori"). 1880. Our Australian cousins. London : Macmillan and Co.
- McSwan, E. H. 1976 edition. Discovery and Settlement of the Lower Clarence Maclean District Historical Society.
- McSwan, Eleanor H. 1992. Maclean : the first fifty years, 1862-1912. Maclean District Historical Society. ISBN 0909323127
Newspaper Articles and Journals
- Old Times: A unique illustrated history of the early days, dealing with every phase of life from the arrival of Governor Phillip, with many reminiscences of old colonists living and dead Vol1. # 4. July 1903. Sydney : Commercial Publishing Co. of Sydney Ltd.
- McFarlane, Duncan. "Rowing on the Clarence : Some Early History" Daily Examiner (Grafton NSW) Monday, 10 May 1920.
- "Decisive clash between top scullers" The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW Australia) 29 April 1979. page 81. (Feature article : 'What They Read 100 years ago.')
- "The Golden Age of Australian Sculling" People 18 November 1964. p. 53.
- "Sculling put Australia on world sporting map before cricket" Daily Mirror (Sydney) Monday, 28 September 1987. p. 20
- The Brisbane Courier Wednesday, 9 April. 1879.
- The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 4 October 1881
Web-based Material
- Rush vs. Trickett June 1887 Our Australian Cousins. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- Michael Rush Grafton Rowing Club History.
External links
- Trickett vs. Rush Australian Rowing History
- Edward Hanlan, champion oarsman National Library of Australia
- Grafton Rowing Club