260:. Hanlan had come to Australia that year to give sculling exhibitions. He claimed he was out of condition and went off on tours of all the eastern states. However Beach's credentials seemed limited and the Canadian reputedly had never lost a race. Hanlan believed Beach wouldn't stand a chance. The race was on the Parramatta River was on 16 August 1884 and was rowed over a distance of 3 miles 330 yards (5.13 km) with a stake of £500 a side. Beach won by six or seven lengths in a time of 20m.28s. After the race, Hanlan could not accept the fact that his long reign had ended, blaming the Australian climate, the treacherous tides and an excess of hospitality for his defeat, which he took very badly.
334:, instead of accepting his challenge. This action was controversial but Beach thus was the only World Champion sculler of his era to retire undefeated – the next was in 1938. His seven wins out of seven races in the event was unique. Hanlan also gained seven wins but that was from twelve races. The next closest was
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on the Thames for £1000. That course was a little longer than the
Parramatta course, being about four and a quarter miles long. This was also an interesting race in that race each rower in turn stopped from exhaustion and slumped in his boat. Beach managed to recover sufficiently to continue rowing a
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After a short time in Sydney he returned to Dapto to his home in
Kanahooka Road – 'Champion Cottage' where he remained until his death in 1935 at the age of 84. At Dapto, Beach was made a trustee of the showground and Gooseberry and Hooker Islands in Lake Illawarra, and also became president of the
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on 27 November 1888 in a race with Hanlan for £500 a side, Beach won by three lengths in the presence of 5000 spectators. This was not a
Championship match – just a normal money match between professional scullers. Beach was then 5 ft 9½ ins (177 cm) tall with a 42 ins (107 cm) chest,
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Beach returned to Sydney on 3 December 1886. He was met by the president of the Rowing
Association who congratulated him 'on his great achievements … his steady, careful, upright and manly character'. Welcomed as a hero by band and banners, he was presented to Governor Lord Carrington and his lady
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Beach’s first defence was against another
Australian, Thomas Clifford on 28 February 1885. This race was also on the Parramatta River. Only three weeks before the race Clifford had raced and lost to Hanlan so the outlook was not good for him. After the start Beach soon led. Although Clifford made a
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Among the donors of his £25 prize was the publican J. G. Deeble, who became his sponsor and claimed as his discoverer. In other races he was said to have won £150 with which he built his home at Dapto. On Boxing Day at
Pyrmont he was beaten in the allcomers' handicap skiff race by A. Pearce. On 25
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The second defence took place just a month later on 28 March 1885 against Hanlan, again for a stake of £500 a side. A large crowd came to the by now usual course on the
Parramatta River. This race was one of the better ones as for most of the distance there was little between them. The racing was
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A Sydney street at
Tennyson Point – Beach Street – is named after Bill Beach. Nearby streets are named after some of the other Australian World Sculling Champions, vis Kemp, Searle, Stanbury, and (George) Towns. They are not far from the Championship course on the Parramatta River. Additionally,
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another nearby street is named after John Teemer, an
American rower and one time opponent of Beach. Also at Surfers Paradise, Queensland, a street is named after Beach. Beach Road is nearby those named after other rowers, vis Trickett Street, Hanlan Street, Clifford Street, and Laycock Street.
327:, near Sydney. Special trains ran from Sydney, Bathurst and Goulburn to take thousands of spectators to the course. The race was again close although Beach was always in the lead even though he was closely pressed by Hanlan. For the third time Beach defeated Hanlan for the World Championship.
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On 27 March 1886 Beach left for London and in August won the final of the
International Sweepstake, against John Teemer, Bubear, Lee and others on the Thames for a prize of £1200. On 18 September 1886 he successfully defended his title against
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In 1873 at Brownsville he married Sarah Duley; they had six sons and six daughters. He died at Brownsville on 28 January 1935 and was buried at St Luke's Church of England cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife and survived by ten children.
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In December 1883 he defeated Trickett for the James Henry trophy of £150. On 26 January 1884 he finished ahead of Trickett but, after a protest, lost when the race was rowed again; on 12 April he beat Trickett for £200 a side, the
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Regatta Club, alderman of the Central Illawarra Council and patron of the Boy Scouts. Beach continued to be involved in rowing and was sometimes appointed umpire in important matches. For example, he was the umpire in the
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Beach trained as a blacksmith like his father and seems to have been a fisherman for a time. According to local legend, Beach won his first race as a teenager against a local publican, either for a bottle of brandy or
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on the 24th. However, a New Zealand newspaper, the Otago Witness of 9 December 1887, claims his debut as an oarsman was in December 1880. It states that there followed several matches in the next few months.
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close and exciting and approaching the finishing post both boats were almost bow to bow. Beach put in a final terrific effort and increased his advantage and won amidst wild excitement by the spectators.
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for £1000 and the World Championship. It was most unusual to have title matches this close together as often many months would go by between races. The result was never in doubt and Beach won easily.
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which took place on 18 December 1885 on the Parramatta. This time the stake was only £200 a side. Beach took the lead at the start and won easily and without a great effort.
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288:. Messenger, a former competitor of Beach, trained him to win this race. At a special meeting held on Wednesday April 1 under the Auspices of the
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One indicator of how thrilled the residents of Double Bay were at Bill Beach's win against Hanlan was the testimonial presentation to his coach,
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February 1882 he won £50 in a match with Solomons, and in October in his first outrigger race he was second for the Punch trophy on the
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Beach’s final Title race was against his old foe Ned Hanlan which took place on 26 November 1887. This race was held on the
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https://web.archive.org/web/20080314170819/http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/library/localinfo/brownsville/history.html
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on the way to Sydney Town Hall where he was met by the mayor and the premier and given an illuminated address.
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grand attempt he was unable to overtake the leader who finished only a length ahead. The time was 26m.1.5s.
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Charles Amos Messenger – Champion Sculler of Victoria, former opponent and later coach of Bill Beach
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Monuments in his memory are in Cabarita Park, Sydney, and in Bill Beach Park, Mullet Creek, Dapto.
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15½ ins (39 cm) biceps, 16 ins (41 cm) calf and a weight of 170 lbs (77 kg).
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won the race in 22m.29s. On 25 September 1886 Beach was again out on the Thames rowing against
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After the race Beach announced that he would forfeit the title to his young training partner,
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The New York Times 17 Aug 1884, 29 Mar 1885, 17 Mar 1886, 26 Sept 1886, 27 Nov 1887
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held at Mortimers Hotel, Beach's supporters presented Messenger with a gold watch.
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Athletic Sports in America, England, and Australia (Philadelphia, 1889);
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Evening News, Sydney, April 2, 1885, p.5 (Can be found in Trove)
609:'The Brownsville Blacksmith – The Story of William Beach'
154:(6 September 1850 – 28 January 1935) was a professional
503:. Australian Town and Country Journal. 9 February 1884
193:. He began his sporting career in a wooden tub on the
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Bill Beach, Champion Sculler of the World 1884–1887
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98:St Luke's Church of England cemetery, Brownsville
197:and ended it as champion sculler of the world.
597:Town and Country Journal, Dec 1881 – Nov 1887
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482:This could have been Harry Pearce father of
215:Beach was said to have visited the sculler,
185:while he was a small child and he lived at
555:. London: Hutchinson & Co – via
464:. Northern Star (Lismore). 22 October 1912
409:. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,
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189:for most of his life, learning to row on
569:Seven Australian World Champion Scullers
553:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography
295:The next defence was against Australian
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501:Trove, National Library of Australia
462:Trove, National Library of Australia
181:Gibbons. Beach's family migrated to
594:Evening Post newspaper 20 Sep 1886.
401:"Beach, William (Bill) (1850–1935)"
603:Sydney Morning Herald, 28 Dec 1888
406:Australian Dictionary of Biography
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338:who had six wins in eight races.
252:Beach was 33 when he challenged
238:Australian Sculling Championship
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290:Double Bay Amateur Sailing Club
232:, finishing ahead of Trickett.
646:British emigrants to Australia
606:Illawarra Mercury, 19 Dec 1924
600:Burrangong Argus, 12 Sept 1886
458:"Bill Beach's Discoverer Dead"
411:Australian National University
240:and the right to race against
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256:for his first attempt at the
248:Champion sculler of the world
158:sculler. He was unbeaten as
258:World Sculling Championship
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160:World Sculling Champion
641:Australian male rowers
548:"Beach, William"
286:Charles Amos Messenger
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363:Title match in 1920.
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651:Professional rowers
585:Brownsville history
350:Life after sculling
309:Championship Course
211:Early rowing career
162:from 1884 to 1887.
332:Peter Kemp (rower)
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165:Beach was born in
615:978-0-9922791-8-9
579:, published 2010.
577:978-0-473-17699-0
420:978-0-522-84459-7
305:Jake Gaudaur Snr.
221:Woolloomooloo Bay
195:Macquarie Rivulet
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114:World champion
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505:. Retrieved
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74:(1935-01-28)
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636:1935 deaths
631:1850 births
130:Predecessor
103:Nationality
625:Categories
557:Wikisource
383:References
361:Alf Felton
254:Ned Hanlan
242:Ned Hanlan
156:Australian
144:Peter Kemp
134:Ned Hanlan
106:Australian
80:Hurstville
25:Bill Beach
507:9 October
468:9 October
442:8 October
429:1833-7538
140:Successor
125:1884–1887
88:Australia
545:(1892).
437:70677943
371:Memorial
167:Chertsey
54:Chertsey
497:"Notes"
341:On the
307:on the
175:England
116:sculler
62:England
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171:Surrey
58:Surrey
187:Dapto
111:Title
611:ISBN
573:ISBN
509:2012
470:2012
444:2012
433:OCLC
425:ISSN
415:ISBN
359:and
122:Term
69:Died
43:Born
179:née
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