News Alert |

What: Civic reception to welcome the King’s Cup to Ballarat

Where: Ballarat Town Hall Trench Room

When: Friday 1 February, 6pm

Who: Representatives of Rowing Australia and Rowing Victoria, local rowing officials.

The most prestigious trophy in Australian rowing – the King’s Cup – is coming to Ballarat.

A Civic Reception will be held on Friday 1 February at the Ballarat Town Hall Trench Room to welcome the cup, which is presented to the winning state representative senior heavyweight men's coxed eights at the Australian Rowing Championships.

New South Wales is the current holder of the cup, winning nine out of the last 13 races, with Victoria winning the other four. The King’s Cup event is always the last event on the national regatta schedule and is considered the blue-ribbon rowing event in Australia.

Olympic rowing gold medallists and “Oarsome Foursome” members James Tomkins and Mike McKay have rowed in 18 and 16 King’s Cup events respectively, while Ballarat rowing identity Gary Gullock has competed in four.

Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh said it was a fantastic sporting coup to have the King’s Cup visiting Ballarat.

“Ballarat is renowned as a rowing centre of note, particularly with our world class rowing course at Lake Wendouree, so it is only fitting the most prestigious trophy in Australian rowing should be showcased here,” Cr McIntosh said.

“I look forward to welcoming the King’s Cup to Ballarat and encourage everyone to come along to the Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Regatta on Saturday 2 February and Sunday 3 February to see such a rowing icon up close.”

History of the King’s Cup:

The King’s Cup was presented by King George V to the Australian Imperial Forces Number One Crew on July 4, 1919 after the crew’s win at the historic, post-war Henley Peace Regatta which brought together eight teams representing the WWI allies.

Australia fielded two crews against the USA, France, New Zealand, Canada and Cambridge and Oxford Universities for the prize.

AIF Number One Crew defeated Oxford University, and the King’s Cup was presented to the crew’s stroke, Captain M. C. Disher of the Australian Army Medical Corps, before being taken by the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces Sports Control Board who shipped the trophy to the Australian War Museum.

Despite repeated requests to the museum that the Cup be used as a perpetual trophy for the annual Interstate Eight-Oar Championship of Australia, the trophy remained locked away.

Captain Disher petitioned King George V for the trophy’s release, with the King’s response conveyed by Winston S. Churchill, who wrote; “His Majesty commands me to inform you that it is his wish that the Cup should be used as a permanent trophy and be competed for annually in the Interstate Eight-Oar Race of Australia.”