Johnston’s Bay Sailing Club program 1899

Date1899

Object number00045171

NameProgram

MediumPaper

DimensionsOverall: 165 x 120 mm, 42.46 g

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Michael Cross

Terms

DescriptionThis regatta program for Johnston's Bay Sailing Club is a souvenir of the season in 1899-1900. The regatta was held on 21 October 1899. Sailing was a social pastime for many Australians in the late 19th century as well as a recreational sport. The Johnson's Bay Sailing Club was located near the suburb of Glebe, Sydney and operated from 1891 to 1902. The program originally belonged to William H Golding, a Sydney boat builder and designer active from the 1880s to the 1920s.HistoryRegattas were central to competitive boating in the 19th century and functioned as a social and sporting occasion as well as a marker of official anniversaries in a public aquatic spectacle. Civic leaders, politicians and merchants offered patronage and sponsorship. Community regattas often featured several races, including rowing, sculling and sailing events usually for professional watermen and amateurs. The regatta was not just a means for exercising competitive sport but also a focus for social and recreational entertainment in Sydney. Sites around the foreshore provided a place for spectators to gather and have picnics, while night time entertainment was provided with dances and recitals.SignificanceThis program provides an insight into recreational and competitive sailing at the end of the 19th century.