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Handwritten receipt for place getters in sailing events in the Commonwealth Regatta
Handwritten receipt for place getters in sailing events in the Commonwealth Regatta

Handwritten receipt for place getters in sailing events in the Commonwealth Regatta

Date1901
Object number00016764
NameReceipt
MediumInk, pencil, paper
DimensionsOverall: 205 x 285 mm, 0.55 kg
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Stephen Hill
DescriptionThis framed handwritten receipt was for place getters in sailing events in the Commonwealth Regatta held in Sydney, Australia in 1901. The race was held on the 4 January 1901 to celebrate Federation and was open to all boats with limited crew numbers. The receipt lists the three silver and three bronze medal winners in in the events for 'All boats, Yachts 10 rating and over and All yachts under Yachting Racing Association linear measurement rules'. It was signed by HD Hill, Secretary of the Sydney Dinghy Club and an official of the regatta.HistoryOpen boating was an important part of sporting and working life on the harbour and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries the two activities were more integrated than they are today. Regattas 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 organised in the form of dances and recitals.SignificanceThis receipt documents some of the prize winners in the Commonwealth Regatta, held to celebrate the newly formed Federation of Australia in 1901 as well as the name of regatta officials.