Balmain Regatta, Prince of Wales Birthday
Date9 November 1880
Object number00000005
NameSilk program
MediumTextile; silk and satin
DimensionsOverall: 660 × 410 mm
Overall (Including board it is stitched on): 660 × 410 × 17 mm
Overall (Including board it is stitched on): 660 × 410 × 17 mm
ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from H Trevelyan
DescriptionThis Balmain Regatta silk program celebrates the Prince of Wales Birthday on 9 November 1880. It includes a list of patrons, committee members and the starters in the 17 races held on that day. The flagship for the day’s events was RMSS ZEALANDIA under the command of Commodore Henry Chevalier.HistoryRegattas were central to competitive boating and community celebration 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.
The first Balmain Regatta was held in 1849 and continued running until 1934. It was started again in 1994 by the Wooden Boat Association and the Balmain Sailing Club began participating again in 1995.SignificanceThis program represents the sporting and recreational boating activities and community celebrations in Sydney during the late 19th century. It provides a wealth of information on boat owners, builders, competitors and the mercantile world of suburban Balmain in Sydney in the late 19th-century.
1950-1980