rower january december irish australian noted competitions champion opponents drew vast crowds spectators attempted win world championship rush arrived sydney age assisted immigrant brought augment australia agricultural workforce rush farm knew boats boating years arrival australia rush cattle butcher interest sport rowing dominated rush life hampered prosperity repeatedly travelled home compete large money prizes sydney business affairs rush defended championship times successfully rush succeeded occasions having championship venue moved sydney shift focus away capital city talk rush travelling england compete instead won world championship thames rush competed world championship rush lost race rush unique early australian provided opportunities compete organising rowing events financially gained little raised raced horses organised athletic generous supporter charities churches schools background son irish tenant farmers class traditionally law owning land accumulating wealth gave rush little understanding management money rush wife fourteen children rush family lived grand extravagant style rush enterprises financed notes came rush deeply debt house lived finances remained attempts business enterprises unsuccessful rush continued end life interested involved sport rowing organising important matches rush died small farm december youth early life rush second son william née born spent early years tenant farm province northern_ireland rushes cattle acre holding small support family sons identified rush sons rush birth date given january seeking employment better opportunities native land offered rush brother john emigrated arriving sydney february assisted immigrants brothers worked uncle retail cutting butcher sponsored immigration brother colony new south wales rush spent months southern new_south_wales brother john taking advantage new crown lands act took selection lower river rush soon joined brother working settlers selected land began business right butcher early rowing matches early days settlement lower district lacked roads virtually communication area outside world depended water transport settlers necessity good national world champion rush prime feet tall weighed stone soon distinguished powerful rowed heavy settlers boats known butcher boats delivering meat customers rush competing regularly held riverside settlements lawrence rush won title men joined forces rowing team competed anniversary day january held port jackson rush contested events notably winning single pair races prize money received modest performances noted sydney rowers quickly challenged private matches large stakes rush remained sydney months january continued win team rush engaged series matches australian champion brother rush unfamiliar rowing boats occasion failed win championship returned prize money totalling business ventures rush set store keeper town operated floating store anchored sugar cane harvesting season hundreds labourers moved district steam launch mobile general store delivering goods farmers villagers river rush bought racing boats england ordering custom local boat builders rush divided energies business ventures contests organising competing aquatic achieved solid prosperity commercial pioneers added string race horses business empire rocky mouth farm boy impoverished ireland owned house plot rush purchased acres land having little value rush irish background tenant farming gave little understanding managing capital property conducting business career rush fits irish immigrant model offered historian patrick irish immigrants bought extensive tracts marginal land land cheap pride built quantity dangers inexperience judgement added ingredient recipe disaster gave loans interest gave money unreliable friends relations free credit afford pursued paths needed caution called hey men big ideas seeing colonies chance cut fine figure break away mean irish lives major matches rush set sights february won controversial match claimed sold race rush insisted championship contested home waters condition right holder current championship rush enterprise arranging sponsors provide substantial sums prizes encouraged australia best compete events drew large crowds spectators especially town rush helped organise took aquatic contests held held conjunction celebration queen birthday rush organised held october successfully defended championship queen birthday rush ill lost race world championship edward sought win australian championship rush rush events competed numerous private matches form consistently improving demanded rush contest title won rush declined row demanded stakes rush wife children support business commitments afford undertake sporting involving major investment time money chance adequate financial return dozens letters articles australian press debated issue nearly years supporters increasingly rush finally champion prosperous events offered finance attempt australian current holder englishman rush declined travel london agreed journey went thames beat brought home world championship australia rush challenged world title demanded race rowed match came afternoon june rush match attracted largest number spectators gathered sydney sporting event event australian sporting history estimates size crowd range shops government offices closed event special trains brought people city steam ships carrying spectators accompanied competing champions hundreds smaller private vessels crowded river special regulations published government deal problems regulating maritime traffic event rush beaten winning lengths combination factors led rush defeat won world championship international venue brought home australia polish self confidence arose experience trained thames home championship expert coaches including rush trained champion remained effect amateur largely self taught rush invented technique based sheer strength endurance style inches taller rush longer reach finally learned thames use racing craft fitted sliding seat allowed efficient use body rowing race rush tried sliding seat racing shell discover advantage chose instead row fixed seat news rush decision public betting odds changed dramatically favouring result race considered conclusion rush known honest expected mighty effort beat success celebrations following match recalled return london victory november commercial exploitation event considerable thousands pounds changed hands rush pocket claiming considerably stakes expenses training accommodation advertising new boats professional expensive business rush argued claimed considerable gate money spectator ships public benefit concert held actor spoke rush major financial loser histories professional australian commence event australia vigorous interest sport class professional athletes emerging far defeating match june gave rush new energy year retirement began train compete mastering sliding seat regained australian championship september rush chief rival year younger rush like large powerful man came live lower river met queen birthday boat racing beaten following years challenged rush matches april beat world champion state series matches followed determine current australian champion defend beat rush eventually beat went thames row preliminary contests sydney marked end rush world championship ambitions walker whiskey trophy april offered cash prize known cash prizes attracted series preliminary heats held september rush took eliminated final race rush rowed number private matches time notably beat match won ease rush announced retirement contests time francis punch trophy younger brother promoter following death james francis bought punch hotel punch sponsored prize event attract international rush competed championship course early october rush won regained following defeat walker whiskey trophy events number rush held banquet honour presented illuminated sterling silver tea set valued recognised excellence admirable qualities man inscribed dedication piece bore inscribed caricature rush silver items collection new_south_wales row business family commitments kept rush busy years moved home river effective capital district rush purchased hotel adjacent store riverside villa named rush took active great community sporting organisations founder times office holder continued promote local held march carnival attracted thousands spectators main event rush stake won convincingly banquet later week rush announced retirement professional december year rowed stake lost convincingly newspapers praised rush hinted high time retired rush organised held january national celebrations marking centenary european settlement australia event attracted coming including future world champion declined compete illness gave exhibition trick rush rowed professional match occasion member pair crew later life career rush remained interested involved sport demand race official example umpire little coaching rush moved family sydney banks crash reduced australian businessmen ruin rush included business built credit rush house family lived having man sold borrowed local banks store keeping business security sydney rush took lease corner king quickly known hotel popular venue meetings decade rush kept hotels city sydney operated hotel broker rush organised major sydney events held august included veterans race ladies double championship veterans race included old champions exception retired sporting activity rush organised ambitious event rush rowing carnival held february veteran event handicap offering prize rush hoped interest rowing carnival attracted promising including future champions spectator attendance small rush recorded participation major event umpire world championship match held august course appearance character rush tall built powerful man described times australia colonial press form interest sports fans journalists commented repeatedly rush open honest manner honourable conduct world professional earned reputation possessed strong social conscience involved community charitable projects years death resident wrote best hearted broke bread helped poor colour creed descendants follow footsteps personal life rush married known annie september mary cathedral sydney born daughter irish bore rush fourteen children died infancy early adulthood rush children professional sons competed successfully amateur contests daughter emily known amateur singer youth rush sons fought boer war went gold gold fields died rush retired cottage acres land new_south_wales died december brief illness rush buried sydney books bennett scott career isbn professional new south wales stephen champion australian isbn terry city history isbn edition discovery settlement lower district historical society years isbn patrick irish australia present notre dame stuart history professional brian saturday afternoon fever sport australian culture angus isbn gordon champion world lane cove lane cove library local studies monograph newspaper articles journals old times unique illustrated history early days dealing phase life arrival governor old colonists living dead july sydney duncan rowing early history daily monday
Michael Rush (rower)