Henley on Yarra |
Melbourne's high points of colour and activity from 1904 until after World War 2 were the annual Henley-on-Yarra regattas.
They were held each year during spring, between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Melburnians flocked to the Yarra for one day and night to celebrate their river. Attendances peaked at over 300,000 in 1925.
Those with social aspirations claimed the south bank between Princes and Morel Bridges, while the working classes preferred the north bank as their vantage point.
It was a major competition for rowing clubs from across the city. Lining the banks were the so called 'houseboats'; temporary structures elaborately decorated with flowers, flags and pennants. They were built on pontoons to accommodate spectators from the leading families and institutions of the then national capital.
Over the years, Henley-on-Yarra became as much about fashion as it did rowing. Young women used the occasion to display new spring dresses and hats.
After the races the river would become a sea of slowly drifting, beautifully festooned craft: motor launches, ferries, pleasure boats and canoes. Canada canoes quickly became synonymous with Henley. Their brightly coloured fabrics and cushions usually encapsulated a 'canoe girl'.
The celebrations continued into the night, when each 'houseboat' would have a band for dancing, and the river was illuminated by fireworks, tree and garden lights.
The regattas rarely made a profit after the Depression years and quickly waned after 1945. Melbourne's new river festival 'Moomba' began on the Yarra in 1955.
Source: https://www.yarrariver.info/history.htm
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