Item 04: Memoirs of a Colonial Boy by Robert Joseph Stewart, ca. 1971 - Page 393
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[Page 393]
193
"homework", it was usually just after 9 p.m. and frequently I didn't get into my bed until nearly 2 a.m., and never before 11 p.m.
The University Regatta was held, as usual, on a fine day in August, on the Parramatta River. Crews for the "fours" and "eights" events were entered by nearly all of the faculties. At the last minute the chances of the Engineering "eight", in which I had an oar, were diminished when one of the well-trained eight fell ill, and the only available substitute was very light and out of training, though he performed most manfully during the race, in which we finished a bad third.
During my early residence at "Wyreepi", H.M.S. "Renown" brought Edward, Prince of Wales, to Sydney during his 1924 Australian visit; being escorted by the huge battle cruiser H.M.S. "Hood" and four of the latest destroyers. From "Wyreepi" one had a close and magnificent view of the two big warships, which were anchored in Neutral Bay for about a week. Every morning the Royal Marine Band could be clearly heard playing stirring music at the changing of the guard on "Renown's" quarter deck. At night, crowded launches cruised or drifted around the battle cruisers, brightly lighted and gay with flags and coloured bunting, to watch honoured guests being entertained at dances and parties on the quarter decks; fortunately the weather continued calm, mild and dry. Sydney was of course en fete for the few days that the Royal Guest and his cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten were there.
For "Commem" in 1924, the undergratuates had a rather rowdy concert gathering in the Town Hall; the usual street procession having been forbidden by the University Senate and prohibited by the Police. Several students were ejected and taken to the nearest police station for lighting fire-craackers, and some vandal, or vandals, put sand into the works of the big pipe-organ.
There was also a Students' Night at the new Tivoli Theatre, where the principal actor in the variety show was the English Seymour Hicks. Quite understandably he got very irate and stopped the show temporarily to voice his anger at the bombardment of