© Copyright 2011 Julianne Dodds
Speedboat and hydroplane Championships
1921 - 1925
Aeroplane versus speed boats
The talk of the town was about the next big race on 16th August 1924 – aeroplane versus speed boats.
Back in 1919 two mechanics, Eddie Beckman and Edward Videan, started Brisbane’s first taxi service.
Beckman was also interested in aviation, so in 1924 he travelled to Sydney and bought an Avro 504 K
single-engine, 2 seat biplane registered G-ADDER. Horrie Millar, a pilot from Western Australia, was
employed to fly the plane and establish Brisbane's first aerial service for charter and joy flights.
Beckman and Videan then had both an air taxi service and a taxi cab company.
There is no better way to describe the magnitude of this event than in the words of ‘Wayfarer’,
a reporter at the time, who detailed the events in The Mid-Week Sports-referee’ on 21 August 1924.
“Speed held undisputed sway in the vicinity of the Hamilton Reach on Saturday afternoon.
The occasion was the celebration of the Centenary of the discovery of the Brisbane River;
a hundred years ago John Oxley toiled laboriously up the same Hamilton Reach, which
resounded with the roar and crackle of open exhausts on Saturday afternoon. If only the man
who found Brisbane and placed it on the map could have visited the earth to see boats which
would have looked like canoes even alongside his tiny vessel, racing like demons possessed,
and lashing into foam and surging washes the placid waters which he first awoke from the
sleep of centuries, what would have been his thoughts?”
The afternoon’s aquatic sport opened with a pageant of motor yachts belonging to the fleet of the
Motor Yacht Club of Queensland. The first event on the programme was the Championship of
Australia for the “mosquito” boats with engine capacities limited to 320 cubic inches. Commodore
George Whatmore’s Queensland champion, Gee-Whiz, with Miss Ascot and Q.P. Too were the
contestants. Q.P. Too broke down, leaving the other two to fight out an uneven battle, with Gee Whiz
scoring an easy victory. The half-mile Australian record event was the big race that had caused much
comment and speculation. It was the first meeting since Century Tire had won the Australian
championship in February, of the two old rivals, Meteor and the new champion, driven respectively
Major D’Arcy Donkin and Mac Williams. When the flag dropped Meteor was well in front, and Donkin,
not willing to take an advantage in the start, slowed up momentarily until Century Tire drew abreast.
The boats held their distances until the finishing lap was reached, when Meteor gained slightly without
ever jeopardising Century Tire’s victory. Miss Albion also started in the unrestricted championship,
but she was outclassed and finished in third position, a long way behind the other two.
In the second event, the championship of Australia for boats under 610 cubic inches capacity, there
were two contestants, Whatmore’s new J. McG .W. driven by his son Ted, and Mac’s Miss Coorparoo
driven by Mac’s son Harry. It was a great race until J. McG. W. was put out of the race by engine
trouble allowing Miss Coorparoo to win.
The closing event was the unrestricted championship – a sensational race between the two
speed-boats, Meteor and Century Tire, and the Avro aeroplane. The distance was a total of six miles.
The plane and the two boats started together, Captain Videan flying at a very low altitude. The two
hydroplanes flew down Hamilton Reach, while the plane seemed incapable of catching them. Turning
around the end of the Hamilton wall, the three seemed to be on even terms but the plane gained and
was well ahead when nearing the turning point. The two hydroplanes then forged ahead and the plane
had to give chase. The plane drew level and sped ahead before the line was reached. Meteor put on
a last minute dash and the big 700 h.p. craft reached the line a foot ahead of Century Tire. During the
first lap Century Tire had been travelling well over 70 miles per hour in the straights.
Disaster for Gee Whiz
In November 1924, there was a disaster on the Brisbane River when George Whatmore’s boat,
Gee Whiz was burnt to the water’s edge. Two of his crew were having problems with a damaged fuel
tank and leaking fuel. After repairs were done ashore, the men rowed the boat into the river. When the
self starter was pulled the boat burst into flames. Both men received burns to most of their bodies and
Gee Whiz was totally destroyed.
Brisbane
Centenary
Unrestricted
Queensland
Championship
Won by
J McG Williams
Century Tire
16th August 1924
The championship pennant won by
Mac’s son Harry in Miss Coorparoo
Photo from Williams Collection
Harry Williams with Les White win
in Miss Coorparoo
Photo from Williams Collection
Speedboat and hydroplane Championships
1921 - 1925
Aeroplane versus speed boats
The talk of the town was about the next big race on 16th August 1924 – aeroplane versus speed boats.
Back in 1919 two mechanics, Eddie Beckman and Edward Videan, started Brisbane’s first taxi service.
Beckman was also interested in aviation, so in 1924 he travelled to Sydney and bought an Avro 504 K
single-engine, 2 seat biplane registered G-ADDER. Horrie Millar, a pilot from Western Australia, was
employed to fly the plane and establish Brisbane's first aerial service for charter and joy flights.
Beckman and Videan then had both an air taxi service and a taxi cab company.
There is no better way to describe the magnitude of this event than in the words of ‘Wayfarer’,
a reporter at the time, who detailed the events in The Mid-Week Sports-referee’ on 21 August 1924.
“Speed held undisputed sway in the vicinity of the Hamilton Reach on Saturday afternoon.
The occasion was the celebration of the Centenary of the discovery of the Brisbane River;
a hundred years ago John Oxley toiled laboriously up the same Hamilton Reach, which
resounded with the roar and crackle of open exhausts on Saturday afternoon. If only the man
who found Brisbane and placed it on the map could have visited the earth to see boats which
would have looked like canoes even alongside his tiny vessel, racing like demons possessed,
and lashing into foam and surging washes the placid waters which he first awoke from the
sleep of centuries, what would have been his thoughts?”
The afternoon’s aquatic sport opened with a pageant of motor yachts belonging to the fleet of the
Motor Yacht Club of Queensland. The first event on the programme was the Championship of
Australia for the “mosquito” boats with engine capacities limited to 320 cubic inches. Commodore
George Whatmore’s Queensland champion, Gee-Whiz, with Miss Ascot and Q.P. Too were the
contestants. Q.P. Too broke down, leaving the other two to fight out an uneven battle, with Gee Whiz
scoring an easy victory. The half-mile Australian record event was the big race that had caused much
comment and speculation. It was the first meeting since Century Tire had won the Australian
championship in February, of the two old rivals, Meteor and the new champion, driven respectively
Major D’Arcy Donkin and Mac Williams. When the flag dropped Meteor was well in front, and Donkin,
not willing to take an advantage in the start, slowed up momentarily until Century Tire drew abreast.
The boats held their distances until the finishing lap was reached, when Meteor gained slightly without
ever jeopardising Century Tire’s victory. Miss Albion also started in the unrestricted championship,
but she was outclassed and finished in third position, a long way behind the other two.
In the second event, the championship of Australia for boats under 610 cubic inches capacity, there
were two contestants, Whatmore’s new J. McG .W. driven by his son Ted, and Mac’s Miss Coorparoo
driven by Mac’s son Harry. It was a great race until J. McG. W. was put out of the race by engine
trouble allowing Miss Coorparoo to win.
The closing event was the unrestricted championship – a sensational race between the two
speed-boats, Meteor and Century Tire, and the Avro aeroplane. The distance was a total of six miles.
The plane and the two boats started together, Captain Videan flying at a very low altitude. The two
hydroplanes flew down Hamilton Reach, while the plane seemed incapable of catching them. Turning
around the end of the Hamilton wall, the three seemed to be on even terms but the plane gained and
was well ahead when nearing the turning point. The two hydroplanes then forged ahead and the plane
had to give chase. The plane drew level and sped ahead before the line was reached. Meteor put on
a last minute dash and the big 700 h.p. craft reached the line a foot ahead of Century Tire. During the
first lap Century Tire had been travelling well over 70 miles per hour in the straights.
Disaster for Gee Whiz
In November 1924, there was a disaster on the Brisbane River when George Whatmore’s boat,
Gee Whiz was burnt to the water’s edge. Two of his crew were having problems with a damaged fuel
tank and leaking fuel. After repairs were done ashore, the men rowed the boat into the river. When the
self starter was pulled the boat burst into flames. Both men received burns to most of their bodies and
Gee Whiz was totally destroyed.
Brisbane
Centenary
Unrestricted
Queensland
Championship
Won by
J McG Williams
Century Tire
16th August 1924
The championship pennant won by
Mac’s son Harry in Miss Coorparoo
Photo from Williams Collection
Harry Williams with Les White win
in Miss Coorparoo
Photo from Williams Collection