H I S T O R Y O F F A I R F I E L D C A N O E C L U B
The 80’s not a lull period but a golden period
Impressions of Fairfield Canoe Club through the eyes of a young George Wakim just starting out!
by George Wakim
I started paddling at FCC late in 1979 and trained solidly through to 1987. My memories of the club in those
days are as follows:
- Portable toilet near the landing with no toilet paper and home to the wild life.
- Membership of less than 50.
- Frightened to go up the steps of the old condemned clubhouse. No showers and possum poo everywhere.
- No socialising. Paddlers trained hard and went straight home.
- When the old club house was demolished the boats were kept outside and there was no facilities at all.
- Working bees most weekends.
- Dudley bailing me up to help with work around the club that he would be doing and letting me know,
“its your club not mine”.
- New club building - only downstairs open for boat storage. Freezing cold and dark in winter.
- Zoli’s squad was mainly young sprint paddlers from Ivanhoe and Fairfield.
- The old landing was dangerous.
Despite the difficulties encountered by paddlers, Fairfield Canoe Club actually produced more Australian
representatives and gained greater “on water” success than in any other decade in the club’s
proud history.
I remember many Fairfield paddlers making Australian teams to World Championships during that era.
Paddlers that I remember are:
Bass Wakim (3 times C1,C2)
Andrew Marshall (2 times C1,C2)
Frank Lambert (2 times C1)
Peter Ohman (3 times C1,C2)
Simon Brian (1 time C1)
John Doak (Partly FCC 1984 Olympics)
Robert Stratskovich Jnr (K1)
Andrew Kerekes Jnr (K2)
Melissa Mayne (LK1, LK2)
Dianne Szigeti (LK4)
(I am sure there may have been others that I’ve not known.)
Not a bad success rate for a “lull” decade as described at the FCC 80th Birthday speeches.
All of the above I am sure would have had to raise all the funds themselves to compete overseas and
provide all their equipment at their own cost. Many I am assured endured financial hardship through
this period with very little support available.
I was a little embarrassed and humbled to get such acknowledgement for our single trip (with Nick
Richards - World Sprint Champs - Aug 1999, Milan) when there had been so many great paddlers out of the
club only ten years previously.
Those paddlers mentioned did not have the support and encouragement that I have received over the
past two years. Fairfield Canoe Club was instrumental in assisting Nick and I with fundraising for a
boat and all members were totally behind us. I consider ourselves to be privileged by this.
I also see the kind of encouragement and support given to me and the ‘pride’ shown by Club members
of fellow members representing Australia along with the increase in the social side of the club. This is
by far the more enjoyable part of being a member compared to the ‘strictly business, 80’s decade’.
I am lucky to have been part of both eras and appreciate how hard it was for so many of my fellow Club
members during the 80Ős. However, I feel I am now reaping the benefits of foundations laid down by many
paddlers to form what has now become a Club that is vibrant, supportive and fun.
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