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
Fairfield Canoe Club members involvement in Dragon Boats
By Bass Wakim
Fairfield members were involved in Melbourne’s first Dragon Boat races in 1983. Bass Wakim, George Wakim,
John Golino and a few others formed a Dragon Boat Team sponsored by Studley Park Boathouse and finished 3rd
in Melbourne’s first Dragon Boat Festival.
The following year the core group amalgamated with Canoes Plus and won at Melbourne. They then travelled to
Singapore to compete at the International Championships where they finished first in the plate final. That
success set the seeds for that core group to be the most successful Dragon Boat Team in Melbourne and Top
Two in Australia since 1984.
Numerous Fairfield Canoe Club members have been involved over the years with best stayers being Bass Wakim,
John Golino, George Wakim, Joe Alia, Alex James and Paul Moser. Team sponsors have included Hong Kong Bank,
Fairfield Canoe Club, Kan Tong, Crown Casino, Canoes Plus, VicHealth, Arab Bank, Royal Australian Navy Team
and the last four years, Heather Brae Shortbreads.
The following Fairfield Canoe Club members have had substantial involvement in coaching Melbourne Dragon
Boat Teams and in the administration and operations of Melbourne Dragon Boat events - Jonathon Mayne, Joe Alia,
John Golino, Alex James, Tony Payne and Michael Loftus-Hills.
The Dragon Boat Teams travelling to overseas International Dragon Boat Festivals all over Asia, New Zealand
and Canada have had their fair share of Fairfield Canoe Club members. The most consistent groupies and
internationally recognised team members would easily be Joe Alia and John Golino.
The 1999 Heather Brae Shortbread Team, which has won the majority of Victorian and Australian Mens Open events
over the last three years, had nine Fairfield Canoe Club members in it.
The 1999 “Dragon Flies” ladies team, which grew out of the Fairfield Canoe Club under the
enthusiasm and dedication of Rose Curtis and Gayle Williams, has been highly successful in their first year
of competition. The “Dragon Flies” successfully competed in Hong Kong and China and are already
planning for bigger and better things with the next season.
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