Robert Waley

Robert Waley, best known as Ken, was the first officially selected coxswain of an Australian eight. After attending Wadhurst School in Melbourne and King’s School and Armidale School in Sydney, where he went with his family, Waley studied at the University of Sydney. At the university’s St. Paul’s College, he started rowing. His first achievement already came as a coxswain steering the eight of his university to win the Australian Varsity Championships three times (1907-09).

Waley later joined the Sydney Rowing Club contributing to New South Wales’ victories at the 1908, 1910 and 1911 Interstate Championships. He also coxed the NSW boat in 1909 and 1914. In 1912 an Australian eight was selected to compete at Henley and the Olympic Games in Stockholm. The joint New South Wales and Victoria crew entered at Henley as Sydney Rowing Club as only club teams were allowed. The Australian eight with Waley as cox won the Royal Henley Regatta beating Leander Club in the final. In Stockholm, however, they lost the quarter-final to Leander by ½-a-length.

Already a company manager, Waley enlisted for World War I in its final phase. He joined the Flying Corps, eventually as a sergeant. He may not have seen action due to illness on arrival in Europe but probably worked as a clerk. Waley soon returned to Australia to serve at the Central Flying School Australia but was discharged almost immediately. Because he was not a member of the AIF anymore, he did not compete in the Henley Peace Regatta in 1919.

Waley continued to work as a business man in the mining industry but still kept an interest in rowing, for instance transferring his knowledge to young coxswains. He was also a member of the Royal Society of New South Wales. With his wife Winifred Dinah, née Matthews, he had one daughter and one son.