Ernest Chapman started his rowing career at the Balmain Rowing Club in Sydney but switched allegiances to the Sydney Rowing Club at the end of the 1940s and in 1951, served as vice-captain of Sydney Rowing Club for eight consecutive seasons. Chapman was a member of the Australian eights crew that won silver at the 1952 Olympics. Chapman never won the King’s Cup (the Australian Championships for eights, the only national championships race held in Australia at that time besides single sculls), but was a runner-up with the Sydney Rowing Club crew from 1952-54. He also won the coxless pairs at the 1950 Canterbury Centennial Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. Chapman was later president of Sydney Rowing Club from 1975-78 and 1979-95 and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the sport of rowing.
Australia