Happy birthday Mercs, 142 years old today.

It was at Young and Jacksons Hotel that a group of highly motivated rowers led by William Boyd, establish a rowing club for those with an association with the mercantile warehouses of Melbourne on this day 142 years ago. At that time, there were many rowing clubs, nearly all either with a geographic or industry connection. Our association with the warehouses of Melbourne was focussed on those in Flinders Street and Flinders Lane.

So what else was happening in 1880? Ned Kelly was to be tried and hanged and the great World Exhibition was to take place in the newly constructed Exhibition Buildings. We rank our Club's formation as far more important.