Herbert James Turner (6 August 1910 – 5 May 1998) was an Australian representative rower. He was a four-time single sculls national champion who won the

single scull A single scull (or a scull) is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to minimi ...

s event at the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 ye ...

. He competed in the

double scull A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly s ...

s at the

1936 Olympics 1936 Olympics may refer to: *The 1936 Winter Olympics, which were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany *The 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI ...

, together with

Bill Dixon William Robert “Bill” Dixon (October 5, 1925 – June 16, 2010) was an American composer, improviser, visual artist, activist, and educator. Dixon was one of the seminal figures in free jazz and late twentieth-century contemporary music. Hi ...

, and finished sixth.

State and club rowing

Turner's senior rowing was from

Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on its high performance and elite ...

. He was first selected as the New South Wales state entrant to contest the President's Cup - the interstate single sculls championship - at the 1932 Interstate Regatta. He won that title in 1932 and then won the event in 1933, 1934 (with a winning margin of 15 lengths) and 1935 (by 48 secs).

International representative rowing

Although he was the 1935 Australian single-sculls champion, Turner was beaten in selection trials for the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

Cecil Pearce Cecil Arthur Pearce (5 May 1913 – 27 March 2002) was an Australian representative rower. He was a four-time Australian national champion who won the double sculls event at the 1938 British Empire Games and competed in the single sculls at the 1 ...

. Pearce was chosen as the single sculler and Turner was selected to row the double scull with Pearce. The rowing selectors also nominated Pearce and Turner in a double scull. However the AOF selection committee preferred to see Pearce focus on the single and Turner rowed the double with the

the reserve for the men's eight. Though Dixon had not sculled before selection, he and Turner were the best performers of the three Australian boats in Berlin. They made the Olympic final and placed sixth. In 1938 Turner was Australia's single sculls entrant for the 1938 Commonwealth Games where he won the gold medal beating the British sculler Peter H. Jackson by five lengths in the final.

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* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Herb 1910 births 1998 deaths Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games medallists in rowing Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Rowers at the 1938 British Empire Games Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games Place of birth missing