John Reid McGowan
Encyclopedia
John Reid "Gentleman Jack" McGowan (1872 – 18 July 1912) was an Australia
n boxing champion. During his long career in the ring he fought over 110 battles, and was the first fighter to win three Australian titles at different weights, holding the titles of bantam, feather, and light-weight champion of Australia.
. He was one of six children born to Scottish immigrants William Daniel McGowan and Jane McGowan (née Reid).
In 1891 he was married to Mary Josephine Clancy. They had a son and a daughter before Mary died in 1896. In 1902 he married Elizabeth Mary Ellen Dykes and they had one son and three daughters.
he drew with Mick Colles in a 15 rounds match. McGowan won the bantam championship in 1891 be beating George Griffiths. In 1893 was beaten by Nipper Peakes for the feather-weight championship. On the retirement of Peakes, McGowan fought Harry Perry for the championship, and won in 14 rounds.
In 1894 began the sequence of four memorable fights between McGowan and Tim Hegarty for the championship. They met four times. In the first three battles (each 20 rounds) Hegarty won on points. The fourth, of 20 rounds, resulted in a draw, it having been agreed that if both were on their feet to draw the stakes.
In 1896 Jack Marshall took McGowan to South Africa
. There he beat Holloway for the light-weight championship of the country in four rounds, and Jimmy Murphy in 15 rounds.
In 1899 McGowan beat George Atkinson in three battles of 15, 20 and 51 rounds. He later encountered a boxer named Tom Mitchell at the Melbourne Democratic Club. Mitchell weighed over to McGowan's , McGowan stayed the limit but the verdict went against him.
In 1904 McGowan fought Tasmanian lightweight champion Billy Maher in Ballarat. McGowan broke his arm in the 8th round but fought on till police intervened and stopped the fight in round 11. The referee declared the fight a draw.
McGowan was out of commission for a number of years, having turned his attention entirely to instruction of pupils at the Melbourne Athletic Club and University of Melbourne
Athletic Club. He came back after a few years and fought Bob Greenshields in 1909 to win the lightweight championship of Australia.
McGowan was at one stage a boxing pupil of "The Black Diamond" Jack Dowridge, a Barbadian immigrant who pioneered boxing in Brisbane
, Australia. Among Dowridge's other pupils was "The Black Prince" Peter Jackson (boxer)
.
McGowan was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame
(ANBHOF) in 2008.
Dramatic Company. He would take part in novelty sporting exhibitions which were written into the plays. In Sporting Life he gave demonstrations of scientific boxing with another lightweight, played on at least one occasion by his brother Archibald McGowan, an amateur lightweight champion himself.Wanganui Chronicle review, 7 February 1900
with VFA club South Melbourne (Now known as the Sydney Swans
) during the club's successful late 1880s to mid 1890's period, including at least one Premiership team in 1890. South Melbourne Team Saturday 27 September 1890 vs Richmond
Two weeks earlier he had sustained slight concussion of the brain by colliding with one of his pupils and had been advised to rest.
He is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery
.
McGowan Street, Southbank, Victoria
(Formerly South Melbourne
) is named in his honour.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3548910 http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3260519
McGowan's boxing record at Box Rec http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=96372&cat=boxer&pageID=1
Article from the Argus 1900 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9549144
Review of Bland Holt's Sporting Life from Evening Post, New Zealand, 22 November 1899 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP18991122.2.56&e=-------10--1----0-all
Reminiscence of Gentleman Jack McGowan, NZ Truth, 8 July 1916 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZTR19160708.2.59&srpos=5&e=-------10--1----0Jack+McGowan-all
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n boxing champion. During his long career in the ring he fought over 110 battles, and was the first fighter to win three Australian titles at different weights, holding the titles of bantam, feather, and light-weight champion of Australia.
Family
McGowan was a first generation Australian and resident of South MelbourneSouth Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
. He was one of six children born to Scottish immigrants William Daniel McGowan and Jane McGowan (née Reid).
In 1891 he was married to Mary Josephine Clancy. They had a son and a daughter before Mary died in 1896. In 1902 he married Elizabeth Mary Ellen Dykes and they had one son and three daughters.
Boxing career
McGowan first entered the ring in October 1889, when at AlburyAlbury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
he drew with Mick Colles in a 15 rounds match. McGowan won the bantam championship in 1891 be beating George Griffiths. In 1893 was beaten by Nipper Peakes for the feather-weight championship. On the retirement of Peakes, McGowan fought Harry Perry for the championship, and won in 14 rounds.
In 1894 began the sequence of four memorable fights between McGowan and Tim Hegarty for the championship. They met four times. In the first three battles (each 20 rounds) Hegarty won on points. The fourth, of 20 rounds, resulted in a draw, it having been agreed that if both were on their feet to draw the stakes.
In 1896 Jack Marshall took McGowan to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. There he beat Holloway for the light-weight championship of the country in four rounds, and Jimmy Murphy in 15 rounds.
In 1899 McGowan beat George Atkinson in three battles of 15, 20 and 51 rounds. He later encountered a boxer named Tom Mitchell at the Melbourne Democratic Club. Mitchell weighed over to McGowan's , McGowan stayed the limit but the verdict went against him.
In 1904 McGowan fought Tasmanian lightweight champion Billy Maher in Ballarat. McGowan broke his arm in the 8th round but fought on till police intervened and stopped the fight in round 11. The referee declared the fight a draw.
McGowan was out of commission for a number of years, having turned his attention entirely to instruction of pupils at the Melbourne Athletic Club and University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
Athletic Club. He came back after a few years and fought Bob Greenshields in 1909 to win the lightweight championship of Australia.
McGowan was at one stage a boxing pupil of "The Black Diamond" Jack Dowridge, a Barbadian immigrant who pioneered boxing in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia. Among Dowridge's other pupils was "The Black Prince" Peter Jackson (boxer)
Peter Jackson (boxer)
Peter "Black Prince" Jackson was a heavyweight boxer from Australia who had a significant international career.-Biography:...
.
McGowan was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame
Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame
Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 and began inducting boxers into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Since then annual induction dinners have been held....
(ANBHOF) in 2008.
Bland Holt Dramatic Company
Another source of income for McGowan when not boxing was appearing and touring with the Bland HoltBland Holt
Bland Holt, born Joseph Thomas Holt, was a comedian and theatrical producer, active in Australia.Holt was the son of Joseph Frederick Holt and his first wife Marie, née Brown...
Dramatic Company. He would take part in novelty sporting exhibitions which were written into the plays. In Sporting Life he gave demonstrations of scientific boxing with another lightweight, played on at least one occasion by his brother Archibald McGowan, an amateur lightweight champion himself.Wanganui Chronicle review, 7 February 1900
Australian Rules Football
When boxing commitments allowed, McGowan played Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
with VFA club South Melbourne (Now known as the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
) during the club's successful late 1880s to mid 1890's period, including at least one Premiership team in 1890. South Melbourne Team Saturday 27 September 1890 vs Richmond
Death
McGowan died from a cerebral haemorrhage in the Melbourne Hospital after collapsing while sparring with a pupil at the Melbourne Athletic Club.Two weeks earlier he had sustained slight concussion of the brain by colliding with one of his pupils and had been advised to rest.
He is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery
Melbourne General Cemetery
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.-History:...
.
McGowan Street, Southbank, Victoria
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located direct south of the Yarra River opposite Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. The northernmost area is considered part of the Central Business District and Central Activities District of the city. Its Local Government Area are the...
(Formerly South Melbourne
South Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
) is named in his honour.
External links
Photographs of John Reid McGowan held at the National Library of AustraliaNational Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3548910 http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3260519
McGowan's boxing record at Box Rec http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=96372&cat=boxer&pageID=1
Article from the Argus 1900 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9549144
Review of Bland Holt's Sporting Life from Evening Post, New Zealand, 22 November 1899 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP18991122.2.56&e=-------10--1----0-all
Reminiscence of Gentleman Jack McGowan, NZ Truth, 8 July 1916 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZTR19160708.2.59&srpos=5&e=-------10--1----0Jack+McGowan-all