Peter Bird

Peter Bird was a British ocean rower who, in 1983, became the first person ever to row non-stop and solo across the Pacific from east to west when he completed his journey from San Francisco to Australia.

Bird first became interested in ocean rowing in 1968 when he read about the Atlantic crossings by John Fairfax, Chay Blyth and John Ridgway. Then, while selling silk paintings door to door, he happened to meet Derek King who had just rowed around Ireland in a small boat. King was planning to row around the world and invited Bird to join him. The two only managed to cross the Atlantic however and having run out of money were forced to return home.

Bird next decided that he would try to row the Pacific solo. He set off from San Francisco on 23 August 1982 having already failed in one earlier attempt in 1981. 294 days later and within a quarter of a mile of the Great Barrier Reef Bird was rescued by the Australian Navy. However, because of how close he was to land when he received the tow (26 nautical miles) he is widely accepted as the first person to complete the solo, non-stop row across the Pacific from east to west by both the adjudicators for the sport, The Ocean Rowing Society and Guinness World Records.

Peter Bird (footballer)

Peter Bird (born 30 January 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Bird was selected by Fitzroy with pick 58 of the 1994 National Draft, from the Geelong Falcons.

He made twelve appearances in the 1995 AFL season and a further three in 1996. From 1997 to 2002, Bird played for Subiaco, then moved to South Bunbury in the South West Football League.

In 2004, after he had been cleared from the Lions, Bird was involved in a unique controversy when South Bunbury cleared him to Peel Thunder for one game against East Perth in the second round, but the Thunder, desperate after winning only one game in 2003, played him in their opening game with Claremont. After a vote of WAFL clubs, Peel had the 10.10 (70) they scored in that opening game wiped from their total (and Claremont’s Points "Against") for the season on 14 April, thus having officially the lowest score in the WAFL since Subiaco failed to score a single point against South Fremantle in 1906.