About This History

Foreword

The task of bringing together this information has been challenging because of not so much what is included but because of what is excluded.

The theme chosen has been to focus on the elite end of the sport hence sections on the major international competitions in which Australian rowers have competed. However for most of Australia’s rowing history, the pinnacle of achievement in Australian Rowing was the Interstate Championships. Accordingly, it is vital that these events also be covered in the same depth as the international competitions. These events are included but remain incomplete.

The editor has chosen to follow the lead given by John Lang in his 1919 book "The Victorian Oarsman" which dealt with each event separately. To overcome the issue of continuity, biographies of those mentioned in this work are provided to monitor individual achievement across events.

Errors will undoubtedly sneak through our review processes and we apologise for any that arise. Please email any suggestions or corrections to andrewguerin@rowinghistory-aus.info for review. The history will be regularly updated and expanded to provide a more thorough history of the sport in Australia.

The editor would also welcome authors providing new chapters to be added to this collection.

The editor trusts that you will find this work of benefit and interest.

Andrew Guerin
Editor and primary author

Acknowledgments

Many photographs from 1988 onwards are the work of Hebfotos, the Late Guy Hebblewhite and Cynthia Judd, and their great work is acknowledged.

Steve Roll has been a consistent and deep volunteer contributor to the website, specifically researching names and backgrounds of rowers. Thank you Steve.

This history was compiled from the following sources:

Australian Rowing Magazines
The Victorian Oarsman, John Lang, A H Massina & Co, 1919
The Modern Olympic Games, Dr Ferenc Mezo, Pannonia Press 1956
The FISA Centenary Book, Jean-Louis Meuret, FISA 1992
FISA Year Books
The Story of World Rowing, Christopher Dodd, Stanley Paul 1992
A History of Rowing, Hylton Cleaver, Herbert Jenkins 1957
The Complete Book of the Olympics, David Wallechinsky, Penguin.
Official Report of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games of the XVI Olympiad Melbourne 1956, 1958
Australia and the Olympic Games, Harry Gordon, UQP, 1994
Commonwealth Games Federation web-site
The Time of our Lives, Harry Gordon, UQP, 2003
Mercantile, A Century of Rowing, Aitken et al, MRC, 1980
Adelaide Rowing Club The First 100 Seasons, Editor R W Richardson, Adelaide Rowing Club 1982
Rowing in Queensland 1880-1995, Jack Pritchard 2003
Rowing in Victoria – The first 100 years of the Victorian Rowing Association 1876-1976, Field Rickards
Annual reports from Rowing Victoria and NSW Rowing Association
Sydney Rows, A L May, SRC, 1970
Torrens Rowing Club 100 years, Jack Bollen, Bob Russell, Marco Lippis & Dianne De Bellis, 2003
Various Australian team managers' reports
FISA World Championship results sheets
Sixty Years of Women's Rowing 1920-80, Rose Evans
Interstate Championships Programmes
Ned Trickett Champion Sculler of the World, Gordon H Trickett 2001
The Clarence Comet, Scott Bennett, Sydney University Press 1973
On These Bright Waters, A Centennial History of Leichhardt Rowing Club 1886-1986, Merle Kavanagh 1986
Australia in World Rowing, Alan Jacobsen Hill of Content 1984
Shoalhaven River Regattas - 150 Years - 1855 to 2005, Robyn Florance 2005
Soldiers and Sportsmen, Lt G H Goddard AIF Sports Control Board 1919
Recollections, photos or information from:
- John Absolon
- Phil Ainsworth
- Martin & Julie Aitken
- Robert Aitken
- Ian Allen
- Graeme Allan
- Warren Andersen
- Reinhold Batschi
- John Bolt
- John Boultbee
- Anton Brown
- Mike Brown
- Phil Cayzer
- David Colvin
- Grant Cosgriff
- Andrew Dee
- Noel Donaldson
- Michael Eastaughffe
- Barbara Fenner
- Robyn Florance
- Jim Goulding
- Sally Guerin
- James Harvey
- Guy Hebblewhite
- Bernard Hempseed
- Stephen Hinchy
- Nick Hunter
- Cynthia Judd
- Lyndon Lockrey
- Paul Logan
- Andrew Lovibond
- Richard Luxford
- Lewis Varley Luxton
- Adrian Maginn
- Ken Marshall
- Lyall McCarthy
- John McDonald
- Margaret Mackenzie
- Kim Mackney
- Paul Mishura
- Michael Morgan
- Barry Moynahan
- David & Susie Palfreyman
- Late Bob Pennington
- Alexander Purnell
- Robin Poke
- Bruce Ramsay
- Steve Roll
- Jim Saul
- Chris Shinners
- Colin Smith
- Hope & Rob Stewart
- Ted Thomas
- Paul Thompson
- Brian Vear
- Bill Webb
- Emily Wilmoth
- Andrew Wilson
- Bryan Wilson
- Merv Wood
- David Yates

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
These contents of this history are copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

Disclaimer: Whilst extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, the editors take no responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from inaccuracies contained in this work.