history of australian national rowing championships

1973 National Championships

Women's Championshps, Barwon River VIC and Men's Championships, Murray Bridge SA (unofficial)

1973 Women's National Championships Cover

1973 Women's Programme Cover

1966/67 National Champion sculler Alison Thorne at dusk

The women's championships were the first where the programme of events was widened to match the international programme. Despite women's clubs not having the equipment, the idea was enthusiastically adopted. The other change was the new title of National Club Championships to better highlight the difference between these races and the Interstate Championships.

There was also a visiting New Zealand women's team who competed in inter dominion races against an Australian team. One of these races was conducted at the men's Interstate Championships and is recorded below.

Index to Results:

Women's Senior Pair
Women's Jubilee Four
Women's Lightweight Scull
Women's Lightweight Pair
Women's Junior Scull
Women's Junior Pair
Women's Junior Four
Schoolgirl Four
Schoolboy Eight (unofficial championship held in conjunction with the Interstate Men's Championships)

There were no men's National Championships in this year as their championships were conducted every two years. However the schoolboy eights race at the men's Interstate Championships was of a national character as the selectors wished to send a crew to the World Junior Championships.

A PDF copy of the 1973 Women's regatta program can be found through this link.

Full definition images from these championships can be found on the Australian Rowing Images website.

Women's Organising Committee

Organising Committee: Victorian Ladies Rowing Association - Regatta Secretary Miss Carol Judd, General Secretary Mrs Margaret Mackenzie, Miss L Baillie, Mrs J Gallagher, Mrs R Hynes, Mrs M Mansfield, Miss Kath Suhr

Officials:

Starter: Bill Waterfield

Women's Senior Pair

Time: NTT

1st Mosman composite (NSW) - Bow: Lydia Miladinovic, Str: Tricia Hennesy, Cch: Bruce Evans

Women's Jubilee Four

Time: NTT

1st Mosman (NSW) - Bow: Sita Carter (Mosman), 2: Jill Callan (Ryde), 3: Pam Murray (Mosman), Str: Jan Cameron (Mosman), Cox: Steve Evans (Mosman), Cch: Bruce Evans (Mosman)
2nd Nestles (VIC)
3rd YWCA (VIC)

Women's Lightweight Scull

Time: NTT

1st Shirley Graham (Tweed Heads QLD)

1973 Shirley and Chic Graham

Shirley Graham and husband after her win.

Women's Lightweight Pair

Time: NTT
First & Final

1st Essendon composite (VIC) Bow: Kath Suhr, Str: Maree Cox, Cch: Jack Bennett

Women's Junior Scull

Time: NTT

1st Evelyn Adams Sydney Women's Rowing Club (NSW) Cch: Rita Goldie

Women's Junior Pair

Time: NTT

1st YWCA (VIC) - Bow: Jan Murray, Str: Fay Atkinson, Cox & Cch: Kath Suhr

Women's Junior Four

Time: NTT

1st YWCA (VIC) - Bow: Jan Murray, 2: Maureen Browne, 3: Vivienne Rowe, Str: Fay Atkinson, Cox: Raye Hynes, Cch: Kath Suhr

Schoolgirl Four

Time: NTT

1st Watson High School (ACT) - Bow: Helen Callanan, 2: Greta van Malenstein, 3: Penny Searle, Str: Judy Werner, Cox: Margaret Peddey, Cch: Ray Backhouse, Emerg: Mary Scott

Other crews:
Watson High School (ACT) - Bow: Jaana Ropponen, 2: Elizabeth MacDonald, 3: Amanda Whitbread, Str: Elizabeth Gibb, Cox: Sandra Peddey, Cch: Ray Backhouse

Inter Dominion Fours

Margins: 3 lengths and 2 feet

1st Australia No 1 - Bow: Sita Carter (NSW), 2nd Jill Callan (NSW), 3rd Pam Muurray (NSW), Str: Jan Cameron (NSW), Cox: Stephen Evans (NSW), Cch: Bruce Evans (NSW)
2nd Australia No 2 - Bow: Maree Cox (VIC), 2: Kath Suhr (VIC), 3: Valmai Bertrand (VIC), Str: Evelyn Adams (NSW), Cox: unknown (SA)
3rd New Zealand - Bow: Anne Kidd, 2: Patricia Gallop, 3: Kathy O'Sullivan, Str: Lesley Keys, Cox: Dexter Abernethy, Cch: John Williamson, Emerg: Gay Leslie.

The Australia No 1 crew was an open weight crew. The Australia No 2 crew was a lightweight four. At the men's championships at Murray Bridge, one of the Inter Dominion Women's Fours races against New Zealand was conducted.

1973 Australian Women's Four
Str: Jan Cameron, 3: Pam Murray, 2: Jill Callan, Bow: Sita Carter

Schoolboy Eight

Time: 5:11
Margin 4.9 secs

1st Scotch College (VIC) - Bow: Andrew Guerin, 2: Stephen Webster, 3: Ian Porter, 4: Bruce Dumbrell, 5: Doug Buchanan, 6: George Low, 7: Stephen Shirrefs, Str: Glenn Robertson-Smith, Cox: Martin Aitken, Cch: Donald Macmillan
2nd Aquinas College (WA) - Bow: Chris Mallon, 2: Charles Chown, 3: Keith Coakley, 4: Gavin Lee, 5: Peter Bongiascia, 6: Michael Boladeras, 7: John Hall, Str: Stephen Saunders, Cox: Damien Cooper, Cch: Stan Omodei
3rd Hale School (WA) - Bow: Andrew Herron, 2: Laurence Pearce, 3: Lance White, 4: Geoff Thorn, 5: Harry Lenthall, 6: David Kirton, 7: Chris Ayres, Str: Stewart Anderson, Cox: Frank Paterson, Cch: Berry Durston & Dennis Durston
4th Bell Park High School (VIC) - Bow: Jamie Collis, 2: Ian Greaves, 3: Neil Whitely, 4: Les Strahle, 5: Denis Oliveiro, 6: Colin Rawson, 7: Greg Marchant, Str: Charlie Hall, Cox: Gary Muir, Cch: Peter McHugh

E1: 1st Bell Park High, 2nd Hale School (WA), 3rd Pultney Grammar School (SA), 4th Guilford Grammar School (SA)
E2: 1st Aquinas College (WA), 2nd Scotch College (SA), 3rd St Peters College (SA), 4th Adelaide Boys High School
E3: 1st Scotch College (VIC), 2nd Christian Brothers College (SA), 3rd King's College (SA)
R: 1st Hale College (WA)

1973 Scotch College

1973 Scotch College Eight in training

< previous 1972 National Championships

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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.