Home > Rowing Profiles > Aitken, Robert R

Robert R Aitken, MBE

Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC)

Bob has had a distinguished and successful rowing career as an oarsman, coach, selector and administrator. He has made a significant contribution to the sport. He was the first elected President of Rowing Australia. It was during his Presidency that the sport made significant steps forward in addressing the decline of success of Australia in international competition. For example Bob was on the appointment panel for the appointment of Reinhold Batschi in 1979. It was also during his Presidency that rowing withstood the push by Federal Government to withdraw from the Moscow Olympic Games.

Life member of Rowing Australia
Life member Mercantile Rowing Club
Life member of the Victorian Rowing Association.
Past Captain & President of Mercantile Rowing Club
Past President of the Victorian Rowing Association (now Rowing Victoria)

Bob Aitken

Mercantile Rowing Club
1940 - Head of the River Geelong College stroke
1950 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship emergency
1951 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke - Second
1952 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke - First
1953 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke - First
1954 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector
1955 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector
1955-74 - Vice-President Victorian Rowing Association
1956 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship coach - First
1956 - Olympic Games - Men's Eight coach and sole selector - Bronze
1957 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship selector
1958 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship coach - First
1958 - British Empire & Commonwealth Games grading committee
1959 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship coach - Second
1959-64 - Councillor for Victoria on AARC
1960 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship coach - Third
1962 - President Australian Amateur Rowing Council
1962 - National Championships - Organising Committee
1962 - Empire Games - Chairman of the technical committee
1964 - Olympic Games - Grading Committee
1967 - Life member Mercantile Rowing Club
1968 - Olympic Games - Selector
1972 - Olympic Games - Grading Committee
1974-80 - President Victorian Rowing Association
1975-79 - Inaugural Elected President of the Australian Amateur Rowing Council
1976 - Olympic Games Grading & Selection Committee

Andrew Guerin 2010

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.