Anthony (Tony) J Brown
Sydney Rowing Club (NSW), McVilly Pearce Pin No. 252
Tony raced successfully as an oarsman over an extended period which he thoroughly enjoyed. It included a period when his Club and those with whom he raced were at their peak.
Starting his rowing at Newington College Sydney in 1968, he moved onto row in the second VIII in 1969 and the first VIII in 1970. Tony quickly got a taste for the national level rowing racing at the 1970 National Championships in the schoolboy fours. This association with this regatta has lasted some 50+ years and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Immediately after school finished, he joined Sydney Rowing Club where another lifetime association was created. These early years with Sydney were highlighted with NSW Colts representation in both 1972 and 1974.
His rowing record at the senior level with Sydney Rowing Club was exceptional. NSW Champion Eights in all but one year between 1976 and 1984, NSW Champion Four in 1977, and culminating in the NSW King's Cup crews in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983, winning on two occasions.
The culmination of his rowing career was rowing in the five seat of the 1977 Australian crew at the Amsterdam World Championships.
Administration responsibilities quickly followed at Sydney Rowing Club and also at Rowing NSW. Tony was on the Board of Sydney Rowing Club for many years and remains on their important building committee. Both his rowing record and administrative work for Sydney Rowing Club was recognised with the club's Honour Blazer Life Membership in 2012.
As mentioned, Rowing NSW was the beneficiary of his services as a member of the Management Committee in the mid eighties, Deputy Chairman 1988-1995 and their Councillor to Rowing Australia 1990-95. His other areas of responsibility included State Men's Selector on at least seven occasions, boat race official from 2009 and President of the NSW Union of Rowers 2019-22. This work was recognised by being elected a life member of Rowing NSW.
But perhaps his greatest impact of the sport has been as a key person in the national regatta management team, in most cases taking on the role of Field of Play at all key regattas. His work has led to the permanent increase in standard of the Australian Championships.
This role has extended to the World Cups in Sydney and a volunteer field of play manager at the 2000 Olympic Games.
His detailed knowledge of the sport and his practical and hands on approach to issue resolution, makes him ideally suited to this work, much to the benefit of the sport.
Tony is one of the core group of key skilled and knowledgeable volunteers of the sport who enable high quality national events to be consistently undertaken. His enormous contribution to the sport can easily be demonstrated by the depth of items listed below.
1976 winning NSW crew with Tony in bow
Known rowing record
1970 - NSW GPS Head of the River, Newington First VIII
1970 - National Championships, Schoolboy Four, stroke - Second
1972 - Trans Tasman Colt Series, NSW Eight
1973 - Interstate Championships, Men's Coxed Pair, stroke - Second
1974 - Trans Tasman Colt Series, NSW Eight, six seat
1974 - National Championship Men's Coxless Four, three seat - Fourth
1974 - National Championship Men's Coxed Four, three seat - Fifth
1975 - National Championships Coxless Four, three seat - Third
1975 - National Championships, Men's Coxed Four, three seat - Second
1976 - NSW Championship Men's Eight - First
1976 - Interstate Championships, Men's Eight, bow - First
1977 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1977 - NSW Championships, Men's Four - First
1977 - National Championships Men's Four, bow - First
1977 - Interstate Championships, Men's Eight, five seat - First
1977 - World Championships, Men's Eight, five seat - Eleventh
1979 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1980 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1980 - National Championships Men's Four, three seat - Third
1980 - Interstate Championships, Men's Eight, three seat - Second
1981 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1982 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1982 - National Championships, Men's Pair, stroke - Second
1982 - Interstate Championships, Men's Eight, seven seat -Fourth
1983 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1983 - National Championship Men's Four, three seat - Finalist
1983 - Interstate Championships, Men's Eight, seven seat - Third
1984 - NSW Championships, Men's Eight - First
1986-88 - Rowing NSW Management Committee
1988-95 - Rowing NSW Deputy President
1985-86, 90-91, 96-99 - Rowing NSW Men's Selector
1990 - National Championships, Men's Double Scull, coach -
1990-95 - NSW Councillor to Rowing Australia
1996 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2000 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2000 - Olympic Games, Volunteers Field of Play Manager
2004 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2005 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2007 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2008 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2009-22 - NSW Union of Rowers - President
2009-present - NSW Boat Race Official
2009 - FISA Masters - Field of Play Manager
2010 -Rowing NSW, elected Life Member
2012 - Sydney Rowing Club, Honour Blazer Life Membership
2013 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2013 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2013 and 2014 - FISA World Cup - Field of Play Manager
2014 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2015 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2015 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2016 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2016 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2017 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2007 - Australian Masters Championships, Assistant Field of Play Manager
2018 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2019 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
2022 - Australian Championships, Assistant Field of Play Manager
2022 - Australian Masters Championships, Assistant Field of Play Manager
2023 - Australian Masters Championships, Field of Play Manager
2024 - Australian Championships, Field of Play Manager
Andrew Guerin
January 2023 (updated June 2023)
Sources:
- Author's own records and image collection
- Interview with Tony in June 2023