Graham D Coldwell
Port Adelaide Rowing Club (SA)
Athlete, Captain of Boats and coach at Port Adelaide Rowing Club (SA).
Coach at Renmark RC and Mannum RC.
Rowing Master and coach at Kings College (now Pembroke School) and Prince Alfred College.
Coach at Torrens Rowing Club and Adelaide University Boat Club and coach of South Australian (Penrith Cup and King's Cup) crews.
A leading rower, coach and administrator of the sport. He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to the sport.
Graham has been a superlative mentor to school rowers.
Graham was appointed by the Kings College Headmaster Rev RA Cook in 1958 to develop for the school a vibrant rowing program from scratch.
He had a very strong affinity with the school, the rowers and its rowing program.
Graham has been a superlative mentor to school rowers.
Under Graham’s leadership the school, notwithstanding its small numbers, was very successful winning the Head of the River on three occasions (also one second), State Championships and a National Schoolboys Eights Championship.
Under Graham, by focussing on coaching at all levels, the school won many of the other under age events at the Head of the River. In fact in 1970 they won all underage events.
Graham was instrumental in the school building the schools boathouse on Torrens Lake and was integral in its forward thinking design.
In 1973 Graham moved to Prince Alfred College as Rowing Coach with PAC winning their first Head of the River for 37 years in 1979 under Graham’s coaching excellence
Graham’s Rowing and Coaching Record
1952 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championships stroke – Sixth
1953 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championships stroke – Fifth
1955 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championships two seat - Sixth
1958 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championships coach - Fourth
1958 - Appointed inaugural Rowing Master and coach at Kings College to start their rowing program
1961 - Kings admitted to the SA Head of the River
1963 - Kings win their first Head of the River for the Gosse Shield
1966 - Kings win the SA Head of the River Schoolboy Eights
1967 - Kings win the SA Head of the River Schoolboy Eights
1967 - Kings win the State Championships for Schoolboy Eights
1967 - King's win the Schoolboy Four at the King's Cup Regatta at Murray Bridge
1968 - Kings wins the Australian Schoolboy Eights Championship in Ballarat
1970 - Kings wins all the under age school fours races
1971 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach SA – Second
1972 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach SA – Fourth
1974 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach SA - Second
1979 - PAC wins the SA Head of the River (first win since 1942)
1984 - PAC wins SA Head of the River
1988 - PAC wins the Australian Schoolboys Four Championship
1952 South Australian Crew
Graham served on the General and Executive Committees of South Australian Rowing Association, 1950-1986.
SA representative as Councillor, Rowing Australia, 1960s.
Life Member Rowing SA, 1978.
Chairman and Member, Head of the River Committee, 1963-1991.
Founding member of the Resting Rowers Consortium which raises funds initially for the development of West Lakes Aquatic Centre and also SA Rowing.
A leading rowing coach at school, club and state level, from 1956, including a period of 50 consecutive years.
Graham recently reflected on his 70 plus years of being involved with rowing in correspondence with Colin Smith with the following words:
Rowing has been an important part of my life and I have always striven to use that experience to help others especially those who benefit from the team spirit, social interaction and life lasting friendships especially in schools. If what I have done in this way has been achieved then I will die as a satisfied man. I use you as one of my favourite examples in all the good things I value about the sport.
Andrew Guerin, and considerably updated by Colin Smith in May 2022 with much additional information.
January 2021