Jim Dowrie OBE

Queensland University Boat Club and Toowong Rowing Club (QLD)

The following article of Jim appeared in the Rowing Queensland newsletter Volume 1 No 2 published in September 1993.

Dowrie the untiring worker

By Jack Pritchard

Jim Dowrie, President of Queensland Rowing Inc. has announced his retirement.

Dowrie has also served as secretary and chairman of Rowing Queensland and as delegate to the Australian Rowing Council serving the sport in a thoughtful and diligent manner.

Starting his rowing career at Commercial Rowing Club he also became a member of Queensland University Boat Club and Toowong Rowing Club.

His career as an oarsman was highly successful winning a Head of the River for Brisbane State High School in a four, the Championship Eights for Queensland, over the old three mile endurance course, as a member of the 1950 University crew and as a member of the Brisbane District crew in 1951.

Dowrie also represented Queensland twice in a King's Cup crew.

Becoming involved in club and state administration, Dowrie secured his Australian Boat Race Officials Licence shortly after the certification process was initiated and officiated throughout Australia, finally serving for several terms on the Australian Umpires Panel. During this period he was officiating regularly at Queensland regattas and was an official examiner in this State.

Owning an engineering company and a practising mechanical engineer, Jim became an ideal candidate to organise rowing course facilities. With great enthusiasm he designed and built many of the requirements needed to run regattas at Lake Kurwongbah, the Hinze Dam and lately the centre of Queensland rowing, the Wivenhoe Dam.

Dowrie designed the first movable starting platform utilised in Australia, which was even exported to Penrith in New South Wales for use at the Nationals.

Dowrie was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 1986, for his service to the engineering industry. Many people also felt the honour encompassed his services to the sport of rowing.

Jim Dowrie has served the sport of rowing in Queensland with distinction.

Extracted by Andrew Guerin
November 2024

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