Peter Shakespear
Joondalup Rowing Club (WA), Narabundah (ACT), AIS (ACT)
Peter commenced rowing at Brisbane Church of England Grammar where he rowed in the first eight in both 1963 and 1964.
He raced with the Port Pirie Rowing Club before Agricultural Science took him to WA. John Murray found out about this tall aspiring rower in the late 1960’s whilst working as a stud master at the cattle station east of Esperance. He was enticed to Perth to row at Joondalup Rowing Club.
The creation and short term high success of the Joondalup Rowing Club is worthy of another story. He won Australian Championship Junior (not under 19) Eights in 1970 and finally King’s Cup in 1973.
1973 WA King's Cup crew with Peter in the six seat
After the 1972 Olympic Games, Peter studied for his physical education degree at the University of WA. Back in 1978 and in a portend of his future roles, Peter conducted two level 1 coaching courses and in conjunction with Michael Morgan and Craig James, ran a level 2 coaching course in WA.
He coached successfully in Western Australia until 1980 when he moved to Canberra, thus missing out on coaching his WA junior men's four to the World Junior Championships in that year. He coached successfully in Canberra from school level through to open.
Peter prepared the coaching materials for the Australian Rowing Council Coaching Accreditation courses. He was the convenor of the AARC National Coaching Committee.
He then went on to be a professional coach at the AIS for many years commencing in 1984 when he joined Reinhold Batschi in establishing rowing as an AIS sport. The AIS boated it's own crews in 1985-86 season with Peter coaching the women. The failure of women to be selected into 1988 Olympic team led Peter and Dr Alan Hahn to research and develop talent ID and talent development programs. Peter used this opportunity to become a driving force in Australia on talent identification, setting up systems at the AIS which became standard in Australia. In 1989, Peter was rewarded with Australia's first gold medal at a World Junior Championships with a crew based at the AIS.
Peter moved to the UK in 2001 with his wife Wilma who took up a position in British sport. She had previously been the head of the Queensland Academy of Sport. Peter joined British Rowing and set up World Class Start (now Start) a TID and Development programme in GB, working with a very enthusiastic and committed group of coaches and staff - majority of the athletes have never rowed before. In 2012, GB rowing was ranked the top rowing country with over 25% of the team from TID.
Peter returned to Australia in 2007 and took up the high performance manager role at Rowing Queensland. In 2008, he returned to Rowing Australia as the Elite Development Manager. Finally in 2013, Peter took up the role of TID and Development Manager at Rowing Canada. Peter retired back to Australia.
1972 Olympic Four with Peter in the stroke seat
Some key rowing achievements
1962 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), CEGS 6th Four, stroke - Sixth
1963 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), CEGS 1st Eight, four seat - First
1964 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), CEGS 1st Eight, six seat - Fourth
1970 - National Champion Men's Junior Eight, six seat - First
1970 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship (WA) emergency
1972 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship four seat - Second
1972 – Olympic Games – Men’s Coxed Four stroke – Thirteenth
1973 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat - First
1973 – European Championships – Men’s Coxless Pair stroke – Eighth
1974 - National Championship Men's Coxed Pair, stroke - First
1974 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat - Third
1975 - PSA Head of the River, Hale School 1st Eight, co-coach
1975 – World Championships – Men’s Eight three seat - Sixth
1976 - National Championship Men's Open Eight, six seat - Second
1976 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat - Fourth
1976 – Olympic Games – Men’s Eight reserve and replaced Malcolm Shaw in the final due to injury.
1977 - National Championship Men's Double Scull, stroke - Fifth
1977 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship co-coach – Eliminated in repechage
1977 - Australian University Championships, Women's Four (UWA), coach - First
1978 - National Championships Men's Four, coach - unplaced
1978 - National Championship Men's Pair, coach - Finalist
1978 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship co-coach – Eliminated in repechage
1978 – World Championships – Women’s selector
1980 - National Championships, Men's Junior Four Test Race, co-coach - First
1980 - National Championships, Men's Youth Four, coach - First
1980 – Interstate Men’s Youth Eight Championship co-coach - Second
1980 - Australian Universities Championships, Men's Pair, coach - Second
1981 - Victorian Championship, Men's Junior Coxed Pair, coach - First
1981 - National Championships, Men's Youth Four, co-coach - Second
1981 - National Championships, Men's Youth Scull, co-coach - First
1981 - National Championships, Men's Junior Pair, coach - First
1981 – Interstate Men’s Youth Eight Championship co-coach – Second
1981 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach – Eliminated in repechage
1982 - National Championships, Men's Under 19 Pair, coach - First
1982 - National Championships, Women's Under 23 Pair, coach - First
1982 - National Championships, Women's Under 23 Four, co-coach -Third
1982 – World Junior Championships – Men’s Coxless Pair coach – Fourth
1982 – World Junior Championships – Women’s Scull coach – Disqualified in semi final
1983 - National Championships, Men's Under 23 Pair, coach - Unplaced
1983 - National Championships, Men's Under 23 Coxed Four, co-coach - First
1983 - National Championships, Schoolboy Coxed Four, coach - Second
1983 - National Championships, Schoolboy Coxed Eight, coach - Second
1983 - National Championships, Women's Pair, coach - Unplaced
1983 - National Championships, Women's Four, coach - Unplaced
1983 - National Championships, Women's Eight, coach - Second
1983 - National Championships Women's Under 23 Pair, coach - Second
1983 – Interstate Women’s Four Championships coach - Third
1983 – Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Australian Men's sweep and sculling coach
1984 - National Championships, Men's Under 23 Pair, coach - First
1984 - National Championships, Women's Pair, coach - Fifth
1984 - National Championships, Women's Pair, co-coach - Fourth
1984 – Olympic Games – Men’s Coxless Four, coach – Eighth
1985 - Victorian Championships, Men's Lightweight Double Scull, coach - First
1985 - National Championships, Men's Quad Scull, coach - Third
1985 - National Championships, Men's Lightweight Double Scull, coach - Third
1985 - National Championships, Men's Under 23 Lightweight Double Scull, coach - Second
1985 - National Championships, Men's Under 23 Scull, coach - First and Third
1985 - National Championships, Women's Scull, coach - Third
1985 - National Championships, Women's Lightweight Pair, coach -Fifth
1985 - National Championships, Women's Lightweight Four, coach -Fifth
1985 – Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Australian Women’s sweep coach
1985 – Match des Seniors – Women’s Pair coach – Silver
1985 – Match des Seniors – Women’s Quad Scull coach – Fifth
1986 - Victorian Championships, Women's Four, AIS coach - First
1986 - National Championships, Women's Pair, AIS coach - First, Second and Third
1986 - National Championships, Women's Four, AIS coach - First and Second
1986 - National Championships, Women's Eight, AIS coach - First
1986 – Interstate Women’s Four Championship coach - Second
1986 – Commonwealth Games – Women’s Four coach - Silver
1986 – Commonwealth Games – Women’s Eight coach – Gold
1986 – Commonwealth Games – Women’s Coxless Pair coach – Bronze
1986 – World Championships – Women’s Pair coach – Tenth
1986 – World Championships – Women’s Four coach – Seventh
1987 - National Championships - Women's Pair, AIS coach - First and Third
1987 - National Championships - Women's Four, AIS coach - First
1987 - National Championships - Women's Eight, AIS coach - Third
1987 - National Championships - Women's Under 23 Pair, AIS coach - First and Fourth
1987 - National Championships - Women's Under 23 Four, AIS coach - First
1987 – Interstate Women’s Four Championship coach - Third
1987 – World Championships – Women’s Four coach – Seventh
1988 - National Championships - Women's Pair, AIS coach - Second and Sixth
1988 - National Championships - Women's Four, AIS coach - First
1988 - National Championships - Women's Eight, AIS coach - First
1988 - National Championships - Women's Under 19 Pair, AIS co-coach - First and Second
1988 - National Championships - Women's Under 19 Four, AIS co-coach - First
1988 - World Junior Championships – Women’s Coxed Four coach – Bronze
1989 - National Championships - Women's Pair, AIS coach - First
1989 - National Championships - Women's Four, AIS coach - First
1989 - National Championships - Women's Eight, AIS co-coach - First
1989 - National Championships - Women's Under 23 Pair, AIS coach - First
1989 – World Championships – Women’s Pair coach – Tenth
1990 - National Championships - Women's Pair, AIS coach - First and Fourth
1990 - National Championships - Women's Four, AIS coach - Second and Third
1990 - National Championships - Women's Eight, AIS coach - First
1990 - National Championships - Women's Under 23 Pair, AIS coach - First
1990 – World Championships – Women’s Four coach – Eighth
1990 – World Championships – Women’s Eight coach – Seventh
1991-1995 - Rowing Master at Wesley College Melbourne
1996 - 2001 - Rowing Master at Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane
1996 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), First crew, coach - Fourth
1997 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), First crew, coach - Fourth
1998 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), First crew, co-coach - First
1999 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), First crew, coach - Second
1999 - National Championships, Men's Junior Pair, coach - Fourth
1999 - National Championships, Men's Junior Eight, coach - First
2000 - National Championships, Men's Junior Coxless Four, co-coach - Second
2000 - National Championships, Men's Junior Coxed Four, co-coach - First
2000 - National Championships, Schoolboy Eight, co-coach - Sixth
2001 - GPS Head of the River (QLD), Second crew, coach - Fourth
2001-07 - Performance Development Manager - GB Rowing
2007 - High performance manager - Rowing Queensland
2008 - Elite Development Manager - Rowing Australia
2009 - National Championships, Open Men's Four, coach - Second
2009 - World Junior Championships, head coach
2010 - World Junior Championships, joint head coach
2011 - World Junior Championships, joint head coach
2012 - World Junior Championships, head coach
2013 - TID and Development Manager at Rowing Canada
Andrew Guerin
December 2021