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australian rowers profiles and history

A Lindsay Southcott

Torrens Rowing Club (SA)

Lindsay has had an outstanding rowing career as an athlete, coaching and rowing administrator. His entry into senior rowing was instantaneous from school, rowing in the King's Cup in the four years after leaving school.

Lindsay moved to Melbourne in the 1960s and returned to Adelaide in 1970 and immediately returning to coaching.

1962 South Australian crew in training on 28th February with Lindsay in the six seat - an interesting rig

Lindsay’s rowing coaching career at St. Peter’s College is remarkable and likely to be a world leader. Over his 27 years coaching the St. Peter’s 1st VIII the school recorded 14 wins with Lindsay either as the coach or in a dual coaching role.

Billy Brigham in the St Peter's Rowing Club blog (https://www.blackmoreclub.com.au/siteglide-blog/record-breaking-coach-lindsay-southcott) on 01 March 2019 summarised Lindsay's coaching as follows:

[H]e has been innovative and flexible in his approach, receptive to new ideas and developments in rowing where they have been applicable to schoolboy oarsmen. At all times he has been mindful of the needs of his charges, recognising that they are schoolboys first and oarsmen second. He has also produced some very fine oarsmen in the process, including two Olympians. Lindsay is a modest and reserved man. In his coaching, words are used carefully and sparingly and are all the more effective for it. Indeed, as many Saints oarsmen would attest, his silences can say so much! A generation of Saints oarsmen, parents, fellow coaches and supporters of the Boat Club owe Lindsay Southcott a great debt of gratitude for all that he has done for the Boat Club over such a long period of time. The school can be proud of its association with this doyen of school rowing coaches.

Lindsay is part of the revered rowing family the Southcott. Like his father Alan, Lindsay was also President of South Australian Rowing and Patron of Torrens Rowing Club. Alan was the SA Councillor for Rowing Australia foreleven years. Lindsay’s brother Brian also rowed for St. Peter’s College, Adelaide University and South Australia. The next generation of Southcotts have also been active rowers.

Some details

1957 - St. Peter’s College First VIII 

1958 - St. Peter’s College First VIII Winners

1959 - Adelaide University Inter Varsity VIII Emergency

1959  -South Australian Kings Cup Crew, three seat

1960 - South Australian Kings Cup Crew, four seat

1961 - Adelaide University InterVarsity VIII

1961 - South Australian Kings Cup Crew, three seat

1962 - South Australian Kings Cup Crew, three seat

1963 - Adelaide University InterVarsity VIII, stroke

1963 - South Australian Kings Cup Crew Emergency

1963 - Adelaide University Rowing Blue

1961 - 1964 - St. Peter’s College Coach of the 1st VIII

1970 - 1992 - St. Peter’s College Coach of the 1st VIII

1971 - Adelaide University InterVarsity VIII, coach

1974 - Interstate Championships, Men's Youth Eight, coach

1979 - National Championships Schoolboy Eight (St Peters), coach

1970 - 1972 Australian Men’s Selector that included selections for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich

President Rowing South Australia

Life member of Rowing SA

Patron Torrens Rowing Club


Colin Smith
January 2022


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