Ernest Winter

Commercial Rowing Club (QLD)

Jack Pritchard in his book Rowing in Queensland summarised the rowing career of Ernest Winnter in the following terms.

Emest Winter, whose rowing career spanned twenty years from 1879, included eight wins in the Champion Fours of Queensland as stroke, wins in open eights, senior fours, senior double sculls, senior pairs, senior sculls and also stroking the four that set the record of four hours and fifty two minutes for the row from Brisbane to Ipswich. He was a man who was trained to stay and the last mile of a three mile race was his best. He also stroked the Intercolonial Eight for Queensland in 1885 and 1893. In other sports he excelled as a crack shot, an amateur horseman and a good performer with the boxing gloves.

Pritichard also noted Winter's work in 1890 after the Commercial Rowing Club boatshed was washed away.

The Commercial Rowing Shed was also washed away in the 1890 flood. The Commercial Club members, led by E. Winter, erected a lean-to against the Government Domain fence, and used the Government Stables as a dressing room. The Domain area is where the present Queensland University of Technology is situated. The new boathouse was erected on the site of the O'Connor Boathouse known to most post-war rowers, on the river bank at North Quay opposite Turbot Street. The original boathouse had been located a little distance downstream of the Victoria Bridge.

Winter was known for other rowing exploits such as rowing to Ipswich in his Champion Four, approximately 38 miles.

Rowing record

1885 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship stroke - Fourth

1886 - Queensland Championship at Brisbane Men's Four, stroke - First

1887 - Queensland Championship at Maryborough Men's Four, stroke - First

1887 - Queensland Championship at Brisbane Men's Four, stroke - First

1888 - Queensland Championship at Maryborough Men's Four, stroke - First

1888 - Queensland Championship at Brisbane Men's Four, stroke - First

1889 - Queensland Championship Men's Four, stroke - First

1892 - Queensland Championship Men's Four, stroke - First

1893 - Queensland Championship Men's Four, stroke - First

1893 – Intercolonial Men’s Eight Championship stroke - Third

1895 - Vice-President of the Queensland Rowing Association

Andrew Guerin
June 2021 (updated January 2023)

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
These contents of this history are copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

Disclaimer: Whilst extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, the editors take no responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from inaccuracies contained in this work.