History of Rowing Victoria Inc

Appendix 1. Life Membership and other important awards

Life membership

There have been very few life members elected to the Association. Life members are elected as a result of their long and exceptional service to the Association. Life membership has been a relatively recent innovation with the first person elected in 1970.

Last updated 1st January 2020.

Year of Election	Life Member
1970	Noel F Wilkinson AM BEM (desc)
1972	Norman W Cairnes (desc)
1976	W Ray B Todd (desc)
Date unknown	Jess Pinkerton (desc)
Date unknown	May Laird (desc)
Date unknown	Jess Stockman (desc)
Date unknown	Kath Bennett
Date unknown	Caroline Judd
1980	Robert (Bob) R Aitken MBE (desc)
1984	William (Bill) J Waterfield (desc)
1986	J William (Bill) Bradshaw (desc)
1988	James L Hardie (desc)
1991	G Harvey Nicholson (desc)
1993	David H Boykett (desc)
1999	Edward (Ted) Woolcock (desc)
1999	Robert (Bob) C Morell OAM (desc)
1999	Hon Mr Justice Hubert R Frederico (desc)
2004	Brian Vear (desc)
2004	H James Lowe
2007	Roger B Wilson OAM
2009	Eric Waller
2010	David Deeble (desc)
2011	Peter Antonie OAM
2011	Michael McKay OAM
2011	James Tomkins OAM
2012	Peter Fraser
2013	David Pincus
2015	Andrew Guerin
2020	Susie Palfreyman
2020	Hon Patrick McNamara
2021	Reg McKay
2022	Noel Donaldson

In more recent times, Rowing Victoria introduced four new awards to recognise some of the great volunteer work being done for rowing in Victoria. These were introduced over a number of years. The Awards Committee during this time, namely Peter Fraser (Chairman), Andrew Guerin and Roger Wilson, identified the need for greater recognition of our key volunteers.

William Waterfield Award

This award is for outstanding service to Victorian rowing. It is named after life member Bill Waterfield, an exemplar of a person who has provided long and outstanding service to the sport. He was the backbone of the administration of the Association for some 30 years. The winners of this award have been:

2008-09	Susie Palfreyman, MUBC
2009-10	Rod Florence, APSM
2010-11	Paul McGann, Mercantile
2011-12	Frank Covill, Geelong Rowing Association
2012-13	Denis Bourke, Hawthorn
2013-14	Andrew Guerin, Mercantile
2014-15	Ron Widgery, Wendouree Ballarat
2015-16	Mark Dwyer, Essendon
2016-17	David Colvin, Mercantile
2017-18	David Yates, MUBC
2018-19	Brian Digby, Barwon
2019-20	Eric Waller, Wendouree Ballarat
2020-21	Not awarded
2021-22	Angelique Everett
2022-23	Richard Dorrstein
2023-24

Kath Bennett Award

This award is for outstanding service to a rowing community in Victoria. All too often the great work of people in a club, regatta committee, region or other segment of the sport is not acknowledged. The award is named after life member Kath Bennett who was instrumental in reinvigorating women's rowing in Victoria prior to the amalgamation of the men's and women's rowing associations in 1979.

2008-09	Robert Eyers, Corowa
2009-10	Rob Stewart, MUBC
2010-11	Sean Drew, Barwon
2011-12	Glenn Bottrell, Essendon
2012-13	Paul Somerville, Murray Rowing Association
2013-14	Eric Waller, Wendouree Ballarat
2014-15	Geoff Talbot, Mildura
2015-16	David Ochert, Melbourne
2016-17	Tim Hamilton, Bairnsdale
2017-18	Beth Walter, Nagambie
2018-19	Mary Hunter, Carrum
2019-20	Susan Andrews, Nagambie
2020-21	Not awarded
2021-22	Paul Bilson, Wendouree Ballarat
2022-23	Greg Longden, MUBC
2023-24

Bob Duncan Award

This award is for outstanding service to umpiring. Given the heavy workload undertaken by our umpires, a special award was deemed appropriate. Bob Duncan is an Olympian but more importantly a dedicated, long serving and excellent umpire. He led the improvement in umpiring standards and broke new ground in many aspects of umpiring. The award recognises those umpires who display excellence in their work and also improve umpiring in other ways.

2009-10	Ron Mitchell, Yarra Yarra
2010-11	Rene Klupacs, Corio Bay
2011-12	William Webster, Mercantile
2012-13	David Grubits, Melbourne
2013-14	William Webster, Mercantile
2014-15	Robin Murphy, Banks
2015-16	Lesley Skevington, Mercantile
2016-17	Eric Waller, Wendouree Ballarat
2017-18	David Grubits, Melbourne
2018-19	Rod Florence, APSM
2019-20	Tony Lawless, Footscray City
2020-21	Andrew Guerin, Mercantile
2021-22	Not awarded
2022-23	Graeme Boykett, Mercantile
2023-24

Susie Palfreyman Award

This award recognises an outstanding contribution to school rowing. The award is named after Susie Palfreyman who undertook great work in school rowing. Susie developed a world class girls program at MLC, was a founder of the Head of the Schoolgirls regatta and generally is a great supporter of school rowing. She is also a superb role model for women in sport.

2011-12	Rob Zahara, MUBC
2012-13	Tom Abramowski, Mercantile
2013-14	Josie Millard, MUBC
2014-15	Jane Mitchell, Wesley College
2015-16	Ross Henderson, Ballarat & Clarendon
2016-17	Sam Hutchinson
2017-18	Tim Dolphin, MLC
2018-19	Sandra Barnes, Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta
2019-20	Alison Henricus, Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta
2020-21	Brigette Carlile, St Catherine's
2021-22	Glenn Fischmann
2022-23	John Saunders, St Catherine's
2023-24