History of Rowing Victoria Inc
- Introduction
- 1: Rowing in a young Victoria 1838-1859
- 2: Formation of the Association 1860-1875
- 3: Growth of the Sport 1876-1889
- 4: Years of great success 1890-1899
- 5: The rise of Australian Henley1900-1909
- 6: The War Years 1910-1919
- 7: Women's rowing and the modern era 1920-1929
- 8: The Depression Rebuild 1930-1939
- 9: War and rebuilding 1940-1949
- 10: Expansion years 1950-1959
- 11: The search for international success 1960-1969
- 12: Combining the Associations and lightweight success 1970-1979
- 13: The new national program 1980-1989
- 14: Golden years 1990-1999
- 15: Professionalism 2000-2009
- 16: Yet More Growth 2010-2019
- 17: Challenging Times 2020-2026
- 1: Life Membership and other important awards
- 2: Patrons and Presidents
- 3: Office Bearers
- 4: Clubs and their histories
- 5: The Oarsmen's Centotaph and WWI Roll of Honour
- 6: WWII Roll of Honour
- 7: Premierships
- 8: State Championships
- 9: Hall of Fame Inductees
- 10: Victorian Olympians
- 11: International representation
- 12: Intercolonial and Interstate Racing
- 13: School rowing
- 14: University rowing
- 15: Histories of Victorian Rowing
- 16: Annual Reports
Appendix 4. Clubs and their histories
On this page -
Clubs - key dates
This list is being updated gradually. The original source was the list provided by John Lang in his book the The Victorian Oarsman and Rowing Register in 1919. Since then we have uncovered other rowing clubs whose origins were not recorded as they had not affiliated with Rowing Victoria. These are added once their details have been confirmed.
Last updated December 2023.
| Date commenced | Date disbanded | Club | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre 1860 | 1863 or 1864 flood |
Elswick Rowing Club | Upper Yarra, south bank |
| Pre 1859 | Pre 1914 | Ariel Rowing Club - Melbourne | Yarra River, |
| 1859, 3 Sept | Continuing | Melbourne University Boat Club | Upper Yarra |
| Pre 1861 | Pre 1914 | Leander Rowing Club | Yarra River Melbourne |
| 1861, 20 Nov (officially formed 1862, Feb 14) | Continuing - merged with Wendouree 1st Nov 1973 | Ballarat Rowing Club (originally Regatta Club) | Lake Wendouree, Ballarat |
| 1862, 13 March | Continuing | Melbourne Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| 1863, 26 Sept | Continuing | Richmond Rowing Club (first Richmond City) | Upper Yarra |
| 1863 | Continuing | Corowa Rowing Club | Murray River |
| 1864, Aug | 1865, Mar | Lubentia Rowing Club (originally Tay Rowing Club) | Lake Wendouree, Ballarat |
| 1864, Sept | 1868 | Alabama Rowing Club | Lake Wendouree, Ballarat |
| 1864, Nov | 1865, July (amalgamated with Ballarat Rowing Club) | Ariel Rowing Club - Ballarat | Lake Wendouree, Ballarat |
| Pre 1866 | Pre 1914 | Young Australians Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| 1866, 29 Aug | Continuing | Banks Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| 1866, 17 June | Continuing - merged with Melbourne 1922 | Civil Service Rowing Club | Upper yarra |
| Circa 1868 | Pre 1914 | Prince of Wales Rowing Club | |
| 1870, 22 June | Continuing | Barwon Rowing Club
Joined the Association in 1906 |
Originally Geelong but now the Barwon River |
| 1870, Nov 17 | Continuing | Ballarat City Rowing Club | Lake Wendouree Ballarat |
| 1872, 11 Nov | Continuing | Bairnsdale Rowing Club | Mitchell River, Bairnsdale |
| 1872 | Continuing - merged with Sandhurst in 1927 | Bendigo Rowing Club | Lake Weeroona, Bendigo. Originally Upper Grassy Flat Reservoir |
| 1873, 7 July | Continuing - merged with Bendigo in 1927 | Sandhurst Rowing Club | Lake Weeroona, Bendigo. Originally Upper Grassy Flat Reservoir |
| 1873 | Continuing | Corio Bay Rowing Club | Originally Corio Bay but now the Barwon River |
| 1873, 5 Sept | Continuing - merged with Footscray City | Footscray Rowing Club (Later Footscray City Rowing Club after club taken over in 1893 to save it) | Maribynong River, Footscray |
| 1873 | Pre 1914 | Boroondara Rowing Club (later Hawthorn Rowing Club) | Upper Yarra |
| 1873 | Continuing - merged with City of Warrnambool | Warrnambool Rowing Club. Changed name to City of Warrnambool Rowing Club in 1953 | Hopkins River, Warrnambool |
| 1874 | Continuing | Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (first Early Closing Association Rowing Club and changed in 1894) | Upper Yarra, Melbourne |
| 1875, 26 Jan | Continuing - merged with South Melbourne 1995 | Albert Park Rowing Club | Albert Park Lake |
| 1875 | Continuing | Corio Bay Rowing Club | Corio Bay |
| 1882 | Continuing - merged with Ballarat | Wendouree Rowing Club | Lake Wendouree, Ballarat |
| Pre 1876 | Pre 1914 | Albert Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1876 | Pre 1914 | I. Zingari Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1876 | Pre 1914 | Murray Rowing Club | Murray River |
| Pre 1876 | Pre 1914 | Warehousmen Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| Pre 1876 | Pre 1914 | Williamstown Rowing Club | Lower Yarra |
| 1876, 7 Oct | Continuing | Lake Colac Rowing Club | Lake Colac |
| 1877 | Pre 1914 | Hawthorn Rowing Club (later Melbourne ) | Yarra River |
| 1878, 13 April | Continuing - merged with Albert Park 1995 | South Melbourne Rowing Club (first Lake) | Albert Park Lake |
| 1880, 3 Sept | Continuing | Mercantile Rowing Club (first Junior Warehousemen) | Upper Yarra |
| 1880 | Continuing | Maribyrnong Rowing Club, later in 1888, known as Essendon Rowing Club | Maribyrnong River |
| Pre 1881 | Pre 1914 | City Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| Pre 1881 | Pre 1914 | Electric Telegraph Rowing Club | Upper Yarra |
| Pre 1881 | Continuing | Geelong Grammar Rowing Club | Barwon River |
| Pre 1881 | Pre 1914 | Queenscliff Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1881 | Pre 1914 | Victoria Rowing Club | |
| 1882, 27 Apr | Continuing | Dimboola Rowing Club | Wimmera River, Dimboola |
| 1882 | Pre 1914 | Southern Rowing Club, changed name in 1886 to The City of Prahran Southern Rowing Club | Albert Park Lake |
| 1884 | Continuing - merged with Ballarat | Wendouree Rowing Club | Lake Wedouree |
| 1884, 11 Nov | Continuing | Footscray City Rowing Club | Maribyrnong River |
| Pre 1885 | Continuing - merged with City of Warrnambool | Hopkins Rowing Club | Hopkins River, Warrnambool |
| Pre 1885 | Continuing - merged with City of Warrnambool | Gordon Rowing Club | Hopkins River, Warrnambool |
| 1888 | Discontinued | Sale Rowing Club | La Trobe River, Sale |
| 1888 | Continuing | Rutherglen Lake Rowing Club | Lake Moodemere |
| 1889 | Discontinued | Cobram Rowing Club | Murray River, Cobram |
| 1892 | Continuing | Nagambie Rowing Club | Goulburn River |
| 1893, 12 Nov | Continuing | Footscray City Rowing Club | Maribyrnong River |
| 1896, Aug | Discontinued | Antwerp Rowing Club | Wimmera River |
| 1897, Nov | Discontinued | Seymour Rowing Club | Goulburn River |
| unknown | Continuing - merged with Lake Colac | Colac Rowing Club | Lake Colac |
| 1907 | 1964 | Albert Park Ladies' Rowing Club | Albert Park Lake |
| 1909, Nov | Discontinued | Jeparit Rowing Club | Wimmera River |
| 1909 | Continuing - merged with City of Warrnambool | Warrnambool Ladies' Rowing Club | Hopkins River, Warrnambool |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Alabama Rowing Club | Ballarat |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Albion Rowing Club | Geelong |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Ariel Rowing Club | Ballarat |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Argus Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Bendigo Rowing Club | Lake Weeroona, Bendigo |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Commercial Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Crown Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Eaglehawk Rowing Club | Lake Neanger |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | East Melbourne Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Echuca Rowing Club | Murray River | |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Echuca East Rowing Club | Murray River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Emerald Hill Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Geelong Rowing Club | Geelong |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Gordon Rowing Club | Warrnambool |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Harbour Trust Rowing Club | Lower Yarra |
| Pre 1914 | Hopkins Rowing Club | Hopkins River, Warrnambool | |
| Pre 1914 | unknown | Learmonth Rowing Club | Lake Learmonth, Ballarat |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Lithographers Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Maribyrnong Rowing Club (merged with Essendon ) | Maribyrnong River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Melbourne Garrison Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Old Wesley Collegians Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Oriel Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Prahan City Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Continuing | Shepparton Rowing Club | Goulburn River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | St George Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Turf Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Twickenham Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | Victorian Railways Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| Pre 1914 | Pre 1914 | United Rowing Club | |
| Pre 1914 | Continuing - merged with Essendon pre 1914 | Maribyrnong Rowing Club | Maribyrnong River |
| 1923, 23 Oct | Continuing - merged with Essendon Rowing Club | Essendon Ladies' Rowing Club | Maribyrnong River |
| 1919, 6 Dec | Post WWII | Preston Rowing Club | Edwardes Lake, Reservoir |
| Pre 1931 | Post WWII | Preston Ladies Rowing Club | Edwardes Lake, Reservoir |
| Pre 1931 | Continuing - merged with Bendigo Rowing Club | St Paul's Ladies' Rowing Club | Lake Weeroona, Bendigo |
| Pre 1931 (difficult to define date - see history) | Continuing | Y Rowing Club (formerly known as YWCA Rowing Club) | Albert Park Lake |
| 1933 | Continuing | Power House Rowing Club | Yarra River. Originally Albert Park Lake. |
| 1936-37 | 1946 | Heidelberg City Rowing Club | Rudder Grange - upper reaches of Yarra River |
| 1946 | 1957 | Cardross Rowing Club | Not known - Mildura area |
| 1947 | Continuing | Yarrawonga Rowing Club | Lake Mulwala |
| 1948 | Not known | Woolen Mills Rowing Club | Warrnambool |
| 1950 | Not known | Port Fairy Rowing Club | Moyne River, Port Fairy |
| circa 1950 | Not known | Camperdown Rowing Club | Lake Bullen Merri |
| circa 1950 | 1973 | Yea Rowing Club | Goulburn River |
| 1964 | Continuing - merged with MUBC | Melbourne University Ladies' Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| 1965 | Continuing, but not as a registered club. Operates as a varsity rowing club. | Monash University Rowing Club | Yarra River |
| 1972, 22 Mar | Continuing | Horsham Rowing Club | Wimmera River |
| 1974 | Continuing - merged with Corio Bay | Corio Bay Ladies' Rowing Club | Barwon River Geelong |
| 1995 | Continuing, the merging of the Albert Park and South Melbourne Rowing Clubs | Albert Park South Melbourne Rowing Club | Albert Park Lake |
Club histories
Over time we hope to provide readers with at least brief histories of all Clubs. All Club histories are welcomed.
See the club histories currently available on this website.