1993 NSW Schoolgirls Head of the River
Different strokes for female folks (Peter Fitzsimons, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Mar 1993).
For one hundred years following the first regatta in 1893, the Head of the River was celebrated as one of the true arenas for GPS students to display their “manliness”. This year they will have to come up with a new noun. For today, mixed with all the schoolboys from Shore, Newington, Kings et al, will be schoolgirls from Loreto Kirribilli, North Sydney Girls High, Loreto Normanhurst, Sydney Girls High, SCEGGS Redlands, Wenona and PLC Pymble, Queenwood, Riverside High and Figtree High, also competing along the Nepean River.
It is a noble tradition the females will be joining, with the Head of the River regatta able to boast times when as many as 250,000 people would line both sides of the Parramatta River to see one of the most important events in the year’s sporting calendar.
Like the males, the females are taking it all extremely seriously, yet while the males are invariably generously provided by their schools and Old Boy networks with a new boat every year, practice boats, coaches, sculling machines and so on, the females tend to operate on more spartan principles.
The team from North Sydney Girls High, for example, owns a set of oars. No boat, just the oars. For the rest, the must depend on the kindness of the Mosman Rowing Club to lend them boats and expertise.
Single Scull
No time
1st Westfield Sports High – Jodie Allen
Four
No time
1st Sydney Girls High
1st Eight
No time
1st North Sydney