Guerin-Foster History of Australian Rowing
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Australian Interstate Championships —
Women's Four/Eight Championship

Rowers compete for the Queen Elizabeth II Trophy, formerly known as the ULVA Trophy

The commencement of Interstate Women’s competition is unclear but is thought to have started in 1912. However the first recognized championships occurred in 1920 when the Interstate Women’s Four Championship was conducted in conjunction with the Interstate Men’s Championships.

The Australian Women’s Rowing Council was also established at these Championships. It is worth noting that the Australian Amateur Rowing Council was not formed until 1927.

ULVA Trophy
The 1920 Interstate Women’s Four Championship was won by South Australia represented by a Mannum Rowing Club crew stroked by Dorothy Arnold. The United Licensed Victuallers Association (ULVA) of Queensland presented to the Australian Women’s Rowing Council this unique sterling silver trophy. The trophy was crafted by London silversmiths to depict Dorothy Arnold, the petite girl from Mannum who stroked the winning crew. She is holding her oar and dressed in the rowing garb of her time, namely a floppy hat, sailor top and billowing bloomers. The trophy is inscribed with the following words: Interstate Ladies Four-Oared Championship Trophy Presented by Queensland Licensed Victuallers Association E H Ruddle Esq. President 1920.

ULVA close-upThe trophy is affectionately known to Australian oarswomen as Bertha. However in 1941, on the motion of NSW, the Australian Womens Rowing Council resolved to drop the name Bertha and that it be officially known as the ULVA Trophy.  This change occurred only officially with the name Bertha still used by oarswomen.

In 1958, there was a brief discussion at the Australian Womens Rowing Council about the outmoded appearance of the trophy. Fortunately the majority of members disapproved of any alteration to moderise the dress of the model of the trophy.


In 2003, the trophy became officially known as the Queen Elizabeth II Trophy, or the Queens Cup. The original ULVA trophy remains the perpetual trophy.

There was an interesting lead up to the allocation of Queens Cup to the women's eight oared Championship with the Queens Cup originally being destined for an international schoolboy regatta.

In 1993, Brisbane Boys' College raced Eton in the final of the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley and won. This was the first time that an Australian Schoolboy Crew had won this prestigious event.

 

  

Dorothy Arnold Ekins
Dorothy Ekins (nee Arnold), on the 50th anniversary of the first race, holding the trophy and congratulatory telegrams received back in 1920 upon winning the Championship

In 1997 Simon Newcomb approached Dr Steve Hinchy (President of Rowing Australia) and asked for permission to approach Buckingham Palace and the Queen's Private Secretary Sir Robert Fellowes as to whether Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll would be prepared to provide a trophy to be known as the Queen's Cup for an annual International Schoolboy Race. The first race should take place  to coincide with the centenary of Brisbane Boy's College in 2002.

Simon Newcomb of Brisbane continued to correspond with the Queen's Private Secretary Sir Robert Fellowes, Buckingham Palace, Rowing Australia, Government House in Brisbane and also in Canberra. On 26th November 1999, the following response was received from Kevin Davidson, Senior Adviser to the Governor General:

Dear Dr Hinchy [then President of Rowing Australia],,
I refer to your letter of 19th April 1999 to the official Secretary requesting Her Majesty The Queen's consent to donate a perpetual trophy for an annual International schoolboy rowing event to be held in Australia. The Official Secretary has recently received formal advice that her majesty has consented to a Royal trophy to be called 'The Queen Elizabeth Cup' to be raced for in Australia by schoolboy crews from all over the world on an annual basis. Her Majesty is content for the first event to be held in Brisbane to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the Brisbane Boys' College in 2002.

Rowing Australia subsequently determined that the trophy would be best allocated to the women's eight event to provide some equity of regal trophies for men's and women's interstate eight oared championships and thus provide synergy with the Kings Cup.

In early 2001 approaches were made by Rowing Australia to the Governor General to have the trophy changed from an International Schoolboy Race to the Women's Interstate Eight Oared Championship. The Queen provided her consent to this change which occurred in 2003.


Summary of Women's Four/Eight (ULVA/Queen Elizabeth II Trophy) Race Results

DNF = Did not finish.  DISQ = Disqualified. NTT = No time taken.

Year Venue 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Distance Time
1920 Brisbane River QLD SA QLD NSW         3/4 mile 4:55.2
1921 Tamar River TAS SA QLD TAS         3/4 mile 4:56.0
1922 Parramatta River NSW TAS SA QLD NSW       1/2 mile NTT
1923 Swan River WA SA TAS VIC         1/2 mile NTT
1924 Port River SA SA VIC WA QLD NSW     1/2 mile NTT
1925 Albert Park Lake VIC SA VIC NSW WA       1/2 mile NTT
1926 Brisbane River QLD SA QLD           1/2 mile NTT
1927 Tamar River TAS SA TAS QLD         1/2 mile NTT
1928 Parramatta River NSW NSW SA QLD VIC       1/2 mile 3:33.2
1929 Swan River WA VIC NSW SA WA       1/2 mile NTT
1930 Mannum SA NSW VIC SA         1/2 mile 2:59.0
1931 Albert Park Lake VIC NSW QLD SA VIC       1/2 mile 3:42.5
1932 Brisbane River QLD NSW QLD tied SA tied VIC       1/2 mile 2:51.0
1933 Derwent River TAS VIC NSW QLD SA TAS     1/2 mile 3:35.0
1934 Parramatta River NSW NSW QLD SA VIC TAS     1/2 mile 3:10.0
1935 Port River SA NSW QLD VIC TAS SA     1/2 mile 3:16.0
1936 Yarra River VIC VIC TAS QLD SA NSW     1/2 mile 3:32.2
1937 Brisbane River QLD TAS QLD VIC NSW SA     1/2 mile 3:13.8
1938 Parramatta River NSW TAS 1 SA QLD NSW VIC     3/4 mile 6:01.0
1939 Derwent River TAS VIC TAS QLD NSW SA     3/4 mile 5:53.0
1940 Port River SA TAS QLD NSW VIC

SA

DNF

    3/4 mile 5:52.0
1941 Yarra River VIC VIC NSW QLD         3/4 mile 5:48.5
1942-48 World War II — no races conducted
1949 Brisbane River QLD NSW QLS VIC         3/4 mile 5:13.0
1950 Parramatta River NSW NSW VIC QLD         3/4 mile 5:05.0
1951 Yarra River VIC NSW VIC QLD         3/4 mile 4:48.6
1952 Brisbane River QLD NSW QLD VIC         3/4 mile 4:47.0
1953 Parramatta River NSW NSW QLD VIC         3/4 mile NTT
1954 Yarra River VIC QLD NSW VIC         3/4 mile 4:45.4
1955 Brisbane River QLD NSW VIC QLD         3/4 mile 4:00.0
1956 Parramatta River NSW NSW QLD SA         3/4 mile 3:48.0
1957 Brisbane River QLD NSW VIC QLD         3/4 mile 4:35.0
1958 Yarra River VIC NSW QLD VIC         3/4 mile 4:52.5
1959 Parramatta River NSW NSW VIC QLD         3/4 mile 4:47.4
1960 Brisbane River QLD NSW QLD VIC         1000m 4:31.0
1961 Parramatta River NSW NSW VIC QLD         1000m 4:15.4
1962 Albert Park Lake VIC NSW VIC QLD         1000m 4:08.4
1963 Brisbane River QLD NSW QLD VIC         1000m 4:14.0
1964 Parramatta River NSW NSW QLD VIC         1000m 4:08.0
1965 Albert Park Lake VIC NSW VIC QLD ACT SA     1000m 3:26.0
1966 Port River SA VIC 2 NSW ACT SA       1000m 3:44.0
1967 Parramatta River NSW NSW VIC QLD         1000m 4:18.6
1968 Yarra River VIC NSW VIC QLD         1000m 3:50.6
1969 Port River SA VIC NSW QLD         1000m 3:35.5
1970 Brisbane River QLD NSW VIC QLD         1000m 3:27.5
1971 Nepean River NSW NSW VIC QLD SA       1000m 4:10.2
1972 Lake Burley Griffin ACT VIC NSW QLD SA ACT     1000m 3:56.1
1973 Barwon River VIC NSW VIC NZL QLD       1000m 3:58.8
1974 Port River SA NSW VIC WA SA       1000m 3:51.2
1975 Canning River WA VIC NSW           1000m 3:38.1
1976 Penrith River NSW TAS NSW WA VIC 3       1000m 3:37.0
1977 Canning River WA NSW WA SA VIC TAS     1000m 3:58.4
1978 Huon River TAS VIC WA NSW SA QLD     1000m 3:31.21
1979 West Lakes SA VIC NSW WA QLD SA TAS   1000m 3:28.00
1980 Lake Wendouree VIC VIC SA WA NSW TAS QLD   1000m 3:45.75
1981 Hinze Dam QLD VIC NSW WA SA TAS     1000m 3:38.00
1982 Nepean River NSW VIC NSW SA TAS WA     1000m 3:51.10
1983 Canning River WA VIC SA NSW WA TAS     1000m 3:24.35
1984 Lake Barrington TAS VIC SA WA TAS       1000m 3:26.3
1985 Lake Wendouree VIC VIC WA NSW         2000m 7:30.50
1986 West Lakes SA VIC NSW WA         2000m 7:14.64
1987 Lake Barrington TAS VIC SA NSW WA QLD     2000m 7:32.51
1988 Nepean River VIC VIC QLD SA NSW WA     2000m 6:45.81
1989 Wellington Dam WA — cyclone — no races conducted 2000m  
1990 Lake Barrington TAS QLD VIC NSW         2000m 9:00.83
1991 West Lakes SA NSW VIC QLD WA SA     2000m 6:55.80
1992 Carrum VIC NSW SA VIC WA QLD     2000m 8:20.87
1993 Lake Wivenhoe QLD VIC NSW SA         2000m 6:41.80
1994 Lake Barrington TAS SA NSW VIC WA       2000m 7:48.10
1995 Wellington Dam WA VIC SA NSW WA       2000m 6:50.27
1996 Penrith Lakes NSW SA VIC NSW ACT QLD TAS   2000m 7:51.02
1997 Lake Barrington TAS VIC ACT SA NSW WA TAS   2000m 7:27.98
1998 Nagambie Lakes VIC VIC SA ACT NSW TAS     2000m 6:59.06
Changed to Eight Oared Championship
1999 West Lakes VIC NSW SA ACT QLD     2000m 6:16.88
2000 Penrith Lakes NSW VIC SA NSW ACT       2000m 6:20.25
2001 Lake Wivenhoe QLD VIC NSW ACT WA SA QLD   2000m 6:08.47
2002 Nagambie Lakes VIC NSW VIC WA ACT SA     2000m 6:17.84
2003 Lake Barrington TAS NSW VIC WA TAS ACT     2000m 6:17.42
2004 Nagambie Lakes VIC NSW WA VIC ACT TAS     2000m 6:32.96
2005 Sydney International Regatta Centre NSW VIC NSW WA TAS ACT QLD   2000m 6:12.93
2006 Lake Barrington TAS VIC WA TAS NSW ACT QLD   2000m 6:03.48
2007 Nagambie Lakes VIC VIC NSW WA QLD TAS ACT   2000m 6:43.36


1 Great Britain won the 1938 race but was rowing by invitation so the title went to Tasmania.
2 New Zealand won the 1966 race but was rowing by invitation and so the title went to Victoria.

3 The Victorian crew was withdrawn from racing by the Victorian Ladies' Rowing Association.

 

< previous Interstate Men's Youth Eight (Noel F Wilkinson Trophy
> next Interstate Women's Sculling (Nell Slatter Trophy)
< Index of Detailed Results for Each Year

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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: andrewguerin@rowinghistory-aus.info

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



The ideas and format 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 has developed and extended the histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and 2005 and acknowledges the ongoing assistance of Margot Foster.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004, 2005
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.

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.