This event was conducted as a National Championship for the first time in 1970 as a Bi-centenary Sculls race. The event did not reappear as a regular event until 1980. Prior to that time, the President's Cup was regarded as the both the Interstate and National Championships.
The change arose from the need to have an open event, not restricted to Interstate representatives, for both selection purposes and also to match the requirements of the expanded National Championships programme.
The most prolific winner of the event has been Duncan Free from the Surfers Paradise Rowing Club with Peter Antonie (Melbourne University) and Richard Powell (Queensland University) close behind.
International winners include Vaclav Chalupa from the Czech Republic who won it twice, and Eric Verdonk and Richard Waddell from New Zealand.
The most prolific winner Duncan Free with his father Reg in 2004
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 |
Norm Talbot - SA Railways | Robert Fitch, Barwon | Jeff Sykes, Corio Bay | 7:23.00 | |||
| 1980 | Edward Hale - Sydney | Richard Reddell - Haberfield | Robert McGowan - North Shore | Paul Rowe - Haberfield | Andrew Cassidy - Corio Bay | Neil Mansfield - Bendigo | 8:21.18 |
| 1981 | Edward Hale - Sydney | Neil Mansfield - Toowong | Jim Stride - Sydney | 7:22.00 | |||
| 1982 | Edward Hale - Sydney | Andrew Cassidy - MUBC | Brett Cooper - Westr End NZL | 7:18.26 | |||
| 1983 | Jim Battersby - Sydney | Equal 2nd Anthony Lovrich - Freemantle | Equal 2nd Gary Gulloch - Wendouree Ballarat | 7:18.26 | |||
| 1984 | Anthony Lovrich - Freemantle | Gary Gulloch - Wendouree Ballarat | Paul Reedy - MUBC | Tim McLaren - St George | Alan Polloch- St George | Brenton Terrell - Port Adelaide | 7:23.30 |
| 1985 | Gary Gulloch - Wendouree Ballarat | Brenton Terrell - Port Adelaide | Richard Powell - UQBC | Paul Reedy - MUBC | Peter McLaren - St George | John Bentley - AUBC | 7:11.4 |
| 1986 | Richard Powell - UQBC | Ralph French - UQBC | Paul Reedy - Balmain | Gary Gulloch - Wendouree Ballarat | John Bentley - AUBC | Brenton Terrell - Port Adelaide | 7:20.12 |
| 1987 | Eric Verdonk - North Shore NZL | 7:12.73 | |||||
| 1988 | Richard Powell - UQBC | 6:33.65 | |||||
| 1989 | Richard Powell - UQBC | 8:46.55 | |||||
| 1990 | Richard Powell - UQBC | 8:11.25 | |||||
| 1991 | Peter Antonie - MUBC | 6:59.90 | |||||
| 1992 | Peter Antonie - MUBC | 6:57.89 | |||||
| 1993 | Peter Antonie - MUBC | 7:08.93 | |||||
| 1994 | Jason Day - Bendigo | 7:09.93 | |||||
| 1995 | Peter Antonie - MUBC | 7:17.46 | |||||
| 1996 | Vaclav Chalupa - Bukla TCH | 6:50.35 | |||||
| 1997 | Richard Waddell - Waiareki NZL | 7:38.10 | |||||
| 1998 | Duncan Free - Tweed Heads | 7:23.97 | |||||
| 1999 | Vaclav Chalupa - Bukla TCH | 6:51.14 | |||||
| 2000 | Duncan Free - Surfers Paradise | 6:48.60 | |||||
| 2001 | Duncan Free - Surfers Paradise | 6:59.98 | |||||
| 2002 | Duncan Free - Surfers Paradise | 7:01.47 | |||||
| 2003 | Duncan Free - Surfers Paradise | 7:00.25 | |||||
| 2004 | Duncan Free - Surfers Paradise | Peter Hardcastle - Mosman | Brendan Long - Tamar | Craig Jones - Canberra | Scott Brennan - Lindisfarne | Ben Southwell - ANU | 7:19.84 |
| 2005 | David Crawshay - Mercantile | Scott Brennen - Lindisfarne | Alistair Taylor - Mercantile | Jason Day - UTS | Craig Jones - Canberra | Brendon Long - Tamar | 7:01.38 |
| 2006 | Scott Brennan - Lindisfarne | David Crawshay - Mercantile | Daniel Noonan - Sydney | Peter Hardcastle - Mosman | Chris Morgan - AUBC | Craig Jones - Canberra | 7:51.45 |
| 2007 | David Crawshay - Mercantile, VIC | James McRae, Murrya Bridge, SA | Chris Morgan, AUBC, SA | Peter Hardcastle - Mosman, NSW | James Gatti, Swan River, WA | 6:52.08 |