A Comprehensive History of Australian Rowing
Find out who rowed in events and the results they achieved. Read about selection and racing issues. See the trends and growth in rowing in Australia.
Rowing history
As correctly stated by many people, we see further and do much more, because we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Whether to learn from the past or merely reflect on it, rowing history is important.
Over the past three decades, the Australian Rowing History website has filled an important role recording rowers’ achievements and in more recent years, the Australian Rowing Images website has initiated a pictorial history of the sport to complement this site.
More needs to be done. Your continued contributions are always welcomed to ensure that the threads that hold the rich tapestry of our sport together are not lost.
Index to this History
About This History
Australians in International Events
- Olympic Games
- World Championships
- World Coastal and World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals
- Commonwealth Games
- World Professional Sculling
- World Under 19 Championships
- World Under 23 Championships
- Trans Tasman Series
- 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta
- Australian Rowers at Henley Royal Regatta
- The Boat Race
- World University Championships
- Australian Crews in Other Events
Australian Championships
School Rowing
Australian Rowing Associations
- Rowing Australia
- Rowing ACT
- Rowing Queensland
- Rowing Victoria
- Rowing WA
- Murray Rowing Association
- West Wimmera
- Other Associations to follow
Rowing Club Histories
- Adelaide RC
- Antwerp RC
- Artemis RC
- Balmain Working Men's RC
- Barwon RC
- Begonia City Ladies RC
- Bendigo RC
- Black Mountain RC
- Bundaberg RC
- Cardross RC
- City of Warrnambool RC
- Corowa RC
- Dimboola RC
- Endeavour RC
- Essendon Ladies RC
- Essendon RC
- Fremantle RC
- Heidelberg City RC
- Horsham RC
- I Zingari RC (VIC)
- Jeparit RC
- Lake Colac RC
- Leichhardt RC
- Melbourne RC
- Melbourne University BC
- Mercantile RC
- Newcastle RC
- Power House RC
- Preston RC
- Richmond RC
- Southern RC
- Sydney RC
- Sydney Boys HS
- Torrens RC
- UTS Haberfield
- Williamstown RC
- Yea RC
- Y Rowing Club
- Yarra Yarra RC
Profiles & Significant Events
Other Histories to Come
- Boat builders Of Australia
News & Latest Additions
April 2026
So far this month we have been working on updates to results as well as additions to rower profiles. No new sections have been added.
On the australianrowingimages.com website, the following images have been added -
- 2010 World Under 23 Championships images
- 1996 Australian Rowing Championships - in progress
March 2026
The focus of March 2026 was to update results to this site and adding images to the Australian Rowing Images website. Of course more rowing profiles will be added as well as other additions.
Specifically, the new images to the Australian Rowing Images website included:
February 2026
During February we completed the chapter on Australian crews who have raced at Henley Royal Regatta. This section is intended to include Australians racing for Australian clubs. It is not intended to capture Australians racing for overseas clubs such as American Universities. The finished product is helpful for those wanting to relive past glories or research those who have raced at this great event. The major researcher for this chapter has been Flynn Snowden.
As per usual, more rower profiles are being added and updates to existing chapters, including -
- 2103 and 2106 SA Head of the River details and results
- 2025 Victorian Head of the Schoolgirls results
On the Australian Rowing Images website, more images are being added. Specifically:
- 2026 Australian Henley Regatta
- 2026 Victorian Championships
- 1996 Nations Cup (subsequently World Under 23 Championships)
January 2026
In January ...
Considerable additional work on the History of Rowing Victoria specifically from 1930 to 2023 including history and images. With the 150th anniversary of the commencement of this association in 2026, this history will be completed over the next few months.
Updates to the Australians in The Boat Race with some excellent work from Alistair Taylor.
More information, mainly times and placings, on the WA and SA Heads of the River including:
- 1965-96, 2000-10 WA PSA Head of the River
- 2014, 2015 and 2017-2023 SA Head of the River.
Please note that we would welcome copies of school Heads of the River programs for all States. Once received, we scan them and include them on this website. Programs are returned to the owner.
More rower profiles as usual.
December 2025
In December -
- The addition of the superb Black Mountain Rowing Club History written by Vincent McMahon in 2011
- WA PSA Head of the River updates, mainly addition of names and results where available. Years updated include 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2024
Also as usual:
- More rower profiles and additions made to others.
- Numerous additions and corrections from kind people who alert me to these.
On the Australian Rowing Images website -
- 2005 World Championships gallery
- 2005 World Cups (Lucerne and Munich) gallery
November 2025
November 1995 brought the following additions.
On this site:
- Rowing ACT has just published Celebrating 60 Years - Rowing in the ACT which is reproduced on this site with permission.
- World Beach Sprint Finals and World Coastal Rowing are such important events, a new chapter has been commenced. The following years are covered - 2023, 2024 and 2025. This chapter is work in progress.
And of course new rower profiles have been added as well as additions to existing profiles.
On the Australian Rowing Images website:
- added galleries from 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 World Under 19 Championships from the Phil Ainsworth collection
- added gallery for 1987 Match des Seniors (Under 23) with images from team members
- Added comprehensive Hebfotos 1995 Australian Rowing Championships galleries
October 2025
This month ....
Images from Ben Tufnell of the 2025 World Championships have been added to the Australian Rowing Images website.
More comprehensive sets of historical images are also being added from the Hebfotos collection:
- 1994 Australian Championships
- Sadly the 1994 World Championship negatives have deteriorated and are of insufficient quality to scan for the site.
- 1994 World Under 19 Championships
- 1995 World Under 19 Championship
- 1995 World Championships
- 1995 World Cup IV - Lucerne
Other updates continued with the following additions:
- South Australian Head of the River - 1999 onwards, more results.
- 2023 National Championship results have been added.
- 2025 QLD GPS Head of River results added
- 2025 TAS SATIS Head of the River results added
- 2025 WA IGSSA Head of the River results added
- 2025 WA PSA Head of the River results added
- 1994 World Under 19 Championships program and full results sheets
- 1994 Interstate Rowing Championships program and results added
- 1994 National Championships program and results added
- 1995 Nations Cup (World Under 23) regatta program, point score table and detailed results
- 1995 World Championships regatta program, commentary and detailed results by day
- 1988 Australian Rowing Championships program and results added
- 1987 Trans Tasman Under 23 point score added
And of course more rower profiles have been added including a very interesting profile on Matthew Draper, coach, high performance manager in two countries, international rowing events specialist, amongst many other skills and achievements.
September 2025
A quieter month in September with a start made on 1994 matters. Additions included:
- 1994 Australian Championships regatta program
On the Australian Rowing Images website, the following are included:
- 1994 Henley Royal Regatta images
- 1994 Lucerne Regatta images
- 1994 Trans Tasman Under 23 Regatta images
- 1994 World Junior Championships images
Of course other work continues, including:
- 2025 World Championships
- 1994-97 SA Head of the River results
- Correcting broken links on the site
- More rower profiles added including past RA Deputy President, Bryan Draper
See our past news and past additions.