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

Australian Championships

School Rowing

Australian Rowing Associations

Rowing Club Histories

Profiles & Significant Events

Other Histories to Come

Boat builders Of Australia

News & Latest Additions

April 2025

Work on completing the 1990 results and images continued in April with the following images added to the Australian Rowing Images website for following regattas:

More rower profiles were added as usual and results for the following events added:

1968 SA Head of the River including program
1969 SA Head of the River including program
1970 SA Head of the River including program
1971 NZL Colts tour of NSW including program
1972 Australian Universities Championships including program
1978 Australian Universities Championships including program

Thank you to Chris Shinners for these and other regatta programs. Thanks also to Jack Hargreaves for contemporary rower profiles.

Of note, there are now 100,000 historical rowing images now loaded on the Australian Rowing Images website and we are only getting started. Further, there are over 2000 rower profiles published on this site and now over 12,000 visitors regularly visit both these sites each month. There is clearly a healthy interest in rowing history.

March 2025

The focus this month was on the year 1990 with the following updates added.

Images from 1990 were also added to the Australian Rowing Images website for the 1990 Australian Rowing Championships.

Other images have been added to the Australian Rowing Images website for the following regattas:

Additional rower profiles and as usual more additions and corrections including the 1952 and 1953 Interstate Women's Regatta programs courtesy of the Coe family.

February 2025

No let up in productivity despite it being the peak of the rowing season.

This month our focus has been on 1989 with images scanned from negative film and added for:

These have been published on the Australian Rowing Images website.

Also added to the this site have been:

As usual, new regattas are added such as the 2023 APS Head of the River regatta and other additions as received.

And as always, additional rower profiles have been added. Having exceeded 2,000 rower profiles, the aim is now for 2,500. Rower profile contributions are always welcomed. They will be published under the author's name.

Also images for 2025 Australian Henley regatta have been published on the Australian Rowing Images website.

See our past news and past additions.

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:

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

The idea 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 developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
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. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

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.